Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff playing for Rams legacy

Ever since the Los Angeles Rams traded their first, fourth, and sixth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in the 2016 NFL Draft for the right to pick Jared Goff, there has been a target on Goff’s back.

Jared Goff has had to carry the Los Angeles Rams in their move from St. Louis to Los Angeles, from a change in coaches to going from worst to first in the NFC West.

Through it all, Goff has been the face of the franchise, the team’s fortunes resting on his shoulders.

After leading the team to their first playoff win as the Los Angeles Rams since 1989, Goff now has a chance to take the team even further by going to the team’s first Super Bowl since the franchise was in St. Louis.

This season, despite being selected to the Pro Bowl and  passing for 4,688 yards, the second-highest single season total in franchise history, Goff has been dismissed as a “system quarterback.”

When Goff struggled against the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles late in the season, he was written off when it came to the elite quarterbacks of the league.

Now Goff can cement a legacy and jump-start a possible dynasty. All he has to do is take down future Hall of Famer Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

Goff already faced the Saints this season in the Rams first loss after an 8-0 start. Goff threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns but was unable to catch Brees, who lead the team to 45 points that night.

Despite the losing effort, Goff showed he could go toe to toe with an all-time great and now has a chance to redeem the loss.

In the NFL it’s the quarterback that gets the glory if a team wins and all the blame if a team loses. Joe Montana was a third string backup before he conquered the Dallas Cowboys on the way to his first Super Bowl.

Before he would win three Super Bowls, Troy Aikman had to topple the 49ers dynasty in San Francisco. In order to exercise his playoff demons, Peyton Manning had to comeback against Tom Brady and the Patriots before he finally made a Super Bowl.

Even his opponent, Brees, had take down Brett Favre to reach his first Super Bowl. It’s Goff’s turn now win and get to a Super Bowl; lose and he is setback another year.

Sunday’s game could launch the Los Angeles Rams into the stratosphere and it will be on the shoulders of Jared Goff.