In Week 1 against the Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff played pretty poorly and needed the rest of the offense to prop him up as the defense held out the Raiders completely in check in the second half. Today against the Los Angeles Chargers, it was a bit of a role reversal as the defense struggled at all levels while Goff looked absolutely masterful throughout the Rams’ 35-23 win. Goff threw for more than 350 yards and three touchdowns routinely tearing up the middle of the field and squeezing multiple throws into tight windows. Were it not for an early fumble from RB Todd Gurley, an errant throw on a misexecuted play between Goff and TE Gerald Everett that went for an interception and a missed field goal from K Sam Ficken, the Rams could have had 38 points. At halftime. No, today was about the Goffense that absolutely dominated proceedings en route to 521 yards of total offense and four offensive touchdowns on a day where the defense struggled losing several key contributors most notably CB Marcus Peters and CB Aqib Talib. We’ll turn the focus toward the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football soon. But tonight, we should revel in the dominance of the Rams’ offense today in what was Goff’s best individual performance as an NFL quarterback. That was impressive.<doc-sep>Now that was cool under pressure. With a false fire alarm blaring in the background, Jared Goff stood poised at the microphone, answering questions about another star-making performance Sunday against the Chargers. The Rams quarterback never paused. He did not miss a beat. He even correctly anticipated the end of the minutes-long alarm. Goff’s postgame performance mirrored what he did on the field, where he outdueled Chargers veteran Philip Rivers in a 35-23 victory, the first round in what the Chargers last year dubbed the “Fight for L.A.” Advertisement On a day when the Rams lost star cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib because of injuries, Goff passed for 354 yards and three touchdowns as the Rams improved to 3-0. Goff completed 29 of 36 passes, with one interception. He connected with receiver Robert Woods for two touchdowns and with receiver Cooper Kupp for another. “In the first half he was completing about 90% of his passes,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. Lynn was close: Goff was actually 21 of 25 in the first half, which is 84 percent. So go ahead, keep calling him a system quarterback. Goff said this week that he did not mind the tag as long as the Rams were scoring 30 points and winning games. They did that again, in a game that featured Todd Gurley rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown, the Rams blocking a punt for a touchdown, and a depleted defense that rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter to stave off a potential comeback. But Goff led the way “He’s not a system quarterback, right?” coach Sean McVay said with sarcasm. Advertisement Rivers displayed all the hallmarks that could make him a Hall of Famer. The 15th-year pro passed for 226 yards and two touchdowns, including a beautiful 42-yard strike to Mike Williams. He also showed the veteran pocket presence that Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan used to beat the Rams in a wild-card playoff game last season. Goff, in this third season, is starting to do the same. “I’ve always kind of had it,” he said, citing the progression he made in high school, and then in college. Now he’s doing it as a pro. “Starting to get more comfortable, and as time goes on I will continue to get more comfortable and better,” he said. Advertisement Goff kept his feet moving, scrambling for a long gain in the first quarter to keep alive a drive that he capped with a three-yard touchdown pass to Woods. Early in the third quarter, he moved in the pocket, eluded a sack and delivered a pass down the right sideline to Kupp, who shed Chargers cornerback Trevor Williams on his way to a 53-yard touchdown. But Goff is mainly turning heads with his passes. Last season, his first running McVay’s offense, Goff was connecting with a lot of wide-open receivers. This season the windows have become smaller, but Goff seems to be delivering the ball with more velocity, and his receivers are consistently making difficult catches on balls expertly placed out of defenders’ reach. Advertisement “I’m getting more comfortable with anticipating stuff and anticipating windows,” Goff said, adding, “That just happens as you grow and get better.” Said Woods, who caught 10 passes for 104 yards: “He’s putting it right in a catchable spot every single time.” Rams linebacker Cory Littleton blocks the punt attempt of Chargers punter Drew Kaser, resulting in a Rams touchdown in the second quarter on Sept. 23. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Goff is still making occasional mistakes. In the second quarter, Chargers rookie safety Derwin James picked off a pass in the end zone, but the Rams showed again that they can win with all three phases. Advertisement James returned the interception out of the end zone and went out of bounds at the Chargers’ one-yard line. On fourth down, Rams middle linebacker Cory Littleton burst through the middle and blocked a punt that safety Blake Countess recovered for a touchdown and a 21-6 lead. The defense’s streak of six scoreless quarters ended on Rivers’ first touchdown pass to Mike Williams late in the first quarter. But in the fourth quarter, with Peters and Talib in the locker room because of lower leg injuries, the Rams forced the Chargers to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown that might have pulled them within eight points. When the Rams got the ball with 4:40 left, Goff engineered a drive that ran out the clock. About 30 minutes later, when his postgame news conference ended, a barefoot Goff retired to a locker room that was full of teammates splayed on the floor or massage tables. They were receiving immediate treatment for the short turnaround necessary for a Thursday night game against Minnesota. Goff took his place, face down on a table, for a massage. Advertisement “I feel good right now and I feel confident,” Goff said. “Got the Vikings in four days so got to get ready.” gary.klein@latimes.com Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @latimesklein<doc-sep>
The Los Angeles Rams went all-in this offseason, acquiring several star-caliber players in an effort to build a Super Bowl team around their excellent young core. The first domino in that series of moves was a trade for former Kansas City Chiefs star Marcus Peters, who leads the NFL in interceptions since he entered the league. Through the first two games of the year, Peters and fellow cornerback acquisition Aqib Talib were absolutely dominant, allowing just 37 receiving yards combined. On Sunday against the Chargers, however, Peters may have seen his dominant season put in jeopardy. He was injured early in the game while defending Chargers wideout Mike Williams, but he re-entered on the next series. Later in the first half, Peters appeared to injure himself again. This time, he had to be carried off the field. The CBS broadcast noted that Peters' Achilles was being tested by the training staff. Soon after, the Rams announced that Peters was questionable to return due to an ankle injury. Hopefully for LA's sake, Peters' injury is not too serious. If it is, they suddenly lose one of the best players on their defense and weaken one of the strongest defensive backfields in the league. They still have Talib and Nickell Robey-Coleman on the back end, as well as Lamarcus Joyner and John Johnson, but Peters is the best defensive back the team has and one of the best defensive playmakers in football. Any absence he takes is likely to have a strong effect on the Rams defense.