Jared Goff did some good things, and at least showed he was finally ready to be better at quarterback for the Rams than Case Keenum.
But he was going against a guy who has been doing it at a high level, for much longer.
Drew Brees was surgical while Goff was merely sharp, leading the Saints to a dominant 49-21 win over the Rams.
Brees threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another, and he wasn’t even the only one throwing touchdowns.
They also rubbed it in when they had a chance against former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. With the Saints up 21 points early in the fourth quarter, wide receiver Willie Snead threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to running back Tim Hightower, the kind of trick play you don’t often see with that kind of margin.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Saints, but kept them somewhat alive in the NFC South at 5-6.
The Rams fell to 4-7, closing in on being out of the playoff hunt. Which I guess was what they were waiting for to play Goff to begin with. Goff was decidedly OK, throwing for 214 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception.
Their problems compounded throughout the day after a promising start, as replacement left tackle Rodger Saffold left with a hand injury and didn’t return to the game. Regular starter Greg Robinson was a healthy scratch, so without the former No. 2 overall pick, the Rams were protecting their No. 1 overall pick with second-year tackle Andrew Donnal.