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dzrams
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moklerman
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Ohiorams
You mean the speed WR we had in the superbowl that our QB with great protection threw the ball late?
I agree with the sentiment. There have been big plays to be had...this year, but Goff has not hit them. That isn't a scheme, coaching or personnel problem. That's a bad read/throw problem. How many long throws has Goff missed to a wide open receiver this year? It seems like every game there's a play that should have been a TD if the throw was better. I don't expect him to hit ALL of them but I also don't expect him to miss MOST of them.
The whole point of having a speed/deep threat is that the defense will fear a big play. I think the reason defenses don't fear that big play is because we miss the ones that are there to be had.
I've noticed this too. We're missing nearly all of the deep shots that are taken even when wide open.
I'm pretty sure improving the OL's ability to pass protect will make it better. Most of the time Goff misses like that, he has someone bearing down on him.
And that's not to excuse Goff. As much as people talk about him being ridiculously accurate, that is only if he has a very clean pocket. His accuracy completely falls off in the face of pressure. IMO, that's why last year and this year, we've been very bad at completing deep shots.
Here is the conundrum of Goff: he's one of the most accurate QBs when kept clean; he's one of the most inaccurate on deep throws when under pressure. All IMO of course.
The fix? I'm returning to what I said last year: for Goff's sake, we need an elite OL to be a good offense. It's mandatory. And I'll add an updated nuance that it can't just be elite overall, it needs to be elite in pass protection.
I'm fine with that approach and even advocated back in '16. I would have much rather drafted some talent from the first three rounds to form the OL and go with a more moderate pick at QB. Whether at our original draft position or a diamond in the rough type FA vet.
I suppose it's understandable that the Rams thought they could absorb the loss of so many picks to get Goff but drafting a savior is a lot more risky of a proposition than building a good team at all the other positions and then plugging in a QB. I don't think you can start with the QB. Rare examples exist but generally, no matter how good your QB is, if you sacrifice starters and depth up and down the roster, the QB isn't going to have long term success.
The Rams spent so many resources and so much money on Goff that he has to make up for deficiencies in other areas with how good he is at his own job. He is not that type of QB. He does not create and elevate. Most QB's don't. But the Rams are now having to pay the piper such as it is. They've had to eat so many picks and salaries that they are left with a decent cast but few playmakers. As you say, if the Rams had a good/great OL and another playmaker on offense, Goff would probably be fine. But IMO, you don't put that much into your QB position if he isn't going to provide some of the playmaking.
