Oct 31, 2015; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff (16) prepares to throw a touchdown to California wide receiver Bryce Treggs (1) against the Southern California Trojans in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff was turned into the golden boy at the start of the season. He was lighting up the airways with back-to-back 300-yard games against the Grambling Tigers and San Diego State Aztecs. Then after slowing down a tad but still efficient against the Texans Longhorns, he restarted his aerial assault.
He threw for 342 yards and two scores against the Washington Huskies then 390 yards with four scores against Washington State. He had the college football world as well as the NFL scouting world buzzing. He got his Bears off to a 5-0 start, throwing for 1,640 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
And many, including myself, were ready to annoint him as the next Aaron Rodgers be it that he comes from California. But he has since proven that is blasphemous to mention him in the same breath and he’s not even worth a 1st-round pick. He’s definitely out of the first round for me and if anyone keeps him there after the last three games, the should keep Cardale Jones there too.
In his last three games, he’s thrown for 907 yards and 7 touchdowns but also threw seven intercetpions. Against the Utah Utes, he threw for 340 of those yards and two of those touchdowns but five of those interceptions. The 295 yards he threw for against the UCLA Bruins came on 53 attempts.
So what happened?
He started playing against real competition!
Pressure started coming and he looked like a deer in headlights panicking, throwing into triple coverage. Then going back and watching his games, I realized that he only had one game in which he didn’t throw an interception. You can’t take a guy the puts the ball and team in harms way like that in the first round.