The Los Angeles Rams set to host the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs in a game that will feature a couple of young, promising QBs. On the surface, the similarities are obvious. But even as you dig a little deeper, the parallels continue.
Jared Goff and Dak Prescott both entered the NFL in 2016, but with vastly different pedigrees. Goff was the #1 overall pick after the Rams made a flashy trade for the right to draft him. Prescott was the 8th QB selected and I don’t know that many fans expected him to do as well has he has thus far.
This matchup may not have the media appeal of Carson Wentz and Goff, but it is compelling nonetheless. There is an arguement to be made that Prescott and Goff are pretty comparable as far as career stats go.
QB Stats
| Player | Completion % | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Completion % | Yards | TD | INT |
| QB A | 66.1 | 10876 | 67 | 25 |
| QB B | 62.1 | 9581 | 65 | 26 |
There is obviously a disclaimer to be had there as Prescott has started 10 more games than Goff as well as Goff’s disaster of a rookie season under Jeff Fisher, but at a glance they’re very similar. If you haven’t used the Google box yet, Prescott is QB A and Goff is QB B, but that’s not where the similarities end.
Both QBs have been criticized in their young careers for being ineffective without a dominant run game. While it’s a luxury for a QB to have a dominant running back, Goff and Prescott have been put under scrutiny for being a bit TOO reliant on Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliot, respectively.
To some extent, it’s expected that young QBs need a solid run game to thrive – so maybe we’re expecting too much from the 3rd year QBs. That said, it is also fair to expect them to perform well given the talent surrounding them so that argument is a bit of a double edged sword.
We’re all well aware of the issues that can plague Goff when he’s under pressure or doesn’t have run game behind him on any given Sunday. It’s also no secret that Cowboys fans can be……temperamental (see here, here, and here).
Verdict
Pro Football Focus ranked Goff 8th in their end of season QB rankings while Dak came in at 18th, and even without my rose colored glasses on I would agree. Prescott does bring more running ability to the table than Goff, but I don’t think that’s enough to offset what Goff has been able to do since Sean McVay took over has the Rams head coach.
Edge: Rams