In 2017, the Rams gave Matt LaFleur his first NFL offensive coordinator job, and Jared Goff was his quarterback. As LaFleur prepares to coach the Packers against Goff and the Lions on Sunday, he says Goff has developed into exactly the kind of quarterback he was expecting him to become.
Although Goff went 0-7 as a starter as a rookie in 2016, LaFleur says it was quickly apparent that Goff had the potential to develop into something special — and now LaFleur believes Goff is as good a quarterback as there is in the league.
“That was evident right when we got with him,” LaFleur said. “He had seven starts as a rookie and there wasn’t a whole lot of success there from a team standpoint, and I always thought he approached the game the right way, keeping a level head and the moment was never too big for him. he was the No. 1 pick in the draft so you know there’s talent there, there’s arm talent. It’s a credit to his work ethic and his ability to stay resilient. I’m not surprised by the success he has had and he is having. He’s playing the position as well as anybody in the game right now. Just look at the numbers, they tell you everything, and then watch the tape and it backs it up. He’s doing a great job. If you give him time he’s going to make you pay, he’s going to find the right guys. If you give him a sliver of light to make the pass he’s going to take advantage of that. I’ve always been a big fan of his, just won’t be a big fan of his on Sunday.”
Goff is leading the NFL in two major statistical categories, with a 74.1 percent completion rate and an average of 9.0 yards per pass. LaFleur knows the Packers have their hands full with Goff on Sunday — and LaFleur has known for a long time what Goff is capable of doing.
