Jared Goff was just a kid when Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl XXXVI win over the then-St. Louis Rams, and now the Rams quarterback has a chance to help his franchise get revenge for that heartbreaking defeat in 2001.
Goff is in the midst of his best NFL season and played well in the Rams' victory against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. He has immense respect for Brady's accomplishments, but also is confident in his defense's ability to make it tough on the Patriots quarterback.
"It just goes to show what he's been able to do. I think getting to this game nine times is unbelievable," Goff said of Brady's career Thursday, via the Rams' website. "You can't put into words how remarkable it is and everything he's done and why he's going to go down as the best of all time, if not one of the best of all time. Just so much respect for him and everything he's done. At the same time, I think our defense is ready for the challenge. It's going to be a tough one and one that we're getting prepared for right now."
Brady and Goff have squared off just once in their careers leading up to Super Bowl LIII on Sunday.
It was a Week 13 game during the 2016 season at Gillette Stadium, where Brady led the Patriots to a 26-10 victory and in the process became the winningest quarterback in league history (201 wins). Goff had a bad game, completing just 14 of 32 pass attempts for 161 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He'll need to play a lot better to beat the Patriots and deliver Los Angeles its first Super Bowl championship since the Raiders in 1983.
"I met (Brady) after our game when we played him. That's about it. A ton of respect for him," Goff said. "Being from the Bay, it is cool that he grew up just close by where I grew up. Cool storyline for you guys, I guess. It's fun. It's cool. I think any time you get a chance to be around a guy like that, is awesome. It's a guy that you've looked up to for so long. I was, like I said, I was probably seven or eight years old when he was winning Super Bowls to begin with and now I get a chance to play in one with him. At the same time, we do respect him, but I'm going to go out there and do my best and be the best I can be and hopefully come out with a win."
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.