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Goff is Rams' backup QB for now, but his former coaches believe he'll work out long term
By JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER
[www.ocregister.com]
THOUSAND OAKS – Less than five months ago, Sonny Dykes was the picture of optimism. Jared Goff, the only quarterback he’d started in three years at Cal, was not only entering the NFL, but doing so as the No. 1 overall pick.
“He’s ready,” the coach told Bay Area television station KTVU in April, shortly before the draft. “He’s one of those kids – you don’t ever know how somebody’s going to transition from college football to the NFL – but I can’t imagine anybody’s going to be as ready as he is.”
But earlier this week, in a stadium roughly 70 miles south of his high school, the Rams’ prized rookie was stuck on the sideline, a first for a top-drafted quarterback since 2007. He didn’t even dress in what turned out to be an embarrassing 28-0 loss to the 49ers, relegated to street clothes as the team’s third-string signal-caller.
Goff could still turn into a franchise player. But if it happens, the journey will likely consist of small steps rather than giant leaps. On Friday, Rams coach Jeff Fisher announced that Goff will back up veteran Case Keenum on Sunday against the Seahawks, jumping Sean Mannion on the quarterback depth chart. That this represents a promotion has forced those who once coached Goff to reconsider his developmental timeline – though it has not shaken their faith in their former pupil.
“He’s right where I thought he’d be,” Dykes said this month, in an act of revisionist history. “He’s 21 years old. I knew there’d be a period of adjustment.”
Mazi Moayed, Goff’s coach at Marin Catholic High School, was more forthright.
“It was surprising at first,” he said, “but it makes sense that he’s not (the starter) right now. I think in the long run, it’s going to help him.”
Goff himself has echoed those sentiments. On Friday, he insisted that he has prepared exactly the same way for the past several weeks. Monday’s game, which he watched in a white hoodie, simply meant a chance for him to absorb the game from a different angle.
“I tried to just take it into perspective,” he said. “Just tried to learn, tried to see everything from the sideline, tried to understand things.”
Offensive coordinator Rob Boras praised Goff’s study habits, saying that the quarterback hasn’t relaxed his study habits at all. A good sign, now that there’s a chance Goff could actually enter the game.
“They’re always one snap away,” Boras said. “It’s hard when you’re 21 years old to recognize that.”
The stakes are higher now. Fisher has long insisted that he will not rush Goff’s development, but there is pressure that comes with the Los Angeles spotlight. Against the 49ers, Keenum went 17 of 35 for 130 yards, throwing two interceptions along the way. If he puts up similar numbers Sunday against a more formidable Seattle defense, it may be difficult to justify leaving Goff on the bench.
Would the rookie, who had plenty of preseason struggles, be ready?
“I just remember a calm, skinny kid,” Moayed said, recalling the first time he met Goff. “I was like, ‘That guy can just play catch.’ He’s out there, he’s just calm, cool, he’s in control. Just playing catch with the guys, making it look easy.
“God willing, he’ll be doing that before long at the stage he’s at. I don’t see it being any different at that level. It’s just a matter of time.”
By JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER
[www.ocregister.com]
THOUSAND OAKS – Less than five months ago, Sonny Dykes was the picture of optimism. Jared Goff, the only quarterback he’d started in three years at Cal, was not only entering the NFL, but doing so as the No. 1 overall pick.
“He’s ready,” the coach told Bay Area television station KTVU in April, shortly before the draft. “He’s one of those kids – you don’t ever know how somebody’s going to transition from college football to the NFL – but I can’t imagine anybody’s going to be as ready as he is.”
But earlier this week, in a stadium roughly 70 miles south of his high school, the Rams’ prized rookie was stuck on the sideline, a first for a top-drafted quarterback since 2007. He didn’t even dress in what turned out to be an embarrassing 28-0 loss to the 49ers, relegated to street clothes as the team’s third-string signal-caller.
Goff could still turn into a franchise player. But if it happens, the journey will likely consist of small steps rather than giant leaps. On Friday, Rams coach Jeff Fisher announced that Goff will back up veteran Case Keenum on Sunday against the Seahawks, jumping Sean Mannion on the quarterback depth chart. That this represents a promotion has forced those who once coached Goff to reconsider his developmental timeline – though it has not shaken their faith in their former pupil.
“He’s right where I thought he’d be,” Dykes said this month, in an act of revisionist history. “He’s 21 years old. I knew there’d be a period of adjustment.”
Mazi Moayed, Goff’s coach at Marin Catholic High School, was more forthright.
“It was surprising at first,” he said, “but it makes sense that he’s not (the starter) right now. I think in the long run, it’s going to help him.”
Goff himself has echoed those sentiments. On Friday, he insisted that he has prepared exactly the same way for the past several weeks. Monday’s game, which he watched in a white hoodie, simply meant a chance for him to absorb the game from a different angle.
“I tried to just take it into perspective,” he said. “Just tried to learn, tried to see everything from the sideline, tried to understand things.”
Offensive coordinator Rob Boras praised Goff’s study habits, saying that the quarterback hasn’t relaxed his study habits at all. A good sign, now that there’s a chance Goff could actually enter the game.
“They’re always one snap away,” Boras said. “It’s hard when you’re 21 years old to recognize that.”
The stakes are higher now. Fisher has long insisted that he will not rush Goff’s development, but there is pressure that comes with the Los Angeles spotlight. Against the 49ers, Keenum went 17 of 35 for 130 yards, throwing two interceptions along the way. If he puts up similar numbers Sunday against a more formidable Seattle defense, it may be difficult to justify leaving Goff on the bench.
Would the rookie, who had plenty of preseason struggles, be ready?
“I just remember a calm, skinny kid,” Moayed said, recalling the first time he met Goff. “I was like, ‘That guy can just play catch.’ He’s out there, he’s just calm, cool, he’s in control. Just playing catch with the guys, making it look easy.
“God willing, he’ll be doing that before long at the stage he’s at. I don’t see it being any different at that level. It’s just a matter of time.”
