TSJ 101 Sports Exclusive Interview With Jared Goff

Gabe Hougard (Twitter: @2logabe)

NFL

TSJ 101 Sports Exclusive Interview With Jared Goff

For the number one pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Jared Goff’s 2017 season showed why he deserved such a high selection. His outstanding play landed him a Pro Bowl appearance and a spot at #38 on the NFL’s Top 100 list. This year, he will look to continue the success of last season.

2018 will be his second season under head coach Sean McVay, whose coaching previous year led the Rams to their first playoff birth since 2004. All eyes are now focused on Jared Goff and the Rams as they prepare for the season ahead. We caught up with Jared Goff at one of this year’s training camp practices.

Defensive Additions

During the offseason, the Rams added a plethora of defensive talent. First, on the defensive side, the Rams signed veteran nose tackle Ndamokung Suh to line up next to Aaron Donald. Donald is last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, and Suh is a perennial All-Pro.

The combination of the two will wreak havoc among opposing offenses. The Rams ranked fourth in sacks last year with 48, so adding another talented body up front will only add to that total. Donald, however, has not reported to camp yet due to contract issues.

The Rams Are Loaded With Secondary Talent

To bolster their secondary, the Rams brought in star corners Aqib Talib from the Broncos and former DPOY Marcus Peters from the Chiefs. They also added veteran corner Sam Shields from Green Bay.

Those three additions, in particular, make the Rams’ secondary one of the most dangerous in the league. Last season, the Rams were tied for fifth in the league in interceptions with 18, according to ESPN, and second in passes defended with 94.

When we spoke to Jared Goff, he was just as excited as the rest of the fans.

“All of them are veteran guys, so they bring their own style and bring a lot to that defensive locker room.”

The Rams are a very young team, so Goff has a good point with the dynamic added by the new veterans. In 2017, the Rams had the second youngest team in the entire NFL with an average age of 25.11, according to NFLtraderumors.co. Adding veterans to the mix can help in mentoring younger players and bringing balance to the locker room.

The Goff-Cooks Connection

During the offseason, the Rams added another critical piece when they traded for Brandin Cooks. He may not be big in stature, standing at only 5’10”, but he unquestionably has big-time talent.

Cooks will be replacing Sammy Watkins, who played all of last season but never really truly fit into the offense. Goff and the Rams are really excited to have Cooks because he is a major threat for high-yardage plays on just about every target. Goff had the following to say about Cooks.

“He really stretches the field vertically.”

Having a receiver that can pull off those kinds of receptions is every quarterback’s dream. Goff, especially, loves to hit his receivers on go routes. He has shown excellent deep ball accuracy throughout his football career and is only getting better as he progresses.

Throughout training camp, the connection between Goff and Cooks has been very apparent, and people are taking notice. Fans like to see big plays — and Goff plus Cooks every Sunday equals just that.

Jared Goff In Sean McVay’s Offense

Much anticipation for the Rams 2018 season has been due to Goff’s outstanding season in 2017. With the addition of Brandin Cooks and having a full season’s experience under his belt, Goff is poised for another breakout year.

After starting a full season under head coach Sean McVay’s complex offense, Goff is now able to dig deeper into the playbook. Last year was for feeling out the basics of the playbook. This season, McVay can really reach into his bag of tricks as he runs his whole scheme through Goff.

Goff Expects More Deep Balls This Upcoming Season

Jared Goff is in a great place right now with his offense. Goff and McVay, both starting their second full season together, are on the same page now more than ever. In the offense last year, we saw a lot of dump-offs to Todd Gurley and a few long passes.

This season, you can bet that the field will open up a lot more for Goff. Especially with Cooks now lingering beyond secondaries, the Rams are likely to send the ball downfield more frequently. When asked if he’d fully grasped McVay’s offensive playbook, Goff didn’t even have to think about it.

“Yeah, definitely, I think so.”

One of the most challenging aspects of being a new head coach is getting the players to be on your side. McVay, the youngest coach in the league, has had no problems with that. Everything that’s been said about Sean McVay having the team on his side appears to be true. When asked what we can expect from McVay’s offense this year, Goff remarked:

“Hopefully more of the same. He’s been doing a good job with us, and this offseason’s been fun. He’s a really good coach, and we’re very happy with him.”

Team morale heading into the season is essential. A team that trusts its coach is a successful team — and by the looks of it, the Rams certainly have one in Sean McVay.

Goff In 2018

Jared Goff played spectacularly last year. With a receiving corps that he can trust, Goff will be able to really let the ball loose. There is always room for improvement, however, and Goff knows that. Commenting on what he needs to do in training to improve himself for the season, Goff’s objectives are simple:

“Just keep getting the ball out quick… and avoid sacks.”

While Goff is outstanding at most important quarterbacking skills, he’s found a particular problem throughout his career with fumbles. Getting the ball out quick will minimize fumbles and maximize his efficiency, which Goff absolutely excelled at last season.

Mobility Is Not A Concern For The Rams Quarterback

His 100.5 passer rating ranked fifth in the league last year, according to NFL.com. He also led the league in yards-per-completion as well, which means Goff can allow plays to develop and move comfortably in the pocket.

Since he came into the league, Goff has worked on his scrambling and movement to avoid sacks. By continuing to improve in these areas, Goff will only get better at letting plays develop, adding further dimensions to his game.

Especially with a long-ball receiver like Cooks, letting plays develop will become increasingly important. If he can create time for Cooks to get past his coverage, they can wreak havoc as a duo.

Expectations

With the players he has around him – along with his jack-of-all-trades skill set – it’s not far off to say Jared Goff could lead the Rams to the Super Bowl. If he can accomplish that, we could all be referring to him as Jared Goff: NFL MVP come the season’s conclusion. The season may just be beginning but, for the Rams, having Jared Goff at the helm is shaping out to be a great sign of big things to come.