The Los Angeles Rams were able to take care of business against the Arizona Cardinals to end the 2019 NFL season by winning their final home game at the Coliseum.
It is safe to say that the Rams fell vastly short of expectations after coming off a Super Bowl run to finish at 9-7 on the year. Fortunately, quarterback Jared Goff still managed to do his part to somewhat alleviate the disappointing season by leading the team to a 31-24 victory over the Cardinals to salvage a winning record while ending their stint at the Coliseum on a high note.
Regardless, there is no question that fans are still looking forward to kicking the 2020 NFL season off in their new home, which has been dubbed SoFi Stadium. It appears even Goff is feeling the same sense of excitement.
Despite all the glamour that will come with the new venue, Goff admitted during his postgame press conference that he will miss the days of building the fan base at the Coliseum:
“I will miss playing the Coliseum. I’m excited for SoFi, I’m really excited for SoFi[Stadium]. What Mr. Kroenke has created there is going to be something that I don’t think the world has ever seen. But, I will miss the Coliseum, the history of it, the lighting the torch, the fireworks, the fans. The fan base we’ve built here and how much louder it was this year compared to my first year. Just seeing it grow was really cool and that’s the biggest part I’ll miss.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to Goff’s comments considering he has endured his fair share of ups and downs at the Coliseum. It is safe to say that he has been a central force in helping to rekindle the fan base that had been lying dormant in the two decades of this team’s absence.
The Rams knew full well they needed to make some waves by putting a quality product on the field in order to reestablish their loyal fan base and managed to do just that by going to the Super Bowl in just their third year back. While they may ,have suffered a setback in their ultimate goals by not even making the playoffs to defend the NFC crown, they were still successful in their efforts to make their presence felt in Los Angeles.
Although the 2020 campaign should provide a much-needed boost for both players and fans alike, the onus will be on the Rams’ brass to put together a roster worthy kicking off the new era at SoFi.
