By Eric Brown
After being drafted with the first overall pick last season, Jared Goff was the savior. Then he wasn’t. Expect a different Goff this time around.
When was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, everybody, and I do mean everybody, expected Goff to be the leader for the new Los Angeles Rams. Come training camp, Goff failed to beat , journeyman QB, for the backup job. That’s right. The No. 1 overall pick just five months before, couldn’t beat out a QB who had been part of three different teams. There was plenty of outcry from Rams’ fans after Jeff Fisher decided to play Keenum instead of Goff.
Apparently our LA Rams made a mistake picking Jared Goff .If Goff cant play better than or on a par with Keenum we are in trouble.
— Wes C (@WesClements22) November 6, 2016
Jared Goff must really suck if he cant play in front of Case Keenun #Rams #MobSquad
— TheBurroughs (@TheBurroughs81) September 13, 2016
Bro Jared goff was number one over all and couldn't beat out case keenum havent seen one article about how bad that bust is
— Louis (@LouciferIII) June 14, 2017
The Majority of those tweets came before Week 6 when Keenum became the starter. One week later, the Golden Boy made his NFL Debut.
In that start, Goff had an underwhelming line of 17-31, 134 yards with 0 TDs. The only plus side of that game was that he had zero interceptions.
The next week against the New Orleans Saints was his best career game. But that wasn’t saying much, considering lenty of players had career games against the last year. Things would not get any prettier for Goff as the season progressed. Goff finished the season with just under 1100 yards, with a 54% completion rate. Not good.
Things would not get any prettier for Goff as the season progressed. He finished the season with just under 1100 yards, with a 54% completion rate–not good at all.
Fast forward to the 2017 preseason. In just 2 games so far, Goff has barely played, but in the time he has, he has shown the promise that made him the No. 1 overall pick last year. Completing 19 of his 24 pass attempts, Goff has a 74% completion rate to go along with 8.1 Yds/Att and a single touchdown. With throws like this, it’s hard not to be excited.
What a drive to begin the game in Oakland! to for a 23-yard TD! ???
— L.A. RAMS News (@LARamsNews)
Last season, Goff did not have any weapons that resembled a number one receiver. They trotted out as the team’s leading pass catcher week after week, which clearly did not go so well. Deciding to fix that problem, they went all out in their attempt to get their franchise QB a solid WR to pair him with.
In the draft, they selected WR, a gifted talent out of Eastern Washington. So far through 2 pre-season games, Kupp has been far and away the teams.
The major haul for the Rams in the off-season, however, was the acquisition of . Watkins brings an entirely new presence that the team has not had in the past few years. With the addition of Sammy, Goff finally will have that “go-to” receiver in crunch time, or anytime the protection breaks down he can check down to him.
Goff may not have had a very good Rookie season in the NFL, but with an improved line, a healthy Todd Gurley, and a superb receiving core he now has all the surroundings to make him the next great QB in the league.
I’m not saying Goff will suddenly become , but expect a redemption tour this time around.
