Rams look super on paper, Goff needs to step up....blah blah

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Faceplant

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Not a bad read actually.....

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-goff-hernandez-20180612-story.html

Rams might look super on paper, but they'll need Jared Goff to step up and deliver
By DYLAN HERNANDEZ
JUN 12, 2018 | 7:50 PM


Jared Goff marched to the front of the media room at the Rams training facility. He looked down and noticed a sleek white podium had replaced the bulky brown stand that used to be there.

“New podium,” he wisecracked. “Exciting.”

Jared Goff opening a news conference with a joke?

It was uncharacteristic, but it also made a certain amount of sense, this being Goff’s third preseason with the Rams.

Goff was noticeably comfortable Tuesday on the opening day of minicamp. Comfortable with his place on the team. Comfortable with the system. Comfortable with the increased expectations.

The change was startling and the implications of that were exhilarating.

At this time a year ago, nothing was expected of the Rams. They had a first-year coach in Sean McVay. They were coming off a four-win season in which rookie Goff was underwhelming.

The Rams are now Super Bowl contenders, in large part because of the progress Goff made last year while directing the offense of the league’s highest-scoring team. He passed for 28 touchdowns, had only seven passes intercepted and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

With Matt LaFleur and Greg Olson departing in the offseason, Goff will be working with his third offensive coordinator and third quarterbacks coach in three years. The experienced team of LaFleur and Olson will be replaced by Shane Waldron and Zac Taylor. Waldron, the new pass-game coordinator, was the tight ends coach last year. Taylor was the assistant receivers coach.

But Goff won’t require as much hand holding as he did in his previous two seasons. And he also already has played a year under McVay’s system with McVay as the play-caller.

“He’s taken great strides this offseason,” Waldron said. “When you’re learning a new offense as a quarterback, you’re learning a new language. So, I think, Year 2, he’s more familiar with the language of the offense, the structure of what we’re trying to get done so he can take more ownership and he’s done a great job doing that.”

The experience is the source of Goff’s budding confidence.

“It goes back to just understanding things further and starting to dive deeper into some of the stuff we do and truly understanding the intent of everything,” Goff said. “It’s really understanding what we’re trying to get done with each play, even run plays, pass plays, everything.”

That’s what McVay wants.

“You hear us say it over and over and it gets monotonous but it certainly is the truth where we want him to be an extension of our coaching staff,” McVay said.

Goff will have to be that, and more.

If the regular season last year was a testament to Goff’s development, a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the opening round of the playoffs showed how much further he still had to go. The Falcons were focused on neutralizing running back Todd Gurley and Goff failed to make them pay.

Goff started slowly, as he was sacked twice in the first four minutes and the Rams went three and out on their first two possessions. He later made some superstar-caliber throws, but had trouble moving the football with regularity.

He finished with 24 completions in 45 attempts. Of his 259 yards passing, 102 came on the Rams’ last two possessions, when the game was out of reach.

“There are multiple plays in that game I’d like to have back, change, do differently,” he said. “All stuff to learn from and all stuff looking forward to in the future.”

Progress could take a different form this season.

“I thought he did a lot of good things last year,” McVay said. “I think it’s all about just consistency. We talk about it all the time. That’s the truest measurement of performance and especially at that quarterback position.”

The quicker he can make that improvement, the better.

Goff will count only $7.6 million against the salary cap this season. The modest figure factored in the Rams being as proactive as they were in the offseason and adding Ndamukong Suh, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and Brandin Cooks.

Examine the Rams roster and it’s clear the team’s window to win is now. The question is whether it’s also Goff’s.
 

Mister Sin

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Dude had a good year. Sure I would like to see 5,000 yards and 40 TD’s but I’ll gladly take last years stats as long as Gurley is doing his thing.
 

kurtfaulk

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Dude had a good year. Sure I would like to see 5,000 yards and 40 TD’s but I’ll gladly take last years stats as long as Gurley is doing his thing.

I think he's at the stage now when he has drew brees type stats. Brees blew up in his 3rd season with a great supporting cast. Goff was much better than brees in their respective 2nd seasons.

.
 

kurtfaulk

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He later made some superstar-caliber throws, but had trouble moving the football with regularity.

That throw he made to woods just before the half that ended up at the 5 yard line was exactly that. I was certain they were gonna score and head into the half with the lead. Then one misplay screwed it all up for them. Timing was off, they totally fubarred it.

Gotta make teams pay. When Goff does that regularly we will all know he has arrived to the big time.

.
 

bubbaramfan

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The pieces are in place. great offensive minded coach, same OL, same WR (+1, Cooks), Same TE's (+1, Hemmingway), same playbook. all of which should make TC and pre-season easier to fine tune what he has already done.

It would be a let down if Goff only equals what he did last season, which was enough to make the playoffs.

No way Goff doesn't improve.
 

fearsomefour

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Dude had a good year. Sure I would like to see 5,000 yards and 40 TD’s but I’ll gladly take last years stats as long as Gurley is doing his thing.
He could have had those stars if he threw 48 times a game. Lots of hand offs to Gurley, which is a great thing.
Goff is not my worry with the Rams.
He is progressing right on schedule.
 

