Inside Knowledge on Goff May (or May Not) Provide Insight
GREEN BAY, Wis. – For what it’s worth – and it might be worth something or almost nothing, depending on who you talk to – the Green Bay Packers have some insight on new Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur was the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2017. That’s when they went from last in the NFL in scoring to first. The emergence of Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, was a huge part of that success. He went from five touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 63.6 passer rating as a rookie in 2016 to 28 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 100.5 rating in 2017.
“I think the thing that stands out, just what was indicative of that last game [the opener vs. San Francisco], is just the resiliency that he shows,” LaFleur said in looking ahead to Monday night’s game at Lambeau Field. “Rarely in this league, especially when you’re talking about quarterbacks that kind of get off to a rocky start as a rookie quarterback, and then for him to have a great year when I was with him, and then the next year leading his team to a Super Bowl. So, I think he is a really good quarterback, really underrated.”
LaFleur isn’t the only coach with familiarity with Goff. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry was on the Rams’ staff with Goff the previous four seasons. Barry had beans to spill with his Packers defenders.
“I’ll keep the things that I’ve said to our team private, but I do know Jared very well,” Barry said on Friday. “We spent the last four years together in L.A. and had a lot of fun together. I got all the respect in the world for Jared Goff, both as a football player, as a guy, so it will definitely be weird seeing him up close and personal in a Lion uniform. I think any time that you have that familiarity, especially with a player you’ve spent a lot of time with with a previous team, there’s some little insights I’ve been able to give to our guys.”
LaFleur, however, downplayed the importance of that experience. The offense being led by former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn is different from the one put together by Rams coach Sean McVay and coordinated for a year by LaFleur.
“I’m sure there’s different philosophies in terms of what’s important to each individual coach,” LaFleur said. “I know how it is even within our staff. So, yeah, I don’t put a whole lot of thought into that.”
One thing that hasn’t changed is Goff’s reluctance to throw the ball downfield. Last season, of 35 qualifying quarterbacks, he ranked 32nd in average distance per pass and 31st in average distance per completion. Last week against San Francisco, of 33 qualifying quarterbacks, he ranked 27th in average distance per pass and 32nd in average distance per completion.
When Goff gets rolling, though, he’s more than good enough to win games. Last week, he threw for 246 yards in the second half as the Lions went from trailing 38-10 midway through the third quarter to being 25 yards from the potential tying touchdown.
“Jared’s like a great basketball player in the fourth quarter (who) gets hot and gets streaky,” Barry said.
Where Green Bay must improve from last week in order to stop Goff is its pass rush. Barry’s unit neither collected a sack or a turnover last week.
“I think it’s going to be really important for us as a defense to make sure that we get pressure in his face, because if you let him sit back there, he will pick you apart,” LaFleur said. “And they have a great offensive line, too. So it’s going to be a really good challenge for our defense.”
