Jared Goff’s revival puts McVay’s Rams back in the playoff hunt

After a disastrous 2019 season, Jared Goff is playing with confidence again and has the Rams performing at a playoff level.

After missing the playoffs last year, the Los Angeles Rams opened the 2020 NFL season 2-0, and Jared Goff is captaining an impressive offense. All offseason, analysts decreed the downfall of Sean McVay’s team.

However, everything changed when Los Angeles toppled the NFC East’s best teams in the season’s opening weeks. Behind Goff’s inspired play, the Rams could win the NFC West and return to the postseason.

Goff is averaging a 108.5 passer rating this season. The Cal product posted back-to-back 100-passer rating years in 2017 and 2018, but his play dropped off last season. In his two Pro Bowls campaigns, Goff went 24-7 as a starter and led the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance. However, he finished 2019 with an 86.5 passer rating, and Los Angeles missed the playoffs. Goff never found his rhythm, and Los Angeles’ high-powered offense crumbled.

Jared Goff is back to his old ways and the Rams are reaping the benefits.

Two weeks into the season, it’s easy to see that Goff is back to his old form. While he didn’t have a great game against Dallas, the former Pro Bowler stomped the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s also excelling without any of his top receiving threats averaging over 65 yards per game. McVay’s offense is spreading the ball around again, and opponents can’t cover all of Los Angeles’ threats.

Los Angeles’ offense looked defanged after parting ways with Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley this past offseason. Even during his down season, Gurley amassed 1,064 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns.

Entering the year, none of the running backs on Los Angeles’ roster had run for more than 260 yards in a single season. The Rams are averaging 172 rushing yards per game through two weeks, ranking third in the NFL.

The Rams also benefit from the San Francisco 49ers suffering crippling injuries. The 49ers enter Week 3 without their best players and the reigning NFC Champions could suffer more losses. With their current depth chart, the 49ers are the weakest team in the NFC West. Los Angeles faces San Francisco for the first time in Week 6.

As for the thriving Seattle Seahawks, the Rams have their number. Los Angeles is 4-1 in its last five games against Seattle, and the one loss came last season when Greg Zuerlein missed a potential game-winning field goal from 44 yards out. The Seahawks escaped with a 30-29 victory in front of their home crowd. Recent history heavily favors the Rams against their divisional foes.

Los Angeles faces a difficult test in Week 3, drawing Josh Allen’s 2-0 Buffalo Bills. In a clash of undefeated teams, Goff’s confidence and resilience in the face of a dominant defense will decide the outcome. If the 25-year-old continues playing at his Pro Bowl pace, the Rams should start 3-0 for the first time since their Super Bowl losing season two years ago.