Rams QB Jared Goff – Postgame Press Conference – October 11, 2020

(On seeing Washington QB Alex Smith play in a game for the first time since injuring his leg)
“Yeah, I’m glad you asked. That is really one of the most amazing things, I think not only that we’ve ever seen, but one of the most amazing things in football history is him getting back from that injury and coming back. I think the respect I have for him and just the way he goes about his business, my interactions with him have always been awesome. He’s a great guy and deserves everything. You look at a guy that’s made however much money he’s made in his career and wants to come back from an injury like that, to want to come back from potentially almost losing his leg and come back out and play today. And I said in that postgame, but I’ll be able to tell people forever that I watched that and saw that happened. So I’m extremely happy for him and I’m hoping for the best for him.”

(On his spike in the end zone)
“It wasn’t great. I have the excuse of it was wet on my side, so I’ll be OK. I went for like a super spike. I was trying to like really get one. If I would’ve done like a medium spike, it would have been fine. But if you guys remember last year in Atlanta, I had a pretty good one after I scored. So, I was going for that kind of same thing and it just slipped out of my hand. I didn’t even have a grip on it. And it was just pretty funny. I’m sure I’ll hear a lot about that for a long time.”

(On RB Darrell Henderson catching his first receiving touchdown)
“That last play there? Yeah, it was great. It was a great play call, something we’ve had up for a long time that we’ve wanted to get off and it was the perfect situation for it. Darrell’s so versatile not only in the pass game, but in the run game. When I heard that play coming out, I was excited about it. He ran a great route, made a great catch. I think all those running backs, but him in particular the last three or four weeks stepping up when Cam [Akers] went down and him and Malcolm [Brown] sharing that load. It’s been really good to see it. It’s exciting. Those guys are young. Him and Cam are both young and even Malcolm is still in the beginning of his career. Having those guys and having them play at the level they’re playing at is really good.”

(On the confidence building with this team)
“Yeah, no doubt. It’s a lot of confidence. I mean right off the bat in five weeks we’re 4-0 versus one division, and that gives you a little boost of confidence and obviously there’s a long ways to go. And we’re still five games in and we have some more to do. It feels good to come out here three times. You know, obviously the Buffalo ones when we dropped otherwise, we’d be really happy about it. But come out here three times and get two out of three and really have a great chance to win that third one. It’s a testament to what we’ve done throughout the week – our training staff, our strength staff getting us ready. A lot of the good communication from them and these travels to the East Coast are not easy. We’ve won these games, but they’re not easy and it’s good that we are winning them now and get them out of the way.”

(On the deep ball to WR Robert Woods)
“Yeah. I think we’re just waiting for opportunities and we’ve had shot plays called this year. Either I didn’t throw it or it wasn’t there for whatever reason, but this one where it was there and mid throw, made a catch and it was good. They played exactly what we expected them to play and kinda got a good ball on the side line and it worked out great. We had a few more, the one to Gerald [Everett] was awesome. He was really just wide open. Then Josh [Reynolds], but then there was another one off that play action where he kind of pulled himself out of that break really well and I put it on him and he made a play. I think we’ve always known what our offense is capable of down the field, and today we’re able to show it a little bit.”

(On finding different ways to win games)
“Um, I don’t know. I think we battled some elements today, for sure. I mean there was a little bit of that where mainly that third quarter where it was tough to throw the ball. That was for both sides, but we had to battle through that. Our defense kept playing well. And I think that, again, can’t be understated how well they’re playing right now. I mean, 10 points. I believe they had, I don’t know what, 120 yards of offense. When the defense does that, it makes it easy for us. We’re feeding off each other right now and they’re bringing a lot of energy and it’s exciting.”

(On the teams agree not to shaking hands after the game)
“Yeah, I believe it’s the NFL. I don’t know if they want us to do that as much anymore, just based on everything spread around. One of the new protocols – don’t quote me on that. I don’t know if that’s true, but we had talked about as a team and I think they had talked about it too. Just not doing it and being safe.”

(On being successful with opening drives)
“Just taking completions. I think the number one thing I’ve always talked about with you guys is just trying to get the ball to our receivers in some space and let them make a play. Just staying discipline and taking the underneath stuff from the center, taking the shots when they’re there and just taking care of the football. I think a lot of times, getting the ball to the running back can’t hurt. Just taking care of the ball.”

(On why the offense has been so successful on the opening drives)
“I think usually on those drives, we’re just running some of our best stuff. I don’t think, well I know we don’t script anything, so it’s not like we’re running set plays. It’s really just kind of what we’ve liked throughout the week and what [Head Coach] Sean [McVay] has a good feel with and what we have a good feel with on offense – our best runs, our best passes, usually balls that we’d like to get out and throw completions with. Like you guys are seeing, when we get the ball in these guys’ hands, they make things happen and it’s exciting. Our O-line is playing their balls off. I’m sorry. Excuse me. Playing their butts off, I guess. But they’re playing great. Yeah, it’s been good on those opening drives, just getting out fast.”

(On winning the coin tosses)
“Dude you’re jinxing me now. I mean what is it, Week 5? I think we’ve won them all. Maybe we didn’t win in Dallas. I think it was Dallas. We won four in a row, but, yeah, I usually consult with Cooper [Kupp] pregame, and we figured out what we’re going to call. If I’m on the road, if I’m at home, obviously can’t call it. So, I’d be unlucky there.”

(On what he will call next week)
“I don’t know. We’ll see. You might’ve flipped the juju now. So I don’t know what we’re going to have to do.”