Adi

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Why does he need to step up ?

He had a 4 -1 td interception ratio, I'll take that any year . If the team wins games I'm happy , I dont care if he doesn't throw for 4000 yards !
 

Ram_Rally

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It's that time of year so the articles will ask repeat . It's holding truth though, there were games last test (Minnesota, Washington) where you just hoped Goff would elevate and he didn't . If we get 4300 yards with 65 percent completion then I think we'll be a deep playoff team
 

WestCoastRam

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I don't have a problem with those asking for Goff to step up. Look, I was absolutely surprised by the year he had last year and would be happy with those numbers again... but... but... more than likely, he will need to make another leap forward if we're going to compete for a superbowl.

And I'd really like a superbowl win.
 

Legatron4

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Unfortunately for Goff, he has a really, really good RB in Todd Gurley. Which means he most likely won't have a chance to break records anytime soon. But hey, if he throws 28 touchdowns for 15 years he will end up with 425 for his career. Not too shabby.
 

RamFan503

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Yeah there is already a thread on this but meh... I’m ok with this unless another mod wants to merge it. It’s obvious we need our QB to advance and I think he will. He has the tools and drive and he’s still very young. I never thought his first seven games were all he could be and I don’t think last season is his ceiling. We have ourselves a QB. Enjoy and watch as he continues to develop.
 

MachS

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If you look at the 2nd half of the season Jared was lights out. Could've played better against ATL for sure but wasn't mad at his year.

He seems way more confident now, I mean his whole life he's always got better year over year. Why would we not expect the same at this level?
 

Elmgrovegnome

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Last season's early playoff exit wasn't just Goff's failure. The defense let Atlanta run freely, and McVay says he could have called a better game. These articles are a bit of drivel.
 

FarNorth

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Last season's early playoff exit wasn't just Goff's failure. The defense let Atlanta run freely, and McVay says he could have called a better game. These articles are a bit of drivel.
I personally thought the play calling was at fault. Gurley was gaining yards early on and McVay went to the passing game instead. The team was nervous and McVay did nothing to help them get in a rhythm. I get that the special teams fumbles and Brockers injury were no doubt decisive, but I thought McVay's approach to the game was not cognizant enough of how to best get the offensive players' heads into the game.
 

majrleaged

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I think stepping up just means making plays when there really needed most. I think he showed an ability to do that, but the offence as a whole wasnt consistant that way. There always seemed to be a week link breaking at the wrong time. Sometimes Goff, sometimes the line, sometimes the receivers, sometimes play calling. That has to change and I am sure the 2nd season will show all around improvement. Also Goff will need to step up when Gurley is taken away. So the statement is not wrong, but it isn't totally correct. I can't see these improvements not happening.
 

RamFan503

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Last season's early playoff exit wasn't just Goff's failure. The defense let Atlanta run freely, and McVay says he could have called a better game. These articles are a bit of drivel.
I don't disagree with anything you said. I would say that Goff himself wasn't happy with several throws but he also made some very good ones. We had some mistakes that were very hard for a young team to make and still come out winners in a big game like that.

I have a hard time putting the blame on any one aspect of the game. We didn't play our best game and ATL did play about their best game and had a good plan. I think Goff played well enough for us to win and the defense was exploited in a way we saw all season as one of our biggest weaknesses.

It was a great first season for a first time head coach and young team. But it's not like the narrative from this should be put on Goff's shoulders. The TEAM lost. While I still think we were the better team, we simply didn't play like the best team in that game.

I personally thought the play calling was at fault. Gurley was gaining yards early on and McVay went to the passing game instead. The team was nervous and McVay did nothing to help them get in a rhythm. I get that the special teams fumbles and Brockers injury were no doubt decisive, but I thought McVay's approach to the game was not cognizant enough of how to best get the offensive players' heads into the game.

We see that with every team in the league. It happens that a defensive adjusts and I'm not sure that continuing to pound the rock would have made for a different outcome. Like it or not, we were in the first year of building an offense and completely retooling our defense. I hated losing against what I felt was an inferior team, but I'm stoked with the ridiculously rapid improvements we made.

In McVay I trust and onward and upward. Go RAMS!!!
 

LesBaker

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It was a great first season for a first time head coach and young team. But it's not like the narrative from this should be put on Goff's shoulders. The TEAM lost. While I still think we were the better team, we simply didn't play like the best team in that game.

Listen muthafucka.......stick to the script..........Goff was to blame, not the 10 points handed to the Falcons.

Repeat after me Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up, Goff has to step up.

I'm including a short training video to help you with cadence and delivery. If you say it enough ESPN may offer you a spot on a radio show.


 

RamsFlash80

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Why does he need to step up ?

He had a 4 -1 td interception ratio, I'll take that any year . If the team wins games I'm happy , I dont care if he doesn't throw for 4000 yards !

Funny thing is he likely would have had 4000+ yards if he played in week 17. Only needed 196 yards. Also probably would have hit 30 TDs. He was literally top 10 in almost every QB statistic in his first full year with a real HC. Do the media even watch the Rams or Goff lol?