Quote
Jared Goff's growth By Bucky Brooks
[
www.nfl.com]
JARED GOFF'S GROWTH: Never underestimate the power of coaching
If you at all question how much coaching matters in the NFL, particularly when it comes to quarterbacks, take a look at the passer rating leaders from Week 1 to see how top-flight play caller can help a QB play at an elite level:
1) Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs: 148.6
2) Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings: 143.0
3) Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams: 117.9
Smith, Bradford and Goff lead the NFL in passing efficiency largely due to the careful planning and scripting of a call sheet. Granted, one week doesn't make a season. But when I watched the All-22 Coaches Film of each of their performances, I was blown away with the clever scheming and sequencing used by their respective play callers to accentuate each of their strengths, while also making life easier for them in the pocket.
Whether it was Andy Reid embracing spread offense principles and concepts -- including the option shovel pass, zone read and fly sweep -- to help Smith find his groove or Pat Shurmur utilizing a wide array of quick-rhythm concepts designed to get the ball out of Bradford's hands, these guys put their signal callers in positions to succeed. In addition, they repeated their quarterbacks' favorite concepts from various formations to distract the defense while executing the same play over and over. While some would suggest that this is Coaching 101 stuff, we've already seen enough subpar quarterback play this season to know all coaches aren't created equal.
To that point, I believe Los Angeles Rams newbie Sean McVay is off to a fantastic start in his head-coaching career. The 31-year old offensive wizard suddenly has Goff looking like the efficient field general many envisioned when he came off the board as the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. In a 46-9 blowout of the Colts last Sunday, Goff completed 21 of his 29 passes for 306 yards and a touchdown (with zero picks). Now, I know he shredded an Indianapolis defense that didn't offer much resistance, but notching a 300-yard game with a 72.4 percent completion rate is quite an accomplishment for a passer who looked bewildered as a rookie.
With Goff's fine regular-season debut looking like a continuation of his encouraging preseason, I believe we can start to buy into his potential as a QB1 under McVay. Studying the coaches tape from each of his preseason games and the regular-season opener, I identified a few things the Rams' play caller is doing to help the second-year pro find his groove. First, the Rams are operating at a much quicker tempo than a season ago. The team will hurry to the line after successful plays or jump into no-huddle mode in the middle of series to push the pace against a beleaguered defense. The rapid-fire tempo not only limits the defensive coordinator's call sheet due to communication concerns (fewer blitzes and pre-snap disguises), but it also allows Goff to stand at the line and survey the defense with McVay offering suggestions in his ear (the communication device doesn't shut off until the 15-second mark on the play clock). The added advice likely helps Goff identify vulnerable areas in coverage, which leads to more big plays in the passing game.
In addition to the upping the tempo, McVay has incorporated some of the concepts that were staples of the "Bear Raid" offense Goff ran at Cal under Sonny Dykes. Some of the staple routes in that scheme mirror the basic pass patterns in the West Coast Offense, so Goff is back in familiar territory directing the Rams' new-look offense. McVay has also incorporated a number of quick-rhythm play-action passes that lure defenders to the line of scrimmage, leaving huge windows for Goff to target Bang-8s (a version of the skinny post) and deep crossing routes. With those routes complementing a diverse quick-game package that features hitches, sticks and quick outs, the young quarterback has been dealing from the pocket.
The Rams' implementation of a role-specific game plan for perimeter personnel has also helped Goff find his way. McVay has essentially recreated his Redskins offense in Los Angeles, with Sammy Watkins acting as the deep-ball threat (DeSean Jackson), Robert Woods serving as the reliable possession receiver (Pierre Garcon), Cooper Kupp featured as the chain mover in the slot (Jamison Crowder) and Tyler Higbee/Gerald Everett playing the matchup nightmare role at "Y" (Jordan Reed). That doesn't even include the gadgetry that the team will eventually use with Tavon Austin stepping onto the field as a designated playmaker from any position.
If you think McVay's offensive brilliance is a bit overblown, look at the impact his departure has already had on Kirk Cousins and the Redskins' offense. With McVay as his offensive coordinator from 2014 through '16, the Pro Bowl quarterback posted a 67.3 percent completion rate, a 64:32 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 97.3 passer rating while averaging 8.0 yards per attempt. Without McVay this season, Cousins looked bad in the preseason and Week 1. Granted, he's trying to get used to a new receiver corps, but don't underestimate the McVay factor here.
