Jared Goff chuckled when the stat came up, and bristled at the notion. Recently, it's been making the rounds: the quarterback is winless without Sean McVay as his head coach.
"Well, we lost seven my rookie year and we haven’t won one here. So yeah, that’s, I guess, a stat. Sure. No, I don’t put any stock in it," said Goff. "I think Sean’s a tremendous coach. Like I said, I got all the respect in the world for him and what he does on the field and the way he’s coached since I was there and I think what they do is tremendous."
Goff went 0-7 as a rookie starter under Jeff Fisher in 2016, before McVay took over the Rams the next season. He went 42-20 over the next four years -- second only to Tom Brady in QB wins -- with two division titles and a trip to the Super Bowl. The Rams had a top-10 defense only once in that span. Under Dan Campbell in Detroit, Goff is 0-6.
Campbell and Brad Holmes brought Goff here believing in his reputation as winner. Believing they could revive the quarterback who went to two Pro Bowls in LA before sinking to a sub-90 passer rating over the next two years. Their plan hasn't worked, and it never had much of a chance. Goff is throwing to a cast of receivers better fit for a practice squad and his offensive line, which was supposed to be a strength, has been decimated by injuries.
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So here is, a quarterback with a sub-90 passer rating and the second fewest yards per attempt (6.3) in the NFL. Out in L-Vay, Stafford has a career-high passer rating of 116.6 and the second most yards per attempt (9.2) in the NFL. After Goff attempted 42 passes for 202 yards and a pick in Detroit's loss to the Bengals last week, Campbell admitted the quarterback has to "step up more than he has." Like everyone on an 0-6 team. But he's standing firm on the idea that the Lions can win with Goff under center.
They just need to be better around him -- and where have we heard that before?
"Here’s what I do know, he is a pure passer," Campbell said Wednesday. "He can throw the football. And if you give him a little protection and let him see it, I think he can make some pinpoint throws. I’ve seen that from him. Look, I’ve seen enough of him, I’ve said this over the last four years, to know that he can just slice you up if he gets in a rhythm because he did it to us every year (in New Orleans) when we had a damn good defense.
"I’ve seen it here and I think that – I do -- I think if we can stay in the normal flow of the game and function like we need to right now offensively with what we are, I think we can win with him. I just do.”
In four regular season starts against the Saints when Campbell was assistant head coach in New Orleans, Goff posted a passer rating of 99.7 and averaged 8.1 yards per attempt. He also helped the Rams beat the Saints in the 2018 NFC Championship. That's the Goff that Campbell is waiting for in Detroit. With more weapons and a healthy offensive line, maybe he'll show up.
It's getting harder to believe with each passing loss.