The Rams managed to reach the Divisional Round before being eliminated in a two-goal loss to the Packers on Saturday, preparing Los Angeles for an interesting offseason in the most important position of the game.
Jared Goff managed to return from thumb surgery in time to enter the game in an emergency and help Rams win a wild card victory over Seattle, in which his defense was the biggest winner. But Goff was unable to keep Rams in an offensive clash with the Packers, who came out with a 32-18 victory. Goff ended the season with an adequate body of work, posting a final pass line of 3,952 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, a completion percentage of 67 and a rating of 90 passers.
Goff was as effective as he was inconsistent, showing a tendency to start games in which the Rams ended up winning in a hot streak, and also starting other disputes with fights typical of his worst NFL days. The Rams simply didn’t know which Goff they would get consistently, leaving the door open for McVay to take a look at his team’s future in all positions – including the center.
McVay told reporters on Saturday that Goff is “the defender now”, which was not exactly the most resounding endorsement, and on Sunday he would not implicitly state that Goff is the QB advancing on the LA NFL Network. Steve Wyche reported on Monday that there is more than just inconsistent performance at stake with the quarterback’s situation for the Rams.
“We know that John Wolford showed up and they were thrilled with him when Jared Goff got hurt and the way he performed, and then he got hurt,” said Wyche. “So I think a lot of people are wondering if they are going to bring in a kind of veteran quarterback to push Jared Goff this off season. Or at least have that threat there as a backup to see if they can elevate Goff.
“The people I spoke to basically said at this point that the relationship with Goff and McVay: it’s not great. They need marriage counseling, that’s what one person told me. I think that’s something they’ll be able to work through, but there’s that there should be some healing and not just Jared Goff’s injured thumb. “
McVay’s vague responses after Saturday seemed to indicate that there was latent uncertainty about Goff’s position that extended beyond his inconsistent game. He gave credit to Goff for his effort to return to help Rams win a playoff game, but noted that he needs to meet with Goff to develop a common understanding that goes into an important off-season.