What a difference a year makes.
That's the mantra for the Los Angeles Rams, especially general manager Les Snead and quarterback Jared Goff, through the first four games of the 2017 season.
It wasn't too long ago that the vultures were circling over Snead as Goff was labeled a probable bust, but the GM was given a reprieve by Rams owner Stan Kroenke and executive VP of football ops/COO Kevin Demoff. Snead has rewarded their confidence.
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The Rams are the surprise team of the year thus far, sitting atop the NFC West at 3-1 with defending division-champion Seattle coming to LA for a Week 5 showdown. Few saw this coming from a team that went 4-12 last season, fired its coach and produced one of the NFL’s lowest-rated quarterbacks in Goff. Not helping was the fact that Snead had traded a king's ransom to the Titans in order to move up to the top spot in last year's draft for the right to select the Cal QB ahead of Carson Wentz, who had a far superior rookie season.
Snead since has made some astute moves in the draft and free agency and via trades. But his biggest contribution may have been working with Kroenke and Demoff on the hiring of Sean McVay as the youngest head coach in NFL history at age 31.
McVay has worked wonders with Goff and a Rams offense that leads the league with 142 points scored (35.5 per game). The difference in Goff's game is dramatic. He has become a calm, confident quarterback who makes big plays with regularity compared to the player who was not ready for the big stage last year. He also has become more of a leader and is being praised by his coaches and teammates for his strong work ethic.
McVay was the Redskins' offensive coordinator the past three years and played a major role in the development of Kirk Cousins. Now he's working his magic with Goff, who has a big arm and good movement in the pocket and is playing much more efficiently.
Just look at Goff's numbers compared to his rookie season, when he sat on the bench before unimpressively starting the last seven games: seven touchdown passes and one interception vs. five touchdown passes and seven interceptions; 66.7 percent completion rate, up from 54.6 percent; 112.2 quarterback rating, almost double his 63.6 rating last season.
McVay has installed a more up-tempo offense — similar to what Goff ran at Cal — and is emphasizing mistake-free football so Goff is more careful in his decision-making. The new offense also has set up running back Todd Gurley as a modern-day Marshall Faulk with his production jumping significantly as a runner and receiver (362 rushing yards, 234 receiving yards and seven combined touchdowns, on pace for 2,384 yards and 28 touchdowns this season).
Goff led a comeback from a 24-13 deficit in Sunday's 35-30 win over the Cowboys. The game-winning moment was a 53-yard touchdown throw in the third quarter, a play on which Goff hit Gurley with a perfect pass in stride. That victory followed a 292-yard, three-touchdown pass performance from Goff in an exciting 41-39 win over the 49ers in Week 3.
It's impressive that Snead has managed to upgrade the talent surrounding his young quarterback without the benefit of high draft picks. At wide receiver, he traded for a former high first-rounder in Sammy Watkins and added Robert Woods in free agency. Then he drafted a fine possession receiver in third-rounder Cooper Kupp. The trio has combined for 40 receptions this season.
Equally important were Snead's free-agency additions that have solidified the offensive line. He brought in two seasoned vets in left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivan.
Two first-round picks by Snead in All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald (2014) and linebacker Alec Ogletree (2013) lead a defense now coordinated by Wade Phillips. It's a unit that has allowed plenty of yards and points but also has forced seven turnovers.
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I can relate to the pressure Snead has been under as a first-time GM working to improve his team. In my first year as Vikings GM in 1991, we went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. Our coach Jerry Burns retired, and we brought in Dennis Green as the new and younger coach, similar to Snead and the Rams moving from Jeff Fisher to McVay.
Like Snead with the Goff deal, we were missing several high draft picks from the ill-fated Herschel Walker trade, which was made before I became GM. As was the case for Snead, I had to be aggressive in free agency, and we found several starters. Then we accumulated several high draft picks by trading some vets, and the result was an influx of talent and six playoff teams over the next seven years, including our 15-1 season in 1998, before I left to become Titans president.
Snead is hoping for a similar run of success. The timing would be great for the Rams if they can become playoff regulars and Super Bowl contenders over the next several years leading into their move to a new stadium in 2020. (There are plenty of suites, club seats, season tickets and sponsorships to sell.)
Meanwhile, the Rams are hoping their great start will translate into higher attendance at the LA Coliseum beginning this weekend. After averaging over 80,000 per game last season following their move from St. Louis, there were a multitude of empty seats for this year's first two home games. The Seattle game will be a good test to see if the fickle LA fans, who have plenty of sports options, are buying into the new-look Rams. A team with such offensive firepower, led by an emerging star quarterback, a top running back and a young guru as a head coach, should move the needle.
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Snead and McVay know there are tougher defenses ahead on the schedule, including matchups with divisional foes Seattle and Arizona (each twice), plus road trips to face the solid defenses of the Vikings and Giants.
But they like what they've seen so far and are hoping the success carries through the regular season and into the playoffs.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
