Rams’ $134 million QB investment a bust
PITTSBURGH – It’s open season on Jared Goff, and not just because the Rams gave their franchise quarterback a massive contract extension before the start of the season.
The Steelers teed off on Goff on Sunday, when they dismantled Sean McVay’s creative offense the old-fashioned way: They dominated up front to constantly batter or otherwise harass the quarterback, then played physical on the back end to challenge, disrupt and often separate passes from intended targets.
It was the type of game that begged for a star quarterback to will his team to victory. We’ve seen it from Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and, lately, Lamar Jackson.
But Goff, despite the four-year, $134 million extension that includes a record $110 million in guaranteed money, is hardly that guy. When the script goes haywire, he too often follows suit.
No, it’s not all on Goff, who was sacked four times by Pittsburgh in the 17-12 defeat and indeed showed grit by repeatedly hanging in to take poundings he knew were coming as he released the football. His offensive line is an injurybattered mess, with two starters going down Sunday to cause more of the shuffling that contrasts the stability of the unit during the Rams’ rise to prominence over the previous two years.
It makes me wonder whether the Rams could have done more to keep Rodger Saffold from defecting to the Titans as a free agent, seeing that Los Angeles has already used a half-dozen players at Saffold’s old left guard position. The musical chairs situation just goes to show that when the line is shaky, the whole thing can go kaput.
Yet that’s exactly why the Rams need Goff to show that he’s more than a “system quarterback.”
Unless he’s not.
As it stands now, the Rams’ heavy investment in Goff is backfiring – especially when considering there was no urgent need to lock up the quarterback who on his original contract wasn’t eligible to be a free agent until 2021, even if the Rams didn’t use a franchise tag on him. For the short term, the salary cap dollars might have been used in other areas.
Fair or not, fans have had a field day bashing Goff for the big contract, as he carries mediocre numbers, including a TD-to-interception ratio of 11-to-9 and a passer rating of 82.7.
McVay was quick to defend his quarterback after the latest exhibit, which he is supposed to do, coinciding with the broader-than-him evidence.
The Rams were 1 of 14 on third-down conversions and, in failing to reach the end zone, extended their dubious streak of possessions without a touchdown to 18. With big-play receiver Brandin
Cooks out with an injury, the Steelers shut out Cooper Kupp (four targets, zero catches).
“It was a collaboration of everybody can be better,” McVay said.
True.
But quarterbacks have the most ability to make the supporting cast better. And many times they are the face of dysfunction. You know the deal: Too much credit, too much blame.
The shaky optics with Goff, who had a season-low 51.2 passer rating Sunday, included him being pulled for a 3rdand-2 call in the third quarter – briefly benched for Blake Bortles, who was then stuffed for a minimal gain as he tried to run around right end.
What big-time quarterback gets pulled in that situation?
Not many.
McVay said it was in the game plan to spring Bortles in for a run in the right situation.
When I asked Goff how that sits with him as the starting quarterback, he said, “It’s good. I’m not happy that it didn’t work. But if it worked, it’s totally good. I’ve been in situations before where we’ve done that and it worked, and it’s good.”
Since it didn’t work on a day when the Steelers’ defense was clicking, it looked to be a bit too cute. And with the way Todd Gurley was running (73 yards, 6.1 per carry), you might wonder how it sits with him, too, for the backup quarterback to get the call for a key run.
In any event, the heat on Goff will probably only intensify from here. After a 3-0 start, the Rams (5-4) have lost four of the past six games. The slide started weirdly enough, as Goff passed for over 500 yards against the Buccaneers but still lost after the Rams gave up 55 points, while the two victories came against a pair of last-place teams, the Falcons and the Bengals. Next up: home dates against the Bears, who still have one of the league’s most potent defenses, and the surging Ravens. The 49ers, Cowboys, Seahawks and two games against the improving Cardinals round out the schedule.
The way it’s trending, the Rams look like they could be the next example of the Super Bowl loser that comes back the next season and doesn’t even make the playoffs.
Goff doesn’t sound worried, but maybe that’s the no-panic response mechanism at work. Regardless, this is a crisis.
“We’d like to be 9-0,” Goff countered. “Unfortunately, we’re not. We’ve got some things to battle through.”
Goff said he’s confident because they’ve rebounded before.
“We have the guys,” he said. “We’ve done it before. We’ve got the coaches. We’ve got the right guy calling the plays. It’s all there. We just need to execute and be who we know we are.”
They were NFC champions last year, when Goff and the system often ran like a well-oiled machine.
But that was then. And this is now. The machine needs to be fixed before it’s too late.