Every year, the question is always which quarterback will be drafted first? In 2016, it turned out to be Jared Goff, by the Los Angeles Rams.
Being drafted number one overall in the NFL comes with high expectations–that Goff failed to reach in his first season. Actually, that’s not unusual. There is a lot that goes into playing quarterback, and being drafted first is no proof that you’ll be a star. Plenty of promising rookies don’t live up to the hype.
But Goff has come around–in a big way. Take a look at the numbers. In his first season, Goff was 0-7. He completed only 54% of his passes for 1,089 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions. In 2017, The Rams went 11-5 and the quarterback completed 62% of his passes for 3,804 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. So far in 2018, Goff has gone 5-0 while completing 72% of his passes for 1,727 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He’s still improving, and not just in ways that show up in statistics.
And yet his impressive skill set can only take him so far. A lot of his increasing success is thanks to the other members of his team.
There’s the reborn running game led by Todd Gurley. In addition, adding wide receivers Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, and Robert Woods have certainly helped. So Goff is succeeding now in part because he’s surrounded by a good team. They’re all succeeding together.
And that’s how it normally is in all fields. Everyone has a foundation of skills they rely on to get and maintain a job, but, more often than not, it takes a team effort to achieve ultimate success.
The Rams are destined for a long playoff run this winter, in large part because of Jared Goff. Depending on how things go, maybe they will be playing in the Super Bowl.
Where is your team headed?