Sean McVay: Jared Goff Is 'Just Continuing to Mature'

“He played at a really high level in the four years with us. He’s just like anybody, he’s just continuing to mature,” the Rams head man said of Goff during his media session Monday. “You can see he’s got great ownership of what they’re doing. He’s got a lot of responsibility at the line of scrimmage, getting in and out of the different packages. You can see that Ben (Johnson) and Dan (Campbell) give him a lot of leeway, in terms of some of the audibles. But, he’s just a quarterback playing with a lot of confidence."

This season, Goff has been able to continue his grown in Johnson's offense, especially with the addition of Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs.  

McVay noted, "Has a great rapport with his skill players. You know, even when you’re watching that Chargers game (in Week 10) and you could see his ownership, to be able to check in to a run when they had a personnel grouping they didn’t have and then it goes for a 75-yard touchdown.

“So, (he’s displayed) just good ownership, all the things you want to see from your quarterback. And, (I’ve) been really impressed, and I’ve been watching just because I’m a fan of this game and then obviously studying it through a different lens. And, it seems like we’ve crossed over with them (the Lions) a lot – seeing their offense – and it’s been one of the best. And, he’s leading the way.”

Goff, who threw for 30 touchdowns and 4,575 yards during the 2023 regular season, helped lead the Lions to a 12-5 mark and an NFC North division title, the organization’s first division championship in 30 years. The veteran passer also aided Detroit in scoring 461 points, the fifth-most points in the NFL in ‘23.

McVay is excited for the opportunity to game-plan for the Lions’ potent offensive attack, led by his former quarterback.

“I think the longer that you do it, it can become a little bit more normal,” McVay said of game-planning for a quarterback that he once coached. “But, like I said yesterday, I’m really happy and incredibly grateful for the four years of time that we did have together. I think the appreciation grows as I reflect back on it. But, we’re excited to try to figure out how the Rams can play the best game that we can against the Lions. And, it’s going to be tough to stop those guys.”

On Sunday, the Lions will host the first playoff game in the history of Ford Field. It’s been a long time coming for a stadium which opened its doors in 2002.

The city of Detroit itself also hasn’t seen a home playoff game in three decades. Undoubtedly, it’s going to be a raucous atmosphere for the Lions’ primetime tilt with Stafford and the Rams this weekend.

“You’ve watched Detroit all year, they’ve had great home atmospheres and environments. Everybody‘s pumped up, big-time Sunday night game and so, we anticipate them to have a great crowd, great support,” McVay expressed. “And sometimes, going into those atmospheres can be, you know, a great opportunity for us to come together and be tighter than we’ve ever been. But, you know, that’s kind of life in the NFL when you go on the road. But, we know this is going to be especially special for that city, and it’s pretty cool the loyalty they have and the love they have for football. And, we’re going to try and go in there and give them a great show and compete to the best of our ability.

“But, it’s no different (than other road games). You just know that you’ve got to do a great job of handling the visual communication, especially as it relates to the offensive side of the ball, knowing that their fans will be going crazy when we’re up (on offense).”