[PARAM]

Nothing can trump, best or replace a Lombardi but the question has to be asked "Goff or Stafford?".

The Lombardi. Goff has none. Stafford has one. On one hand fans might argue "Stafford and it's not even close". However, did Stafford win the Superbowl for the Rams or did Aaron Donald and Von Miller? Stafford got us to the postseason but so did Goff. The Rams won the Super Bowl with Stafford and scored just 3 points in Goff's Super Bowl. Stafford is lauded for his "toughness" playing injured and gutting it out. But Goff has either had extremely good luck in that area, or he is just as tough as #9. Goff has missed just 4 games to injury since 2017, while Stafford has missed 17 over the same span.

In 2018, Goff had his best year with the Rams. 32 TDs, 12 Int, 4688 yards and a 13-3 record. Besides the thrilling regular season games vs the Vikings and Chiefs, where #16's talents were on full display, the Rams beat the Cowboys in the divisional round on a night when Goff went 15 of 28 for 186 yards. Clearly it was the run game and defense that won that one. However, against the Saints it was a different story. Trailing 20-10 after the Saints first possession of the second half went 70 yards and ended with a TD, Goff went 13 of 18 for 183 yards as the Rams outscored the Saints 16-3 over the remainder of the game. I will remember the great play Goff made in OT avoiding a sack to hit Higbee for 6 yards. I will also remember the facemask in the first half, that wasn't called on 3rd down in the redzone that would have given the Rams a first and goal instead of a FG.

In 2021, Stafford had a great season. 41 TDs, 4886 yards, 12-5. In the postseason, we beat Arizona and to my memory Stafford played well but the defense played phenomenal. Then we beat Tampa Bay in another game where Stafford played well but the defense played great. 27 points allowed is great? They allowed 3 points in the first half, 133 yards, sacked and picked off Brady once. But those 24 second half points...what about them? They allowed a 10 play 62 yard drive that ended with a FG and a 3 play, 77 yard TD drive when Ramsey got beat for 55 yards by Evans. The other two scoring drives (both TDs) covered 30 yards each. They recovered a fumble on another drive and stopped the Bucs on downs twice. But what will forever be remembered is "the love of the game route" by Kupp and the throw by Stafford. Many will say, "Goff doesn't make that throw" and I'd think, "probably not". The CCG vs SF where the defense allowed 17 points for the game and 126 yards of offense, 7 points in the second half. Stafford played well passing for 331 yards, 2 TDs with a pick. For me, the play I remember is Donald grabbing Garappolo and spinning him around, causing the clinching pick. In the SB Stafford threw a ton of dimes but also 2 picks. Again the defense allowed just 20 points, 7 on a missed facemask penalty by Higgins, 12 seconds into the 2nd half but just 3 for the remaining 29:48. I will always remember 2 things about that game. The GW drive Stafford executed and the play to end it by Aaron Donald.

Right now, I'd give the edge to Stafford because he brought us the Lombardi. He passed the eyetest in 2021 but since has had some stinkers. He is 35 while Goff is just 29 and may have his best football in front of him. I guess we'll really have to see how it plays out. But I was curious if there would be different interesting takes on the question.

[/zn/]

Right now, I'd give the edge to Stafford but he is 35 while Goff is just 29 and may have his best football in front of him. I guess we'll really have to see how it plays out. But I was curious if there would be different interesting takes on the question.

The way I see this, it can't be asked in the abstract. It's not just the 2 players.

It's McVay plus. That is, McVay plus the qb.

McVay became the de facto qb coach in 2019, and it was not a good "marriage." (They had 2 different qb coaches before, 1 in 2017 and 1 in 2018, and in each case they had a lot more say in the situation.) Once he became more involved as the de facto qb coach, McVay was impatient with Goff--openly, in public--and Goff played through 2020 like a qb with confidence issues. In Detroit, they worked on building then taking advantage of and riding Goff's confidence, a situation bolstered by the fact that Detroit has a top 5 OL.

Stafford being a veteran who if anything has been an NFL qb longer than McV has been an NFL coach at any level means that their relationship is much more collaborative and McVay listens to MS, even though of course he's still the boss.

This is not a complaint about McV. A bad marriage is a bad marriage. I defended Goff in relation to McV's impatience in 2020, but then I also immediately defended the trade, because I thought at the time (turns out more or less rightly) that the Stafford/McV marriage would be a much better one. If your coach and qb have a bad marriage, the only thing for it is that one must go. I also saw Stafford as having been held back by Detroit (this in opposition to those who thought Stafford wasn't that good and so didn't like the trade). So anyway I was a big fan of the trade even though I thought Goff was a good qb just in bad circumstances (this in opposition to those who claimed at the time that Goff was just not very good...something you don't see out there among Rams fans much anymore).

On paper, there's a toss-up between Stafford's veteran savvy and Goff's "peak years" ability as a pocket passer. But the on-paper version doesn't put McV into the equation, and that's just not how I look at it.

In case I come across as bragging about being "right" about all this, believe me, I am aware that I am right about the Rams about the same percentage as everyone else--which is seldom more that 50% of the time, if that. On this issue though I have always seen it, from 2020 on including the 2021 trade, the way I see it now.

But then I also remember when they hired Linehan and I declared that he would be the greatest coach in all NFL history. (No I didn't. Yuck yuck. )

[snackdaddy]

Goff is a good quarterback. But the things Stafford did in the final minutes of the last 3 playoff games I don't think Goff could have done. In 2021 we woulda won plenty of games with Goff but I don't think we win a championship with him.

[BrooklynRam74]

Goff is a good quarterback. But the things Stafford did in the final minutes of the last 3 playoff games I don't think Goff could have done. In 2021 we woulda won plenty of games with Goff but I don't think we win a championship with him.

This. Stafford is "one tier" above Goff, IMHO.

[BobCarl]

"Goff or Stafford?".

Are you talking about the Goff that was micromanaged by McVay? With McVay making pre-snap calls in Goff's ear up till a few seconds before the snap?

Or,

... are you talking about the Goff that gets to make his own adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and the Goff that has an influence on the playbook and game planning?

[Gareth]

I like Goff. I think he got a bad rap at the end of his Rams tenure.

But the answer is clearly Stafford.

[ramsman34]

Put them both behind the same OL with the same playmakers and I think Stafford is the clear answer.

I think, IF the Rams can restock the roster - especially the LT/C before 2024, the Tams will be very much in the SB convo. The Lions are already there and will remain for the next few years, most likely.

Perhaps we see then head to head next year in a game that really matters.

[PARAM]

Perhaps we see then head to head next year in a game that really matters.

Talk about a Thanksgiving gathering with a large family. Bound to be a few arguments!!!

[/zn/]

Goff is a good quarterback. But the things Stafford did in the final minutes of the last 3 playoff games I don't think Goff could have done.

I don;t think there are any qbs in the league that year who could have done that.

[rams74]

DET 41
LAC 38

I was just happy to see the Lions beat the Clippers! Good job, Jared!