The Buccaneers entered Week 4 with one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL. Sean McVay was well aware of the big men Tampa Bay has up front – led by Ndamukong Suh – and leaned heavily on Jared Goff’s arm.
Unfortunately, that approach didn’t work. Goff was terrible on Sunday afternoon despite throwing two touchdown passes and racking up 517 yards passing. His passer rating of 80.3 was respectable, but everything else about his performance was well below par.
He threw three interceptions, coughed up a game-clinching fumble in the fourth quarter – which Ndamukong Suh returned for a touchdown – and missed open receivers several times. He completed 66.2 percent of his passes, throwing the ball 68 times with 45 completions.
It’s difficult to put into perspective how bizarre his performance was, but let’s break it down by the numbers.
517 yards passing: Tied for eighth-most in NFL history
68 pass attempts: Tied for third-most in NFL history
Third player ever to throw for 500 yards with at least 65 pass attempts
Third QB in league history with 500 yards passing and three interceptions
Second QB ever with 500 yards, three interceptions and a fumble
Sixth QB with two or fewer touchdown passes and 500 yards passing
Set career-highs in:
- Attempts (68)
- Completions (45)
- Yards (517)
Goff made some nice throws, specifically his touchdown pass to Gerald Everett, but there were far too many mistakes made by him.
His interception to Lavonte David was a terrible decision, as was the throw he made on fourth down that Shaq Barrett picked off. He was careless with the football and it really cost the Rams.
But at least he eclipsed the 500-yard mark, becoming the 22nd player ever to reach that number.
