Rams Sean McVay best thing to have happened to Goff

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay may wind up being the best thing to have happened to Jared Goff.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff reacquainted himself with the fanbase this past Sunday. It’s hard to find a critical word for him, but then again, as someone who was not optimistic after a disappointing 0-7 start, what he did against the Indianapolis Colts was the kind of performance that can give a person whiplash.

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As good as Goff was, it doesn’t happen without Sean McVay.

Plain and simple.

Watching the Rams newest head coach on the sideline Sunday was a departure from what fans had been accustomed to when ‘Fisherball’ was in town.

McVay is engaged in the blueprint.

Goff is engaged in the blueprint.

The end result is what fans saw when Los Angeles dismantled the Indianapolis Colts 46-9.

For all intensive purposes, McVay is a newbie. He doesn’t have a  20-plus year resume with stops from the small college level up the chain to the top coaching position on an NFL team. His dues are what they are. And while that may alienate and anger buffoons like a Mike Mike Martz, the dividends on the field only make the old St. Louis Rams coach look like a jackass.

Watching this team last season was akin to an exercise of chewing glass. It was like old Big 10 football. The Rams were great at running plays to net 6 yards when they needed 8, or 8 yards when they needed 10. It was beige paint drying on a wall.

But not now.

Just ask McVay’s previous boss, Jay Gruden, courtesy of Alden Gonzalez at ESPN:

"“He has a great ability to change it up. You don’t know what’s coming. … He’s just got a great way of changing up the tempos and keeping you off balance. That’s what this offense is built around, with quick passes, bootlegs that are friendly for the quarterback, and then obviously staying out of third and long is key.”"

Two things stand out: “friendly for the quarterback”, and “staying out of third and long.”

Again, a departure from what we saw in LA last season.

As bad as Goff looked for the Rams last season is as good as he looked on Sunday. He went 21 of 29 for 306 yards and a touchdown. His offense would summarily roll up 373 yards of offense.

All of this from a guy who’d previously been 0-7, and looking for all the world as a candidate for the next big NFL “bust.”

Who knew.

Sean McVay is the straw that stirs the drink in Los Angeles. It’s as simple as that. Credit Rams General Manager Les Snead for making the right hire at the right time.

Again, from Gruden:

"“I had a feeling that once he got in front of a room, some general managers and some owners, he would get in there. He’s very presentable, he’s very knowledgeable, he’s very smart, he’s a very loyal guy, and he’s very passionate about the game.”"

Sure, fans will love Cooper Kupp and embrace Aaron Donald back into the fold. And if Goff keeps executing, he’ll become the poster boy the Rams hoped for in their return to Los Angeles.

All these are potentially the building blocks to bigger and better for the Los Angeles Rams.

But more than that, McVay is hitting the reset button with absolute confidence that 46-9 isn’t just a “one-off.”

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It’s called “buy-in.”

Who wouldn’t want to be all in on that?