The Los Angeles Rams made a bit of a surprise move this past offseason when they signed quarterback Jared Goff to a record-breaking contract extension. The $134-million deal included $110 million guaranteed, which was the most in NFL history.
Goff was coming off a season in which he led the Rams to a 13-3 record and their first Super Bowl appearance in almost two decades. The Rams did not necessarily need to give him an extension at that time, and they may be suffering the consequences a bit as Goff’s play hasn’t nearly been as good this season.
He currently has the Rams at 8-5 due to improved play in recent weeks, but they will need to beat the Dallas Cowboys on the road this weekend if they want to remain in the postseason picture.
The game is a rematch of last year’s NFC Divisional round when the Rams beat the Cowboys. It also features two quarterbacks from the 2016 draft class in Goff and Dak Prescott.
Prescott has been in discussions with the Cowboys on a contract extension of his own since Goff signed his, and he has only raised his value with strong play this season.
Because of that, Goff would not be surprised if Prescott signs a larger contract extension that his, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times:
“Not at all,” Goff said. “He’s a great player and he deserves everything coming his way.”
Despite Prescott’s improved play, it has not translated to wins as the Cowboys have lost three straight to drop to 6-7 on the year. They are still tied for first in the NFC East though so they have playoff implications on the line this weekend as well.
Goff is looking forward to the opportunity to play a meaningful game in one of the nicest new stadiums in the world this weekend:
“It’s a fun place to play,” he said. “It is loud. You have to prepare for that, they’ve got good fans. … You’re in Jerry’s world; it’s a good place to be.”
If Goff and the Rams execute their offensive gameplan, they shouldn’t have any problem moving the ball against a Cowboys defense that has struggled in recent weeks.
Additionally, the Rams defense has also improved the last couple of weeks with their defensive line getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson. The hope is that they will be able to do the same thing against Prescott this weekend as the Rams go for their third straight win.
