🏈 Jared Goff Has A Lot To Prove

All eyes are on the Rams' young, still-unproven quarterback, especially with his record-setting contract. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Jared Goff is learning a hard lesson about expectations ... a Barry Sanders blast from the past just might blow your mind ... and the football world braces for a pivotal TNF matchup. Last season, Jared Goff took a leap — a big one — elevating himself from the group of still-unproven young quarterbacks in the National Football League and into the tier reserved for guys with tenure. He helped the Los Angeles Rams reach the Super Bowl, got rewarded with a fat new contract, and seemed to enter the 2019 season upwardly mobile in every regard. Yet four weeks (and only one defeat) into the new campaign, Goff heads to Thursday night’s clash with the Seattle Seahawks (on FOX at 8:20 p.m. ET) in danger of being sucked back into the pack, with questions and concerns raised over his performance to date. As strong and solid as he looked last year, the 24-year-old has struggled to adapt to the changing circumstances around him. The Rams’ offensive line has failed to be the virtual brick wall of last season, star running back Todd Gurley has been limited by Sean McVay’s coaching staff (and perhaps by injury), and Goff has been unable to pick up the slack. Even the team’s 3-0 start was not particularly convincing, squeezing out narrow wins against the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns and benefitting from a Drew Brees injury while taking down the New Orleans Saints. Then last Sunday, things blew up spectacularly against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a weird afternoon of football. The Rams fell behind 21-0, fought back to 48-40 in the waning seconds and were driving down the field. The deficit allowed Goff the freedom to sling the ball like in his college days. He tossed for a monstrous 517 yards (tied for the eighth-most in NFL history) and completed 45 passes (tied for the most all-time in an NFL game). Ultimately, however, his three interceptions and one fumble (which ended that late drive and was returned for a touchdown) cemented Tampa Bay’s stunning 55-40 win. [STORY IMAGE 1] Goff is now tied for the league lead in interceptions with six and has fumbled four times in as many games, [leading]( [The Ringer]( [to speculate whether his small hands (which were a pre-draft concern in 2016) could be to blame](. [According to FS1’s Nick Wright on]( [First Things First]( Thursday’s showdown at CenturyLink Field could have far-reaching repercussions, especially with Gurley coming off just five carries in the Ram’s last game and the star running back’s longstanding, vocal opposition to Thursday games. “If you can’t rely on Todd Gurley, you have to rely on Jared Goff,” Wright said. “Jared Goff has to play a clean game. He has 20 turnovers in his last 12 games. Aaron Rodgers has 20 turnovers in his last 38 games. “The loser of Rams-Seahawks will be in third place in the NFC West. There’s going to be an 11-win team that doesn’t win their division. In the NFC, when you have only three teams with a losing record, your only clear path to the playoffs is winning the division.” Virtually no quarterback is going to stack up well when statistically compared to Rodgers, but that’s the comp people will immediately leap to when you (a) come out of Cal and (b) get paid like an absolute boss going into the new season. Goff’s contract extension is worth $134 million over four years, with an NFL-record $110 million of it guaranteed. The situation for the Rams has been complicated by the surprising early form of the San Francisco 49ers, who sit at 3-0 and are relishing their unexpected opportunity to turn the NFC West into a drawn-out dogfight. [FiveThirtyEight]( [gives the Rams a 68 percent shot of making the playoffs]( with a 41 percent chance to win the division. [STORY IMAGE 2] This is the first time since McVay’s appointment that the team does not hold at least a share of the division lead. Things aren’t going to be so comfortable this time. [FOX Bet has the team at +1100 to win the Super Bowl]( making them the third-favorite overall, behind only the Patriots and the Chiefs, and only barely ahead of the Saints, Cowboys, and Eagles. The season is still early, but the Rams will be looking for improvement from Goff — and quickly. Adaptation is part of the process for any young QB, and an essential one if he is to avoid getting dragged back into the pack of mid-level signal callers. Another factor making things tough is that Goff has been unable to maximize the downfield threats of Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks and use his natural arm strength, relying obsessively on the short route speed of Cooper Kupp. That reality is likely exacerbated by Gurley’s mysterious physical struggles, allowing defenses to sit deeper and protect deep throws more effectively. Last week, [NFL.com placed Goff 14th on its quarterback index]( which seems low if you’re giving credit for what he is capable of, rather than his actual output. For his part, Goff believes a turnaround is imminent, and certainly a win against the Seahawks would put a far glossier sheen on the Rams’ season and perhaps restore some faith in its QB. “I have been part of a lot worse than this,” he told reporters this week. “You look at it with good perspective, this week we get a chance to go to Seattle and do some good things.” Goff has done a lot of good things during his time in the league. But if he wants to avoid being seen as just another quarterback, he needs to start doing them more often. [STORY IMAGE 3] Here’s what others have said ... Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY: “With his offensive line faltering and Todd Gurley being limited by the coaching staff, Goff has been thrown for a loop by an offense no longer clicking in the same manner it did for much of the regular season last year. Goff may primarily serve as an extension of what works in Sean McVay's attack, but the Rams also need him to help stem the tide of mounting problems when things start to slip away.” Kenneth Arthur, Field Gulls: “He’s obviously not a dual-threat QB which forces him to rely on scheme, blocking and route-running to create. Goff and the offense as a whole have had issues since coming out of the bye last year. It was the story coming out of the Super Bowl. It’s the story of 2019. I wouldn’t bet against Jared being able to help unlock the offense moving forward though.” Riley McAtee, The Ringer: “After having arguably the best pass-blocking line in the league last season, the Rams turned over multiple offensive linemen in free agency and are relying on the oldest left tackle in the league in 37-year-old Andrew Whitworth. The subsequent problems shown by that unit have gummed up L.A.’s offense and could exacerbate Goff’s fumbleitis.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - The last chapter of Jalen Hurts’ college career may be the best one, [posits Jake Lourim at](. - Can defenses keep up with the NFL’s offensive revolution? [Per Kevin Clark at]( Ringer]( both the short and long answers are “no.” - [Jack Nicas at the]( [New York Times]( on the beauty of America’s ugliest ballpark: what does baseball lose if the Oakland A’s leave the Coliseum? [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Barry Sanders is known for being one of, if not the, most elusive and agile running backs in NFL history. You'd be forgiven for not knowing that the all-time NFL great Sanders could also dunk the hell out of a basketball. So in the “Throwback Thursday” spirit, check out the video above. A quick bit of background: the NBA arguably reached its zenith in the early '90s, with Michael Jordan at his peak and fans consuming anything even tangentially NBA-related. That helps explain this video, shot at a Foot Locker-sponsored dunk contest involving non-NBA athletes. That's the 5'8“ Sanders slamming home a double-pump behind-the-back slam like it's nothing. #TBT indeed. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) As previously noted, tonight’s Thursday Night Football matchup is a big one and could have far-reaching implications in the stacked NFC West. NLDS Game 1: Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers (TBS, 8:30 p.m. ET) The Wild Card games are over and the two NLDS series begin on Thursday. The Nats and Dodgers will cap off the postseason baseball doubleheader, with the Cardinals and Braves opening things up at 5:30 p.m. ET on TBS. United States Women’s National Team vs. South Korea (FS1, 8 p.m. ET) The victory tour continues for the USWNT with another international friendly at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Rams @ Seahawks: Both teams to score in every quarter: +900 According to our insights, fans are expecting offensive fireworks from both squads in tonight’s matchup, where the Seahawks are currently -1.5 point favorites over the Rams. Each team scoring in every quarter has been one of FOX Bet’s most popular custom wagers for Thursday, while our own Cousin Sal’s Money Back Special is on the game to end in regulation with neither QB throwing an interception (at +310). And if you’re really rooting for excitement, both QBs to throw for 400+ yards (+17500) has received a surprising amount of action as a longshot flier, as well. [WHAT THEY SAID] “Other people may not have had high expectations for me… but I had high expectations for myself.” — Shannon Miller [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download the FOX Sports app for live scores and streaming [App Store]( [Google Play]( Available on: [tvOS] [Roku] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] [tvOS] [Roku] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] Forwarded this message? [Sign up](. Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2019 FOX Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 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