Practice Report 12/2: Goff Ready for Next Challenge

Practice Report 12/2: Goff Ready for Next Challenge

Myles Simmons

From his first start to the next, there was a clear improvement in the performance and production of rookie quarterback Jared Goff.

Last Sunday against New Orleans, Goff finished 20-of-32 passing for 214 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. It was only the second time this season the Rams have passed for three touchdowns in a game.

Goff's first-half performance stood out, especially in the two-minute drill leading up to halftime. In that stretch, the young signal-caller showed his strong pocket presence, moving to evade the rush and find an open passing lane. It’s part of how he was able to find tight end Lance Kendricks for a 24-yard pass to extend the drive and the 15-yard touchdown to cap it.

“We’ve been saying it for so long with all the questions about how he’s growing in the classroom, and then we’ve seen the flashes of it, and it was good. You saw it leading up during the course of the week — just his comfort being in the huddle, the tempo that we had to practice with Friday, the way he handled everything,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said of Goff. “You saw it coming, and you prayed that it was going to happen. You just didn’t know if it was going to come to fruition, and it did.

“It just proved it wasn’t too big for him,” Boras continued. “You saw the way he moved in the pocket. He made some big-time throws. It was a really good first half for him.”


“I don’t think it’s anything in particular,” Goff said of his progress. “I think it’s just everything’s improved and the game is starting to slow down. It’s starting to feel more comfortable every day out here and every week on Sundays.”

As there is with any young quarterback, Goff had his missteps against the Saints as well. There was the lost fumble deep in Los Angeles’ own territory that led to a New Orleans touchdown. And there was the third-quarter interception, where Goff looked like he tried to force a pass between a pair of defenders to Kendricks.

But as Boras put it, one of Goff’s best attributes is how he can put negative plays behind him quickly.

“Jared has a very short memory, and he’s a very confident young man,” Boras said. “The fumble — he forgets it. He comes back, and he’ll play — the next play. Same thing with the interception. He doesn’t carry that, and that’s hard.

“We always talk about play the next play, and a lot of times it can just be lip service, but I think he’s got a short memory,” Boras continued. “He’s confident in himself, and his ability. I think seeing something go bad and how he responded, I think that was a really positive sign, how he battled through those couple plays of adversity.”

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