Los Angeles Rams: Grades for Week 1 against the Raiders

I know, I can already hear all the Jared Goff fanboys decry he’s all but a candidate for NFL MVP after Monday night in Oakland, but a more objective look at the Rams third year quarterback shows he has work to do.

A lot of work.
That’s also not entirely his fault.

Goff hasn’t taken a snap since the Rams lost in their lone playoff game to the Atlanta Falcons way back in January, so if he looked rusty (which he did) and his timing was very off (which it was), and he wasn’t very successful at hitting on the long pass (which he wasn’t), well he CAN be excused from all that.

Last night was a performance of a would be, one day franchise quarterback who had to get up to speed on the fly.

No preseason, no problem.

Problem.

For the record, short of just looking “off” Goff looks like a QB ready for the next step. The eyeball test validates that. So before fans say I just don’t like him, fact is I do, but he has work to do.

The problem is less him and that Sean McVay just doesn’t like to play his starters in games that offer no consequence. Week 17 last season against the San Francisco 49ers was an example as was four meaningless exhibition games.

That said, he needs to be better. Last night was an underwhelming performance from a player who will need to be exponentially better moving forward if LA is to have any shot at an NFC Championship or a Super Bowl.

He missed the mark in more ways than one.

Grade: C-