Quote
zn
Quote
dzrams
There are some metrics that indicate that Goff drops off more than most starting QBs under pressure.
And I have some hesitancy when it comes to just accepting that. I don't think it's that simple. Either way, I don't think that "drops off more" argument applies the same to 2019, where he had (it looks like) more pressure and though he struggled with it some actually did better overall with that than in 2017 and 2018. So as I said before, when it comes to just 2019, I have seen him ranked 12th and 13th by different sites for his passing under pressure, and given the circumstances, that's not bad. I think he had to fight through things and adapt in 2019, and in many ways he did.
Plus it depends on what you mean. Throughout 2019 Goff stood in there, he himself by his actions helped reduce sacks even though the OL was struggling and even though he was first in the league in attempts (and with a running game everyone knew was no longer a threat). He was always tough, always had his eyes down field, never once complained, and battled it out. If a qb is first in the league in attempts, then, he is one of the reasons they were 9-7 under somewhat broken conditions (as opposed to having a losing season).
Yet at the same time he regressed from 2017 and 2018 statistically, which means his accuracy and TD percentage declined some. The fumble streak didn't help but that got under control in the last third of the season. Anyway that kind of down bump is what I always say happens with qbs who are behind struggling OLs (though as always it's possible to name a couple of exceptions to that). In a different post I looked at 2 other qbs who had OL issues in 2019--Rivers and Ryan. If you compare their 2018 qb ratings to their 2019 ratings, you see a regression dip that is very much like Goff's in 2019 compared to 2018.
I don't know what will happen this year since as we know the qb guru types are saying you have to expect OLs to be out of sync this year, given the lack of preparation that is unique to 2020. They are actually working on expecting that. Will that make a difference? How much of one? Plus of course they intend to get the run game cranked back up.
..
...
I think it's possible that all three things could be true at the same time: 1) All QBs fall off under pressure, 2) Goff's performance falters under pressure more than most starting QBs, and 3) Goff is improving under pressure as evidenced by his 2019 numbers when he was ranked 12th or 13th by some publications.
I'm not sure about the improvement under pressure in 2019 however. In December 2019, I did some research from PFF’s advanced metrics of all starting QBs performance under pressure over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Here's a snippet of what I found:
QB Rating When Under Pressure2019 - Goff is ranked 25/30 for QB Rating when under pressure.
2018 - Goff ranked 23/29 for QB Rating when under pressure.
Comp% When Under Pressure2019 - He is ranked 28th out of 30. with a Comp % of 41.7.
2018 - He ranked 27th out of 29 with a Comp % of 42.2.
Adjusted Comp% When Under Pressure (accounts for drops)2019 - He is ranked 28th out of 30 with a Adj Comp % of 57.5.
2018 - He tied for 19th out of 29 with a Adj Comp % of 63.6.
He was also on the list both years of having thrown more INTs when under pressure than TDs. Only Goff and Flacco were on the list both years.
Here's a link to the full research post:
QB Ratings When Under PressureIf you look at the full post, the metrics do agree with your observation that he hung in the pocket, was always tough, and always had his eyes downfield. But based on these metrics, he wasn't any better in 2019 - his efficiency in getting completions and leading the offense to points may have actually been worse.