In Goff We Trust – Just Have Patience
I saw Jared Goff for the first time Sunday.
Goff was the first player picked in this year’s NFL draft. He was taken by the Los Angeles Rams who had traded up to acquire what they hoped would be a franchise quarterback. Every team needs one. Some are fortunate enough to be in a position to get one.
Many teams never get that opportunity. Your record has to be quite bad and the right guy has to be there when you pick. The other way is to move up in the draft by trading your own number one and enough other high picks either in that same year or in the future to satisfy a team willing to move down. The Rams have had a history of making those kinds of trades and they wound up choosing Goff, the star QB at Cal to be their future.
The game I broadcast, was not a good one for Goff. He threw two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown by the Atlanta Falcons, and it was a miserable thrashing to the tune of 42-14. The Falcons actually led 42-0 so you get the idea.
Patience runs thin these days, especially in sports. Particularly in the NFL. So the general feeling is that the Rams blew their first-round choice on Jared Goff. I believe otherwise.
No, I’m not about to come out and declare stardom for Goff. I have no idea. I do know we have to give him time.
Carson Wentz, selected by the Eagles who traded up to the second spot looked impressive when he began the season. He’s come down to earth. No surprise. I think he has a promising future.
Dak Prescott, another rookie, not chosen until the fourth round has been sensational. With Tony Romo injured, the rookie has helped lead the Cowboys to an 11-2 record, best in the NFC.
Here’s what I’ve learned over the years. When a team drafts what they hope will be their franchise quarterback, we have to look at that team. If you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers and have a foundation, being in a position to draft Ben Roethlisberger will make the team better, and the rookie QB better, That’s what happened.
Once upon a time, those same Steelers, coming off a one-win season, drafted a quarterback named Terry Bradshaw number one.
How did that work out? You may say it worked out brilliantly. Bradshaw led the Steelers to four Super Bowl championships. You would be right. But how many people remember Terry Bradshaw, the rookie. In 1970, his first season, Bradshaw threw 6 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions. He completed only 38% of his passes. Fifty percent, by the way is not good enough. In his second year, TB improved to 13 TD throws and 22 picks. Umm, not very good. In fact he struggled through his first four seasons and was benched. The Steelers were 5-9 and 6-8 in those years. Then, the team got better. Much better and you know the rest of the story. The four Super Bowls that followed starting in 1975.
The point here is that you can’t judge rookie quarterbacks with great potential until they have the surrounding pieces. On both sides of the ball…
A major reason why Prescott has looked so good with Dallas is that he is blessed with a veteran team. More specifically arguably the finest offensive line in the game, and a super rookie running back in Ezekiel Elliott. But the line opens the holes for Elliott, and gives Prescott time to find his target downfield.
There are countless other examples of surrounding a rookie quarterback with promise with talent. Eli Manning with the Giants, Peyton Manning with the Colts. Even today, with Andrew Luck, a real good one. We’re seeing it with Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota in Tampa Bay and Tennessee respectively.
The other thing is that a quarterback with talent improves not game-by-game, but season-by-season. They all have ups and downs during a given year.
So what I saw in Jared Goff were enough flashes to be convinced that he has no chance without an offensive line that can’t protect.. or allow their terrific running back Todd Gurley to do his thing.
When they do, you should see why he was rated so high. No guarantees, but at least he’ll be able to give it his best shot.
So let’s exhibit some patience with Jared Goff.
Photo Credit: Rams PodCast
“Keep an eye out for my new podcast, “Stockton!” We’ll take a different perspective on the world of sports and share stories I’ve collected from my unique front-row seat. To learn more and sign up to be notified when it launches, visit www.StocktonPodcast.com.”
Sincerely,
Dick Stockton
