What Jared Goff is saying about Sean McVay, split with Rams ahead of Week 7 matchup
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
Jared Goff will return to Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon when he and the Lions take on the Rams in Week 7. Goff is still seeking his first win ever without Sean McVay as his head coach, with the Lions beginning the year 0-6 under their new quarterback.
The Rams’ split with Goff obviously wasn’t the cleanest, with reports of the Goff-McVay partnership crumbling toward the end of last season. Goff hasn’t forgotten the way he was dumped by the Rams, and while he won’t let that affect him on Sunday, there’s still some sourness felt by the quarterback.
Goff spoke to Lions reporters this week about facing the Rams, his thoughts on McVay’s admission of guilt for the way the trade happened and what he thinks about Los Angeles’ defense. Here’s what he had to say.
He appreciates McVay admitting his regret about how the trade happened
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McVay said this week that he does have some regret about how the trade went down in January. He said he wishes there was better communication between himself and Goff, which could’ve prevented the quarterback from being blindsided and caught off guard by the deal, giving him more of a heads up before it happened.
Goff appreciated McVay’s admission, but at the same time, he hasn’t forgotten about the way the trade went down.
“I appreciate it. It takes a man to say something like that, so yeah, I appreciate it,” Goff said. “It still happened the way it did, but I do appreciate him saying that and got all the respect in the world for them over there.”
There have been reports of Goff and McVay’s partnership falling apart at the end, with the coach reportedly growing frustrated with Goff and calling him out in front of the team last season. Goff tried to throw cold water on that subject, saying he doesn’t believe it eroded the way people think.
“I don’t think it nearly eroded the way people thought and I think that was part of the confusion at the end,” he said. “I don’t feel like it really eroded that way. Again, I appreciate him saying that and it’s big of him, but at the same time, it was done the way it was. It’s been done.”
He felt disrespect at the end of his Rams tenure but won't let it affect him Sunday
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Goff is looking forward to seeing his former teammates and friends on the Rams’ side when he returns to SoFi Stadium on Sunday. He admitted he has a chip on his shoulder from the way he was dumped by the organization that signed him to a lucrative extension two years prior, even feeling some disrespect toward the end of his tenure in L.A.
“It’ll be fun to see all of those people and it’ll be fun to be there, and of course you’re motivated,” he said. “Of course, you have the chip on your shoulder, I’ve spoken about that. There was some disrespect felt towards the end. There was some sourness there towards the end and you still feel that. You still have that chip on your shoulder. But at the same time, when the game starts, if I let any of that come into how I’m going to play the game, it would be selfish and I’m going to play the game just how I would any other game. And to be honest, I’m not worried about feeling some type of way once the game starts. I really don’t.”
He never realized how tough it was to game plan against Ramsey and Donald until now
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Goff faced Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey daily in practice last season, which isn’t easy for any quarterback. Donald never tackled him in the five years that they were teammates, but No. 99 will be coming for Goff on Sunday afternoon.
Goff never had to game plan for the Rams’ defense until now, realizing how difficult it is to go up against Donald and Ramsey on the same unit.
“They’re really good,” he said. “I mean, that’s the number one thing I know about practicing against those guys, they’re really good. I think I never truly understood how to game plan against Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey until you have to, right? I never had to play against those guys previously. They have some good players over there and they do some good things and I know as well as anyone, they’re well-coached and do a great job. So, it will be a challenge.”
Goff called Donald “a Hall of Fame talent, but he’s also a Hall of Fame worker” for the way he prepares and competes on a daily basis in practice.
He's happy to have been part of the Rams the last five years
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As ugly as his split with the Rams was, Goff won’t forget the memories he had during his five years with the organization. He helped lead them to the playoffs three times, reached the Super Bowl and made the Pro Bowl twice, becoming one of the better quarterbacks in football in 2018.
He said there’s still some sourness about how it ended, but that won’t outweigh the positive memories he had in L.A.
“I’ve got so many great memories and so many friendships and lifelong bonds and people that I’ll talk to forever and all of that,” Goff said. “I think the sourness is there still from how it ended, but there are so much more of good things that happened that make you appreciative for those times and appreciative that you’re able to experience them and be a big part of them.”
