Time not on the side of Rams quarterback Jared Goff, or GM Les Snead

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff gets a clean slate beginning Sunday. General Manager Les Snead does not.

Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead knows the clock starts ticking Sunday, a little after 1:00 pm in LA. That’s when the evaluation on second year quarterback Jared Goff begins in earnest, and the second year of this team back in Southern California gets a fresh start.

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It’s also a new evaluation period for Snead who needs it to work for Goff, needs it to work for his first year head coach in Sean McVay, and a desperate need to make it work with star defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

The Rams GM also needs to go 3 for 3: not 1 for 3, not 2 for 3, and Snead knows striking out on all means this time next year he’s likely an analyst on some cable network, licking his wounds and lamenting it was Goff instead of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz he helped draft.

Yeah, it gets really important on Sunday.

This morning on the The Herd With Colin Cowherd, the Rams were a topic of significant issue. Goff, Snead, McVay, and this team back in Los Angeles gets another look with added scrutiny and little margin for error.

Keep this in mind: BOTH USC and UCLA posted a marker that the Rams and Chargers may play on Sunday, but two Heisman Trophy hopefuls play on Saturday.

Those are headlines Sunday morning in a would be NFL city and leading media market.

As I’ve said, it’s no lock that the Rams are in the Top 3 of fan favorites in Los Angeles. The Trojans are ranked in the top 10 in the AP latest poll, and UCLA scored a huge comeback behind Josh Rosen against Texas A&M on national television.

And oh yeah, Lonzo Ball and Magic Johnson will have the Lakers front and center in a month’s time.

Today, the Rams are fully vested in a quarterback who is  0-7, and a defensive tackle meandering on the east coast waiting for a payday he actually deserves, but may not get anytime soon.

Lots of people in the Rams front office are shovel ready right now as a team with a lot on the line kicks off with questions marks in plentiful supply. Open the season worse than 2-2, and those shovels will begin digging graves in the deserts not too far outside of Los Angeles.

Sunday in the Coliseum begins the clock on a lot of things. Win, and ride that momentum into a winnable game against the Washington Redskins.

Lose, and all bets may be off.

I’ve said that the Los Angeles Rams will be the most interesting team in the National Football League in 2017.

Goff intrigues, as does McVay, an exciting young receiving squad, and youth where sky really is the limit.

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Stakes are high in Los Angeles, and if you think one game can’t set the table for a season, ask the Kansas City Chiefs after last night.

Or grab a shovel. Les Snead will have more than a few to go around.