The Los Angeles Rams are in unchartered territory with Sean McVay as they are 6-4 and are fighting for a playoff spot. Above all, the offense has underperformed and the majority of the blame has been placed on quarterback Jared Goff.
Over the course of the offseason, the Rams chose to give Goff a four-year, $134 million extension as he entered his fourth season with the franchise. As a result, the pressure for him to succeed in 2019 was elevated due to the price it cost to extend him.
So far, the California native has thrown for 2,783 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Goff will have his hands full trying to get his season back on track against a stingy Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.
At the least, the offense showed signs of life last week against the Chicago Bears, giving a glimmer of hope to Rams fans. With that being said, here are three reasons why Goff will turn things around moving forward.
3. Goff is getting his weapons back
In the Rams' past two games, the offense has been missing Brandin Cooks in the lineup due to a concussion. On top of that, Robert Woods missed last week's game against the Bears because of a personal matter.
As of now, Cooks is scheduled to make his return on Monday night versus the Ravens, while Woods' status is still up in the air. Still, having Cooks back at wide receiver will drastically help Goff and the aerial attack.
Regardless of what Cook's production is, his presence alone opens up the offense and stretches the defense down the field. With Goff continuing to get his pass-catchers back, he should improve his play on the field as well.
2. Todd Gurley seems to be coming around
To begin the season, everyone was wondering what was wrong with Todd Gurley and why his usage was being decreased. But in Week 11, McVay unleashed Gurley and allowed the All-Pro running back to finally get into a rhythm.
By doing so, Gurley had his best game of the season with 133 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. An effective rushing attack can aid in Goff's attempt to revert to the quarterback he was to begin the 2018 season.
The Rams' offense under McVay is predicated on utilizing play-action passes. Therefore, as long as Gurley and the running game continue to be useful, Goff should see more opportunities to succeed.
1. McVay's offensive line adjustments
Before the Rams faced the Bears in Week 11, everyone assumed that Chicago's daunting defense would wreak havoc on the decimated Los Angeles offensive line. Instead, McVay made a few adjustments and the offensive line allowed zero sacks on Goff.
The adjustments involved a ton of double-teaming in the run game and having tight ends help in pass protection. For the entire season, keeping a clean pocket for Goff has been quite the struggle for the Rams.
But with McVay's adjustments from Week 11, there's a chance that Los Angeles has found the solution to overcome their faults. There's no doubt that Goff is a quarterback who thrives when he's given room to throw in the pocket.
In the event that the offensive line maintains their play for the rest of the season, Goff should begin to make strides under center.
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