Cal Football: Ex-Bears Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers Deliver Big-Time Performances

Both quarterbacks stumbled a week earlier but were sharp on Sunday

Photo by Matt Kartozian, USA Today

Jared Goff and Aaron Rodgers delivered impressive bounce-back games Sunday after the two former Cal quarterbacks suffered stinkers a week earlier.

And Miami Dolphins rookie running back Patrick Laird also had a great moment on Sunday.

Goff passed for 424 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions as the Los Angeles Rams went on the road and blasted the Arizona Cardinals 34-7.

Rodgers threw for 243 yards with four TDs and no interceptions in a snow storm as the Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 31-13 in East Rutherford, N.J.

And Laird, who was undrafted last spring but signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins, scored his first NFL touchdown.

Goff, who was 32 for 43 against the Cardinals, entered the game with just 13 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions a year after those numbers were 32 and 12.

He had drawn criticism in recent weeks as the Rams skidded to 6-6 a year after reaching the Super Bowl.

They lost 45-6 to the Baltimore Ravens a week earlier and Goff was outplayed by Lamar Jackson, who threw five touchdowns. In three games prior to Sunday, Goff had passed for no TDs with five picks.

"It always will be and always has been about how you respond," Goff said. "Our team responds well. It's part of our mentality, part of our attitude, is that bad stuff happens, nobody's perfect, but how do you respond?

"Today, we proved we were a strong team.”

Goff got time on SportsCenter for his block of Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson, helping to spring running back Robert Woods for a 48-yard gain.

“He was great today,” Los Angeles coach Sean McVay said. "He distributed the ball and guys made some plays. It was a great game for Jared, but that was the game we expect from him. Those are the things we know he's capable of. It's always a collaboration of the unit, but I was really pleased with his ability to command and control the game.”

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had no issues playing in the snow in New Jersey / Photo by Richard Deutsch, USA Today

Rodgers was back to form after a rare off-game the week before in the Packers’ 37-8 loss to the 49ers. He threw for just 104 yards against San Francisco, which sacked him five times.

Rodgers felt right at home in the snowy weather at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, and the Packers improved to 9-3.

"I loved the conditions," said Rodgers, who was 21 of 33 on a slippery field. "I admit I was a little worried that it might be more rain than snow. When those big flakes were falling down, I felt pretty good about our chances.”

Laird, Cal’s top rusher the past two seasons, scored his first NFL touchdowns on a 4-yard run in the Dolphins’ 37-31 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He then caught a two-point conversion pass after the TD.