The Los Angeles Rams opted to re-open the offensive coordinator position alongside head coach Sean McVay this offseason with the arrival of Kevin O’Connell.
Although he has not been in town very long, it has already become clear that his top priority will be getting quarterback Jared Goff back on track following an underwhelming 2019 NFL season. After all, a resurgence under center could be just what the Rams need to for their offense to revert back to being one of the highest-scoring groups in the league.
O’Connell has admittedly not gotten too acquainted with Goff in the past. Regardless, he is still somewhat familiar after studying his fair share of tape on him during his time with the Washington Redskins.
In his introductory press conference, O’Connell stated he is looking forward to helping Goff find his rhythm again, via Rich Hammond of The Athletic:
O’Connell said he knows Goff only “casually” but is familiar with his three full seasons as a starter.
“You just see some of the physical talent he has put on tape,” O’Connell said, “him making some throws and some of the intangible traits that I think have really jumped out from afar, from observing him. That’s why I just can’t wait to be around him and kind of help him take whatever that next step is for him. We’ll figure out exactly what that means and do everything we can to help him.”
It is encouraging to see that O’Connell is already fully aware of Goff’s skill set as a quarterback. Even if they are not particularly close now, that will soon change since McVay indicated that McConnell will also be doubling as the team’s quarterbacks coach.
Goff had taken tremendous strides in emerging as a bonafide franchise quarterback with back-to-back Pro Bowl honors that were capped by a trip to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, he seemingly regressed under center during the Rams’ disastrous outing on offense in the 2019 campaign.
There were a number of issues that factored in Goff’s lackluster performance starting with the changes that came along the offensive line. Meanwhile, Los Angeles was never able to establish a consistent run game after Todd Gurley saw his workload decrease tremendously.
There is no question that McVay will continue to serve as the primary play-caller, however, O’Connell’s responsibilities indicate that he will have a heavy say on helping to develop the game plan for the offense. Any hope of a potential resurgence will need to begin with Goff getting comfortable under center.
