Quote
dzrams
Quote
zn
Quote
dzrams
Quote
zn
Quote
dzrams
Goff has to be surrounded by elite units in the OL, RBs and receivers to do well.
Basically, the other 10 guys have to be wart free. It's not sustainable.
And in the games he did play well this year--which of course is most of them--WAS he surrounded by elite units? Rams had elite WRs, OL, and RBs this season?
The OL was good most of the year, it was never elite. Unless you think that somehow Edwards, Blythe, Corbett, and Hav are an elite combo. Or that any one of them would be top 5 at their position.
They've played well for the most part but they are the same guys the Jets and Seahawks beat up, so they can be warty.
In fact all 10 other guys were warty all season. The best performers of the other 10 were Kupp, Akers, and Whit. Do you see elite there?
Akers? Maybe but not yet--has to be healthy.
Kupp? Top-drawer slot receiver. But if you were making a ranked list of the NFL's elite receivers would he crack the top 10?
Whit keeps chugging along, doing well--his only poor outings were in the first half of 2019. He could make a top 10 LOT list, don't know about top 5.
....
The context is consistency. I speaking of doing well consistently.
He hasn't done well much this year IMO. Maybe about half his games. There's a reason when you average out his QB ratings, he's 26th.
IMO, if we want him in that top 10 range like 2018, the OL, RBs and receiving units have to be brought back to elite status.
You're basically supporting my position: he's surrounded by good but not elite talent. Given his limitations, that's not enough to consistently win or to be a SB caliber offense.
Oh I saw that. "Consistency." That's the way to inflate the meaning of 4 bad games.
Your claim is that for the team to be consistent, they must have elites everywhere.
I don't buy that for the simple reason that the Rams never had elites everywhere, not in 2017 and 2018. Just Gurley.
To be more consistent they only need to do more of what they did in their better games (win or lose).
That includes things like showing up for the game regardless of the opponent, and solving the issues Saleh's defense cause the Rams OL and offense in general.
It doesn't have to involve being "elite in every unit" which they have never been.
...
I disagree with the whole '4 bad games' premise. If it were only 4 bad games he wouldn't be the 26th ranked QB.
IMO, the 2018 OL unit was elite. They were consistently ranked in the top 5 by several metrics.
I'd say with the 3 strong receiving weapons, they were about as good as any other team.
We just see this one differently.
I see others are jumping in with that myth--that qbs are supposed to be magic elevators. Haven't heard that one since 2007 when some people never got what the incredible OL damage that year was doing to Bulger. Anyway in 2017 and 2018 they had 2 very good possession receivers, then Watkins and Cooks who are still today what they were then--deep guys who also had limitations. As a combo they worked, especially with some smart play designs, but it was a synergy with the qb playing well too. They had a solid OL with especially good play from Whit and Saffold. But that OL declined mid-2018 when Sullivan got exposed (and Blythe did at guard) and Hav some too. And they had Gurley--until they didn't. No one would mistake them for the GSOT but it was very effective. 2019 the OL fell apart, and that included poor play from from Whitworth for half the season. The OL improved in 2020 as we know, but it got stymied in some games.
Anyway, as I see it, Goff was never surrounded by 3 elite offensive units. An elite OL does not fall apart the way the 2018 OL often did. You're not going to get elite production out of an aging Sullivan at center, Blythe at guard, and Hav at ROT--though Hav at his best was always a good run blocker (not so much pass blocker). That group of 3 held up until as I said they got exposed at times.
This year the bad games (and I don't mean just "losses" ) were group efforts. Goff can press when things aren't working and that leads to mistakes. At least after the MIami/2nd SF games he started taking sacks instead of trying to make plays when he shouldn't and so exposing himself to strip sacks and fumbles. I always said pressing was his biggest flaw.
All qbs--with as I always note rare exceptions and even with them it's not constant--need at least solid OL play. I have had that debate since Bulger in 2007. In fact there are still Rams fans who show up and say "Bulger was good until he regressed in 2007" and who still defend the idea that it's the qb who makes the OL work and never the other way around.
...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2021 05:04AM by zn.