Jared Goff gaining on Cowboys’ Dak Prescott in battle of 2016 rookie quarterbacksBy RICH HAMMOND
THOUSAND OAKS — Jared Goff and Dak Prescott crossed paths twice before, and traded the spotlight.
Goff dominated it in Chicago in April 2016, when the Rams selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL draft, and Prescott got picked three rounds later. Prescott shone four months later, in a preseason game at the Coliseum, when he had a near-perfect debut against the Rams while Goff stumbled.
So here they are again, two young quarterbacks, both seemingly on upward trajectories, and they will officially meet for the first time when the Rams play at Dallas on Sunday. Prescott is the reigning NFL rookie of the year, while Goff has started 2017 as one of the league’s leading quarterbacks.
“Him being in my class, you tip your hat to what he did last year,” Goff said of Prescott after Wednesday’s practice at Cal Lutheran. “Tremendous. And he’s been tremendous so far this year.”
Prescott leads a dynamic Cowboys offense that also features one of the NFL’s leading rushers, Ezekiel Elliott, and a balanced group of receivers and tight ends. Prescott has been solid this year, but his statistics have been eclipsed by those of Goff, who thus far has enjoyed a breakout 2017.
Goff ranks seventh in the NFL in passing yards (817), fourth in completion percentage (70.4), second in yards per attempt (10.1) and fourth in quarterback rating (118.2). In several categories, he ranks ahead of perennial stars such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, but Goff doesn’t seem impressed with himself.
Read Complete Article
[
www.ocregister.com]
