The Los Angeles Rams came up short against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, and with the loss, they have officially been eliminated from playoff contention for the 2019 NFL season.
The Rams offense was seemingly clicking on all cylinders early on against this formidable 49ers defense before ultimately stalling out in the second half. It was another up-and-down outing for quarterback Jared Goff after completing 27-of-46 passes for 323 yards two touchdowns and an interception, which was taken the other way for a pick-six.
Goff’s performance during the heartbreaking 34-31 loss in San Francisco was indicative of the kind of roller-coaster year it has been for him. It is safe to say that not making the postseason certainly adds salt to the wound.
Goff admitted during his postgame press conference that falling short of the playoffs after a trip back to the Super Bowl is frustrating:
“It’s extremely disappointing,” Goff said. “You never envision something like this when you start the year. It’s not even close to the standard that we want to hold. It’s sickening.”
Goff’s disappointment is certainly understandable considering the Rams were supposed to be picking up where they left off as the reigning NFC champs. Instead, they will now watch the postseason play out from home as a new team takes their crown for a chance at the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles will go back to the drawing board in an attempt to figure out what exactly went wrong after falling vastly short of expectations following a stellar two-year run.
Although the Rams will have a laundry list of issues to take a look at this offseason, there will continue to be plenty of speculation surrounding Goff’s role in their demise in the 2019 campaign.
The two-time Pro Bowler had made tremendous strides into becoming a bonafide franchise quarterback with the arrival of head coach Sean McVay and this was supposed to be the year that he showed he was capable of leading the offense when he needed to. Unfortunately, this group largely struggled to find their rhythm on a consistent basis throughout the season and it has resulted in their 8-7 record with one game remaining.
Of course, the issues transcend far beyond Goff’s shortcomings and some serious adjustments will need to be made on both sides of the ball if the Rams hope to spark a potential resurgence when they open up in their new stadium for the 2020 NFL season.
