There’s no question that Jared Goff benefits from playing behind the best offensive line in the NFC West, and one of the better squads in the NFL. Still, that’s not a guarantee that a quarterback will play well. Approximately 765 QBs have had Joe Thomas as their left tackle and still haven’t managed to find any success on the Browns.

A young quarterback like Goff needs great players around him to succeed, but he also needs to be good on his own merit – and that’s exactly what he’s been doing this season.

When compared side by side to the other three quarterbacks in the division who started Weeks 1-6 of the season, he’s right on pace with Russell Wilson. The difference make? Big plays and fewer sacks.

Totals Table Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Rush Rush Rush Rush Rush Rk Player Year G QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD Rate Int Sk Yds Y/A Att Yds TD Y/A Lng 1 Jared Goff 2017 6 4-2-0 111 185 60.0 1484 8 93.2 3 9 61 8.0 11 32 0 2.9 22 2 Brian Hoyer 2017 6 0-6-0 119 205 58.0 1245 4 74.1 4 16 112 6.1 5 7 1 1.4 9 3 Carson Palmer 2017 6 3-3-0 154 249 61.8 1856 9 86.7 6 21 139 7.5 14 12 0 .9 4 4 Russell Wilson 2017 5 3-2-0 111 178 62.4 1222 8 90.6 3 13 80 6.9 30 154 1 5.1 29

While they both have 8 passing touchdowns and 3 interceptions, Goff has taken four fewer sacks for 19 fewer yards in one more game played, and he’s averaged 1.1 more yards per pass attempt. In fact, his ability to avoid sacks even with a great offensive line is a testament to his maturity and composure at the position.

Wilson has been rightfully criticized throughout his career for his high sack rate, as he leads all quarterbacks since 2012, getting sacked 218 times for 1,355. Part of that comes with being a more mobile quarterback, but he’s not nearly as dynamic a runner as some other highly sacked quarterbacks – particularly Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick.

It’s certainly early to say that Goff has surpassed Wilson long-term, but as it stands right now, he’s definitely playing the best football of any QB in the NFC West.