You guys kill me.
Goff will start in time. Maybe because he is completely ready and maybe by default.
A couple of things.....
Goff averaged a pic or fumble about every 10 pass plays during the preseason. Those are relatively low pressure snaps vs mostly vanilla defenses. He also did some very nice things. But, I don't see how anyone could have watched him in the preseason and think he was ready to leave the nest. That said, he did improve as the preseason progressed.
Arm strength has little to do with throwing deep. Throwing a 40 or 50 yards ball is very unimpressive for an NFL or college QB. Most passes are short by comparison. Getting the ball out on time to the right receiver in a small window....sometimes into a portion of the window (throwing a guy open or not getting him grt laid out) is key. Most deep balls are rainbows thrown to an area, a bucket so to speak that the WR runs to. My son can throw a football 60 yards.....big deal.
Arm strength shows up throwing that 20 to 25 yard out, fitting the ball into tight coverages and being able to recover quickly and get the ball to secondary guys or on the run. That out pattern is a real indicator of arm strength. The ball is going downfield 20 yards, let's say, but if it is thrown from the middle of the field it is also traveling 25 or so yards out to the side and has to be thrown flat and hard, can't float that one.
Case probably does not have the arm strength to complete that throw. This is why the Rams run short out patterns. Keenum will have most of his success in the middle of the field, this is why it was nice to see the Rams run some intermediate stuff Sunday. There is risk with these throws of course....traffic. Keenum has to have a good mental game, reading Ds, finding secondary guys and getting rid of the ball quickly, because he doesn't have the physical gifts to improvise (see Aaron Rodgers).
Goff certainly has the arm strength that Keenum does not.
But, the other things aren't there yet. How close is he? Only the coaches know. His progress during the preseason I take as a positive sign.
Important things a QB needs....
Mental efficiency....knowing the D, reading blitzes and hot reads, knowing the secondary targets ect.
Vision, see above
Quick release, this is what makes pocket passers like Brady, Warner and Marino so hard to defeat with pass rush. The quick compact release combined with smarts, vision and fearlessness.....look out.
Lastly is arm strength. Plays are designed to happen quickly and usually to minimize risk. If a guy is always relying on his arm strength to bail him out....well, not good.