Rams' Jared Goff must transform into Joe Cool to join QB elites

Goff is not only a pocket passer. He is plenty capable of making pinpoint throws on the move, which he is frequently asked to do in McVay’s offense.

Later in the game, Goff and Kupp connected for another touchdown, seen below. Goff, in the shotgun, fakes a hand-off to the motioning Todd Gurley. Goff rolls to his right while the flow of the offense carries most of the defense to the left. Moving right with Goff is Kupp, who runs a crossing route from the left slot to the back right pylon. Kupp is sandwiched, as his man-to-man defender has him over the top and the defensive back covering that zone takes Kupp underneath. The window is microscopic, but Goff takes the shot anyway. Throwing on the run while under pressure, Goff drops the ball in the bucket as Kupp separates at the last moment to make the catch.

Bombs away on first down

In 2018, Goff averaged 9.3 yards per attempt on first down passes, the best mark among the top 30 quarterbacks in first-down passing attempts. Additionally, Goff moved the chains on first down a whopping total of 89 times, the third-highest total in the league behind only Patrick Mahomes (91) and Matt Ryan (93). He registered a conversion rate of 36.9 percent on first down, fourth best in the league behind only Jameis Winston (37.6), Philip Rivers (39.8) and Drew Brees (40.2).

Goff and the Rams were able to generate a huge number of big plays on first down, often moving the ball downfield quickly without needing to face many third downs. On first downs in 2018, Goff completed 39 passes for gains of 20-plus yards, the highest total in the league.

In a Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals, Goff completed four 20-plus yard passes on first down, gaining an astounding total of 120 yards. Three of those completions were to wide receiver Brandin Cooks, for 99 yards.

The longest of those catches by Cooks came on the following play, a 57-yard bomb. The Rams are on their own 21-yard line, having just received possession following a Cardinals punt on the previous play. On the first snap of the drive, the Rams take a shot. Goff fakes the hand-off and first looks to his right at the crossing Cooper Kupp, drawing in safety Tre Boston. That frees up the deep range for Cooks, who uses his 4.33 speed (95^th percentile among wide receivers) to burn cornerback Jamar Taylor. Expecting help from Boston, Taylor plays Cooks underneath, but since the help never comes, Cooks is able to gain about four yards of separation. Goff loads up and launches a rocket that travels 63 yards in the air, and Cooks hauls it in for a 57-yard strike on first down.

Goff underthrew this ball a bit, but given the enormous distance of the throw, a completion is plenty to be happy about. Even when the receiver has that much separation, a 60-plus yard throw is difficult to complete. Goff got enough air under the ball, and the Rams are able to cover more than half of the field on a surprise first-down shot.

WEAKNESSES

Getting it done on the road

Goff’s home/road splits have been extremely volatile. In 2017, he was just decent at home (17^th among qualifiers in passer rating); on the road, he was one of the best quarterbacks in football (2^nd in passer rating).

In 2018, those splits flipped dramatically. As noted earlier, Goff performed historically well at home. However, on the road, Goff was one of the least productive quarterbacks in the league, completing 157 of 258 passes (60.9 percent) for 1,951 yards (7.6 per attempt) and 10 touchdowns. He threw nine interceptions, tied for fourth most in the league. On the road, he had a passer rating of 82.7, ranking 28^th among the 34 quarterbacks with at least 100 passing attempts on the road.

Goff’s worst road trip was easily the Rams’ Week 14 visit to Chicago against the Bears’ top-ranked defense. Goff completed 20 of 44 passes for 180 yards and no touchdowns, tossing a career-high four interceptions. He averaged only 4.1 yards per attempt and earned a passer rating of 19.1. Since the turn of the century, that stands as the third-worst passer rating posted by a quarterback to throw at least 40 passes.

Passing under pressure

In addition to his road woes, that game in Chicago highlighted Goff’s other major issue: throwing under pressure.

The Bears' pass rush was downright unstoppable that night, and Goff had no answer. Chicago pressured Goff an astonishing total of 25 times. On those plays, Goff completed just 8 of 22 passes for 88 yards (an ugly 4.0 yards per attempt), throwing three interceptions and taking three sacks.

Goff’s difficulties dealing with pressure that night were a shining example of a weakness he displayed all season. When pressured, Goff completed 68 of 157 passes (43.3 percent) for 913 yards (5.8 per attempt), five touchdowns and five interceptions. Goff’s passer rating under pressure of 59.8 ranked 29^th of the 39 quarterbacks with at least 150 total dropbacks last season.

The Rams had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL last season, so Goff did not have to work often under heavy pressure. However, when he did, the results were usually disappointing. Chicago was a prime example. On this play, something happens that Goff is certainly not used to –- his superstar left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, is beaten. In a battle of beasts, it’s Chicago’s all-world pass rusher, Khalil Mack, earning the victory. Mack slips between Whitworth and left guard Rodger Saffold to get to Goff. The quarterback does not feel the pressure from his blindside, and Mack knocks the football out from behind. The Rams recover, but they take five-yard loss on second down.

That play highlights another Goff issue: fumbling. He was tied for the NFL lead with 12 fumbles last season. Five of those were lost, tying him for the fifth-highest total in the league.

In the Super Bowl against the Patriots, Goff also struggled while under pressure, completing four of 14 passes for 47 yards (3.4 per attempt). He was sacked four times, and his passer rating was 11.3.

Goff is one of the most talented young passers in the NFL, but to secure his place among the league’s elite QBs, he must do a better job staying cool under pressure.