for the record

Quote
Saguaro
So it's only logical, I think, at that point, to ask "well how much better will the Rams do then? With a QB that's light years better? How many more wins? How much farther into the playoffs? Given how far they went dragging Goff like an anchor, all the way to the superbowl, shouldn't they win it now?"

And that's when people get all squirrely, and start trying to lower expectations all of a sudden, and saying "weeellll, there's no guarantees, you know." and I laugh. Because there's a big disconnect there between "Stafford is so much better than Goff", and "gee, who knows if they'll actually get any farther".

There are some of us who do not do either thing.

We don't say Stafford is the great elevator who changes everything. I for one am way too much aware that a lot has to go right to be the NFL champion. I think Stafford has experience over Goff--which some people are mistaking for other stuff (eg. who processes faster). Experienced qbs who are still physically in their prime add a lot to your team, BUT that in itself guarantees nothing.

And that's not me "lowering expectations." I was never a Goff critic. I saw him in 2020 as an inconsistent qb with a lot of first-rate skills. I am not one of those who mistakes what happened in 2019 as being on Goff--that was the OL (and not accounting for what problem OLs do to qb play is one of the great blindspots of football discussion. Even after the Mahomes disaster last superbowl). So I don't buy into the myth this was a 2 year decline. I saw the same tough, accurate qb in the 2020 playoffs I saw in 2018. But yeah some inconsistency in 2020, but never enough for me to accept the "he declined" narrative. 5th year qbs often struggle (Stafford did). I saw him as capable of working through it and re-emerging as more consistently strong as a player.

What happened with McVay and Goff? No one knows though everyone pretends that their own pet theory is exactly what McVay was thinking. It's just as possible that McVay wants to leap over his own issues as an offensive coach with a qb who does not need continued coaching and developing (the way Stafford himself did in his own 5th year). Anyway at this point it's all guesses.

So. I am not "lowering expectations" for Stafford. And I like Stafford. I just know it's always more than just the qb. (Give the 2020 Bux Brady but also the Detroit, or Jacksonville, or Houston defenses--do we get the same result? How about giving the Bux the Chief's end of the season injury wrecked OL? Same result?)

And I am not throwing Goff under the bus.

Yet I don't complain about the trade because Stafford, in my eyes, makes the entire issue moot.

There may be some guys who say the things you're criticizing, but not all of us.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2021 02:09PM by zn.