A quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the draft was in his fourth NFL season when he led his team to a division title, became a Pro Bowler and directed an overtime drive to win the conference championship … only to lose his first Super Bowl.
Talking about Jared Goff, right?
Nope. The above description fits Hall of Fame QB John Elway. Goff has all of the same elements coming out of Super Bowl 53, except he did it in his third season, one year earlier than Elway.
The Elway comparison is interesting as the Goff bashing continues in the aftermath of his underwhelming performance in directing the Rams offense to just three points against the Patriots. I'm not saying Goff will have an Elway-like career or that he is a player of similar style. (Elway was much more mobile.) I am saying we should cut Goff some slack and see how his career plays out.
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In the early years of Elway's career, he also was heavily criticized for an inability to finish the job on the biggest stage. The Broncos QB took three lopsided losses with the Lombardi Trophy on the line from 1986-89, and in two of those games, he played poorly. Elway, of course, went on to win back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and ’98. Those victories, along with nine Pro Bowls, ultimately shut up his critics.
Give Goff credit for getting to the Super Bowl after leading his team to 15 wins this season, playoffs included. Against the Saints in the NFC title game in the raucous Superdome, Goff outplayed future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. He passed for 297 yards and led the Rams on a late drive to set up the Greg Zuerlein field goal to tie the game, and he then directed the overtime drive that set up Zuerlein's game-winner.
But in the Super Bowl, Goff and Rams coach Sean McVay met their match in Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the greatest defensive mastermind in NFL history. New England surprised and confused Goff and McVay with more stunts in the pass rush and more zone coverage than they had seen on tape.
Timely Patriots blitzes also brought the heat to the young QB, including an all-out blitz with four minutes left that resulted in a fatal mistake when Goff underthrew Brandin Cooks, allowing Stephon Gilmore to make the easy interception and set the stage for New England to close the victory. Goff's other major miscue was his throw to a wide-open Cooks in the back of the end zone; the throw came late, allowing Jason McCourty to break up the potential touchdown when the Rams trailed 3-0 in the third quarter.
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"I'm mad at myself," Goff told reporters after Super Bowl 53. "I wish I would've done things differently and made extra plays. But it's all stuff I can learn from and use moving forward."
That maturity in not making excuses, and that leadership in admitting he played poorly and not throwing his coaches or teammates under the bus, will serve Goff well in the future. He accepted blame even though others deserved some, too.
Against the Patriots, Goff was pressured on 41 percent of his drop-backs and had little support from the running game. The Rams’ offensive line did not play well, and All-Pro back Todd Gurley, who clearly was not fully healthy, produced just 34 total yards. Another factor was the absence of the Rams' excellent third receiver, Cooper Kupp, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL in Week 10.
Of course, in the Super Bowl, Goff did not display the same calm demeanor he showed in the Saints game. McVay also admitted to not helping Goff enough, saying he got outcoached by Belichick.
"I think the biggest thing is the play selection didn't really give him much of a chance," McVay said of Goff. "It starts with me and what are some of the things we can do better for our players."
The bottom line: Despite this loss, Goff has made tremendous progress under McVay's tutoring. The QB threw 32 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions in 2018, and his 101.1 passer rating ranked eighth in the league. He had suffered through a shaky rookie season in which he was outshined by Carson Wentz, the QB the Eagles drafted immediately behind him in 2016. But the 2017 arrival of McVay launched a turnaround for Goff, who over his past two Pro Bowl seasons has been equal to Wentz playing-wise, and much more durable.
It again reminds me of Elway's early career, and how Dan Marino was considered the better QB after he led the Dolphins to the Super Bowl in just his second season. In the final analysis, Elway clearly had the better career — five Super Bowl appearances and two victories. Marino also is a Hall of Famer, but he never made it back to the big game.
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For Rams management, their biggest football decision over the next few years will involve the potential huge extension they'll face for Goff after next season. But Rams COO/executive VP of football operations Kevin Demoff and general manger Les Snead are not going to let one bad game — even the biggest game of them all — be the deciding factor on a deal that is sure to be in the range of $30 million-plus per year.
Just as the Broncos of the ‘80s and ‘90s kept extending Elway at top-market dollars, Goff is sure to receive similar treatment as a franchise-caliber QB once he bounces back from this disappointment and continues to improve.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college classes on negotiation and sports business/sports management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
