The Rams Should Have Dire Concern About Jared Goff

Here's a fun fact: You, the reader, and I, the blogger, have both thrown as many touchdown passes as Jared Goff in the month of November. That is to say, none! It was only 12 months ago that Goff was heralded as one of the young quarterbacks at the forefront of the position's youth movement. Now there's real reason to be concerned about his play not only over the last three games, but the whole season, and the Rams should be worried.

Los Angeles signed Goff to a four-year contract extension worth $134 million over the offseason. It'll kick in starting next season as Goff's salary elevates from only $1 million to $10 million, and he's guaranteed $110 million over the course of the contract. It's the most guaranteed money out of any QB in the NFL right now (although I'm sure Dak Prescott's new deal will eclipse that number). But Goff has done nothing to suggest he's even a top-10 quarterback in the league this year, much less one who's paid more than Russell Wilson or Drew Brees.

So far, Goff ranks 28th among qualified QBs in completion percentage (61 percent), 32nd in touchdown percentage (2.7 percent), and 31st in quarterback rating (80.3). He's thrown for the fourth-most yards in the league with 2,995, but has only 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Even those numbers are boosted by good games against very bad defenses, highlighted by one 517-yard, two-touchdown effort against the Bucs. He hasn't thrown more than two touchdowns in any game this season.

There are larger problems at hand in Los Angeles this season, to be certain. The offensive line is shockingly porous, Todd Gurley only shows up once every few weeks or so, and the injury bug hasn't been kind to the receiving corps. Most teams have copied the Bill Belichick blueprint to stifling the Sean McVay offense, and the boy wonder has struggled mightily to adjust. The defense remains bafflingly ineffective for their talent level and hasn't done the offense any favors.

But the fact remains that Goff has been, at best, an average QB. The Rams didn't sign Goff to a record contract because he was average. There's still time for him to grow, but the expectation is that he's easily a top-10 QB who could be in the top-five discussion in two or three years. As is, it appears Goff would struggle to burst into the top-15 discussion. If Goff is only as effective as McVay can make him, the Rams made a big, big mistake with that contract. It's time to start worrying about Jared Goff.