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ramBRO
1) The 20-plus yard stat you posted deals with completions. I'm wondering how many Goff had actually attempted during that stretch as it's my perception that he's been primarily focused on the short stuff.
2) More than a couple of times during Ram possessions, Romo commented that that Wolford appeared: to have a firm grasp of the offense (going through progressions); could read defensive coverages (baiting DB's with his eyes); and, 3) was seeing the entire field.
3) Your point about pinning the offense's recent problems in the o-line and WR's are spot on. No further proof of that was Wolford's 1st quarter attempted bomb to VJ. Wolford got decent (not great)...but decent protection on the play. Ball came out on time and VJ had CLEARLY gotten behind the defense (don't think that a double-move was involved). The only problem was that Wolford didn't have the arm/timing to push it out there and the DB time to catch up and break up the pass.
It was Essiason btw and not Romo. It's good that he thinks a first time starter was seeing the field, though watch--somehow someone will take that as saying Goff wasn't. That's just how discussion like this goes sometimes.
In terms of OL issues, Arizona was never a problem. They blitzed Goff in the first game at a high rate but the Rams pick up the blitz (or have since Miami). Arizona is not the kind of defense that directly challenges the Rams OL the way SF does and Seattle did in game 2.
Meanwhile the effect was the same in the last Seattle game and this recent Arizona game--9 offensive points scored, 1 INT, virtually the same qb rating. The difference is that with Goff the Rams can throw 3rd down conversions at a high rate (and did against Seattle last game). The comparatively inexperienced Wolford has to risk the qb physically by running for them (which he can probably get away with for a few games) whereas with Goff, the Rams can throw for them.
OL issues showed up in the redzone. Same thing last 2 games--goal line offense gets nothing.
No one I have access to lists ATTEMPTS on longer passes and what is being said about it is speculation based on a lot of questionable assumptions. There's this idea going around for some reason that a ball control passing offense is a bad thing, and you would only do it for bad reasons, when the Rams have designed an offense that takes advantage of YAC and is actually pretty good in passing yards. To me it's a phony issue. Someone complains about something that is not a problem and then leaps to conclusions about it.
Either way fact is Rams yards per pass play were higher in the 1st Arizona game (7.2) than in the 2nd one (5.6) against the same defense.
As it stands it will go like this. If Goff can play he gets the start against Seattle. If he can't physically play Wolford will. Wolford has shown enough so that I think they can be competitive in that game. Either way I will root for whoever starts and cheer them on, no matter who it is. If it's Wolford, Rams will be forced to run for some 3rd down conversions, but that can probably hold up for a game or 2 without it becoming an issue. If it is Goff, the Rams will continue to get 3rd down conversions at a high rate, just as they were before, except by passing.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2021 05:40AM by zn.
