Looks like LA Rams overshot the mark on shaking up the offense

The LA Rams offense has been in gradual decline since 2017. From the top scoring offense in 2017 to the second top scoring offense in 2018, to the 11th top scoring offense in 2019, to now the 23rd top scoring offense in 2020.  From top spot to the bottom third of the NFL. And no tangible plan in place to reverse course.

That’s a significant decline, and you might logically conclude that it’s due to a very young head coach Sean Mcvay, the savant of NFL offense, spreading himself far too thin. After all, for three years, he only focused on the offense. Then, in 2020, he fired the autonomous defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and hired on the more collaborative DC Brandon Staley. The defense improved dramatically. But the offense declined even more rapidly.

Of course, the fingers are all pointing at quarterback Jared Goff. And the team has done nothing to defend Goff this offseason. In fact, the team has done everything to fault Goff for their offensive woes. But if the argument is that Goff is a ‘system quarterback’, then the system is breaking down. In fact, when you find a ‘blame game’, it’s a sign of trouble.  The precursor of something bad about to happen.

This is the same organization that placed a lot of money, much of it guaranteed, into a contract to re-sign Jared Goff for the next four seasons. Now? They have buyer’s remorse. That’s not Goff’s fault.

The span of two weeks

So in the span of just under two weeks, the LA Rams have managed to alienate their starting quarterback, perhaps irreparably. The team has had seven defections from executives and coaching staff. The team has already been named as the epicenter of NFL rumors involving four different NFL quarterbacks. But perhaps first and foremost, the team has become a very hostile workplace for the starting quarterback but has rolled out the welcome mat for mobile quarterbacks.

I know this is not the popular opinion right now, but I believe that it needs to be said. The Rams offense had all the pieces to put up points on the board. That’s not the quarterback, but the playcalling. And the problem is that the playcalling still falls upon the head coach after four seasons at the helm.  Why is it a problem?

The offense has declined from the top-scoring offense to the 23rd scoring offense. After Goff goes, who is left to blame? The running back? The starting center? If Goff is the problem, then explain why all of the positional coaches are leaving? The Rams would be set up to regroup on offense, but there are only a handful of position coaches left.

Yes, the Rams offense needs to turn it around. But if the offseason is any indication, this is not a quick turnaround at all. In fact, the Rams may be in for worse before it gets better. After all, the Rams certainly have every reason to shake up the declining offense a bit this offseason.

But the LA Rams have overshot the mark, and by a huge margin. That’s concerning because they are only two weeks into their off-season.