Game Plan: Jared Goff, L.A. Rams Progressing Under Sean McVay With Redskins Looming

After strong start in Week 1, the Rams get ready for a Week 2 challenge that will look very familiar to their young head coach

Sean McVay’s work as offensive coordinator in D.C. was done, and he was headed to Los Angeles to become the youngest head coach in NFL history. But before he left, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins stopped by to give him something.

It was a jersey Cousins had signed, with a message inscribed inside the ‘8.’

“It was cool, man,” McVay said late Wednesday night. “It’s as special as anything I’ve ever gotten from a player. It says, ‘I owe you my career.’ Which … Certainly, I can say the same thing to him. There’s a mutual respect there, and an appreciation for the relationship we had, and I think it was unique that both of us got the chances we got.

“You get a chance as a coordinator to start calling plays and then he gets the shot to start full-time. That coincided those two years, and I think there was a special bond created with one another because of that.”

Eight months later, McVay is trying to recreate that in southern California. So far, so good, based on what we saw in the opener. Jared Goff finished his first game under the Rams’ 31-year-old coach with 306 yards, a touchdown and no picks on 21-of-29 passing in a 46-9 rout of the Colts.

It was all smiles on the Rams sideline during the team’s Week 1 rout of the Colts :: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

And yet this weekend, with Cousins and the 0-1 Redskins coming to the Coliseum, and all the memories rushing back, McVay gets a reminder of how far he and Goff have to go.

"It’s the fact that we just haven’t worked together long enough," McVay said. "We’re trying to figure it out ourselves as we get comfortable with one another. That’s the biggest thing.”

In this week’s Game Plan, we’ll check in with Deshaun Watson; the Ravens new and improved defense; the Cardinals’ strategy with David Johnson down; the Bucs’ difficult logistics; Cam Newton’s progress; Jaylon Smith; and we’ll explain why Calais Cambell thinks the Jaguars’ season-opening rout could be just the beginning.

But we’ll start in L.A., and with something that finally should give football fans a reason to show up and be excited.

The Morning Huddle: Andy Dalton Is In Trouble

After an uneven rookie year, Goff looked every bit the part of the first pick in the draft in his sophomore debut. And the biggest difference, with all due respect to Andrew Whitworth and Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, is the people teaching him.

McVay, of course, will get the credit and the blame as a head coach does. But he insists that coordinator Matt LeFleur and quarterbacks coach Greg Olsen have been just as big a part of getting Goff right. First, it was about fixing the pieces around him. So in came Whitworth, Watkins, Woods and rookie Gerald Everett. From there, the focus turned to getting Goff to operate with confidence.

“Everything we do has the quarterback in mind first, because I think that’s the most difficult position, so you want to make it as easy as possible for those guys,” McVay said. “The things that we'll accentuate with Jared vs. Kirk, while there’s a similar approach, there are some different things that they each feel comfortable with that we might call. Because ultimately it’s about them feeling good about it, not me.

“I mean, I’ve got a handful of plays that I like but I don’t ever want to run plays that our players aren’t comfortable going and executing. It’s an ongoing thing as I get to know [Jared]. Working with Kirk a little bit longer, you knew what he liked and we were able to grow in a system together.”

To begin with, though, McVay and the coaches tried to lay a foundation that any quarterback would like. He wanted a run/pass balance, and the Rams ran it (33 times) more than they threw it (31) against Indy. McVay wanted to stay out of long yardage, and Los Angeles faced just eight third downs with more than 5 yards to gain all afternoon.

Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson as NFL Draft Prospects

From there, the staff wanted to use that balance to generate play-action opportunities and let Goff throw on rhythm. Three big plays illustrate how that worked:

• Early in the second quarter, the Rams faked an end around to Tavon Austin, and as soon as Goff’s right foot planted, the ball was on its way out to Cooper Kupp for an easy 24-yard gain.

• On the first play of the Rams’ next possession Goff sold a play-fake to Todd Gurley, turned and, working off five-step-drop timing, found Sammy Watkins on an in-cut for 24 yards through a dead spot in the Colts’ zone.

• On the Rams’ third offensive snap of the third quarter, Goff set up off jet-sweep action to Austin, and threaded a high-cross to Robert Woods between three defenders for 27 yards.

Each play was what the Rams qualify as “explosives” (20-yards plus). Each helped build Goff’s comfort level within a new offense, which is similar to how it was done for Cousins in Washington.

The MMQB Power Rankings Poll, Week 2: Packers, Chiefs and a Tight Vote for the Top Spot

“The first thing you’ll notice, you want plays that start out looking the same that are different—your run actions, whether it’s play-action, or some of your movements, where you’re bootlegging him,” McVay said. “Those are the things he’s really done a good job with, especially when you take into account the stuff in the preseason where early-down plays, you’re running play-actions and movements.

“He’s good at it, he’s gotten really comfortable with it. And that’s where there’s a good chance to open up some things down the field.”

This week, the challenge changes, of course, with an opponent that knows McVay and his scheme exceedingly well, because it’s their scheme, too. And so, as the coach is quick to point out, they’ll have to keep what he calls “the progression going.”

But the fact is, Goff’s in a much better spot than he was even a few months ago. McVay’s proud of Goff for completing 70 percent of his passes last week, and even prouder that he stayed out of the turnover column. On the other hand, Cousins’ presence on Sunday will serve as a reminder on how far they have to go.

“Hopefully, you’re an extension of one another where they can anticipate what’s going on because you’re so in tune with the game plan,” said McVay. “That evolves over time. With my relationship with Kirk and really Colt McCoy over the last couple years, they had a really good feel for what we were trying to get done offensively as a coaching staff and that allowed them to anticipate the play calls coming in.

“Things take time. (Goff) is in a really good place, it’s not one or the other. It’s the fact that we just haven’t worked together long enough. We’re trying to figure it out.”

24 Hours ... With Sean McVay

As for that Cousins jersey, it found a home in McVay’s upstairs theater room at his house just Southeast of the facility. “I’ve got a couple nice things up there,” he said, “but it’s probably the most special thing.”

In case you were wondering, yes, there’s room up there for more.