Jared Goff Shines Under Ben Johnson: Leading NFL with Record-Breaking Play-Action Mastery
October 22, 2024Jared Goff, the quarterback for the Detroit Lions, has been excelling under the guidance of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Recently, Goff completed an impressive 85.2% of his last 68 passes, averaging 13 yards per attempt, with seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
He leads the league with a 79.4% completion rate on play-action passes, coupled with a remarkable 12.3 yards-per-attempt average.
Despite facing pressure on 58.6% of his dropbacks against the Vikings, Goff's quick decision-making and anticipatory skills have been pivotal to his success.
Against a formidable Vikings defense, which allowed the fewest expected points added per dropback, Goff achieved an EPA per dropback of +0.700.
While there is ongoing debate about whether Goff is a game-changer or merely a game manager, he is effectively executing Johnson's offensive scheme.
In Week 7, he recorded a quarterback rating of 140.0, leading the Lions to a narrow 31-29 victory over the previously unbeaten Minnesota Vikings.
He averages 10.3 yards per attempt, ranking first in the NFL for throws to running backs or tight ends outside the numbers.
In particular, Goff has thrived on play-action throws over the middle, completing 24 of 29 passes for 378 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Goff's success is largely attributed to three key strategies: play-action passing, attacking the middle of the field, and utilizing running backs in the flat.
Johnson and Goff maintain unpredictability in their offense by creatively involving running backs and tight ends in various routes.
Together, Goff and Johnson are currently regarded as the most effective quarterback-coordinator duo in the NFL.
Goff also made history by achieving the highest quarterback rating in back-to-back games in NFL history, with a rating of 157.7 in Weeks 4 and 6.
Summary based on 1 source
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CBSSports.com • Oct 21, 2024
Jared Goff, Ben Johnson-led Lions offense rolling, can't be slowed: Inside QB's epic efficiency since Week 4