NEW ORLEANS -- In the wake of an embarrassing loss, one that probably extinguished any hope for the playoffs and maybe even a .500 record, came an important realization: Perhaps the Los Angeles Rams really did find their quarterback.
Jared Goff seemed to have provided reassurance in an otherwise dispiriting 49-21 loss.
Making his first road start at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, widely considered one of the NFL's loudest venues, Goff threw three first-half touchdown passes, completed 20 of 32 attempts and amassed 214 yards through the air. It wasn't nearly enough against a New Orleans Saints offense that gained 555 yards from scrimmage, but it displayed marked growth for Goff -- the type he realized but did not feel comfortable celebrating.