If you were told at the beginning of the 2020 season that the Rams would have a quarterback controversy on their hands for the playoffs, you’d undoubtedly laugh. You’d wonder who would possibly be good enough to push Jared Goff – a guy the Rams paid $134 million – for playing time under center, given the team’s lack of talent and experience behind him on the depth chart.

But here we are in the first week of 2021, with the Rams facing a legitimately difficult decision at the most important position in sports. Do they ride the hot hand with John Wolford, who helped lead the Rams to a Week 17 victory over the Cardinals? Or do they go back to the guy who has led them for the last four years?

Regardless of who the Rams pick, it’ll be the defense that needs to carry this team in the postseason. But there are pros and cons to each side of the debate, with each quarterback bringing different things to the table.

The case for starting John Wolford

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Let’s get one thing straight: Wolford wasn’t perfect on Sunday against the Cardinals. He threw an interception on his first career pass, sailed an easy throw to Van Jefferson on a slant route and overthrew Gerald Everett in the right corner of the end zone. He wasn’t without his flaws, and some of those mistakes can be chalked up to first-game jitters.

However, there’s no question he made a lot more good plays than bad ones in his NFL debut.

What makes Wolford such an intriguing option is his mobility. Sean McVay opened up the playbook with new calls that included read-options and designed QB runs – both of which worked perfectly and kept the Cardinals off-balance. But Wolford also extended plays with his legs to pick up chunks of yards that would’ve otherwise been sacks taken by Goff, most likely.

Take this play, for instance. The pocket collapses on third-and-10, but Wolford doesn’t panic. With a defender bearing down on him and no receivers open, Wolford steps up and through the traffic to pick up 13 yards for a first down.

Put simply, that’s not a play Goff makes to pick up the first down. It’s either a sack or he’s chased down before reaching the sticks. Goff has other strengths, but mobility is not one of them; Wolford’s 56 yards rushing were more than Goff has had in any game in his career.

That mobility is something McVay can take advantage of to keep the defense on its toes. With Goff under center, designed quarterback runs aren’t exactly an option. But with Wolford, it opens up the playbook for plays like this one – a 14-yard carry with the offensive line pulling to the left side on third-and-5.

Beyond Wolford’s mobility, his natural aggressiveness was a welcome sight. He wasn’t afraid to take shots downfield, which is a wrinkle that has been sorely lacking for the Rams under Goff this season. He completed three impressive deep passes to Robert Woods on a back-shoulder throw, to Tyler Higbee against Cover 2, and then another against a similar defense to Cam Akers down the left sideline.

Quarterbacks don’t always have to complete deep passes, but the mere threat of throwing them keeps a defense honest. It opens up things underneath for short and intermediate routes, giving receivers more room to work.

Against a stingy Seahawks defense, dinking and dunking your way down the field can be difficult. Big plays are needed, and Goff simply hasn’t made enough of them this year. Wolford made three on Sunday alone and it could’ve been even more if he was slightly more accurate on a pair of long throws.

The combination of Wolford’s mobility, poise and aggressiveness makes him a quarterback that’s easy to like. For a guy who had never taken a regular-season snap before Sunday, he looked comfortable and confident, even after throwing a pick on his first NFL pass.

And his teammates rallied around him. On a late third-down play, Wolford lowered his shoulder into a defender and fought for the necessary yardage to pick up the first down and essentially seal the win. After the game, a few players raved about Wolford’s toughness on that play, saying it electrified the sideline.

With momentum building in Wolford’s corner, he has a strong case to remain the starter.

The case for starting Jared Goff

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

If there’s one thing Goff brings to the table that Wolford doesn’t, it’s big-game experience. In five seasons, Goff has already played four postseason games, including a Super Bowl. He’s only 2-2 in those contests, but simply playing in such games helps a quarterback’s confidence.

Goff has typically performed well in starts that come with major playoff implications, even if he came up short against the Jets and Seahawks this year. Wolford can’t compete with Goff’s experience, and in the playoffs, that experience often helps a quarterback settle in and play well.

It’s hard not to like Goff’s upside as a quarterback more than Wolford’s, too. When Goff is on, he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He was excellent against the Eagles in Week 2, completing 20 of 27 passes for 267 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. He also played well against a good Washington defense, throwing for 309 yards with two touchdowns and one pick, completing 70% of his passes.

And if you go back to the 2018 season, which feels like forever ago, Goff had several standout performances and was in the MVP conversation before the team’s Week 12 bye. He posted a perfect passer rating against the Vikings in prime time, outdueled Patrick Mahomes in the Rams’ 54-51 win over the Chiefs, threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns against the Saints in the regular season and led the Rams to a 29-27 win over the Packers thanks to three touchdown passes and zero turnovers.

We can talk all we want about the throws Wolford made, with many saying they were throws that “Goff simply can’t make,” but it’s easy to forget how good he was in 2018. This is a pass not many quarterbacks can complete on the run for a touchdown.

Of course, it’s been a while since we saw that version of Goff, but he wasn’t the No. 1 pick in the draft for no reason. He wasn’t given a $134 million for nothing. There’s still hope he can get back to that level of play, and if the Rams are going to make a Super Bowl run, they’ll need a quarterback who can make big-time throws.

We think Wolford can do that, too, but his sample size is so small at this point, and he went up against a weak Cardinals defense. How will he do against an improved Seahawks secondary? How would he play against a dominant Saints defense?

Goff has played in big games against good defenses and won. He’s been here before, and the physical traits are still there. He’s more accurate than Wolford, has a bigger arm and a better understanding of the offense, having been in McVay’s offense for four years.

It’s just about Goff needing to get past the mental hurdles that have tripped him up throughout the last two seasons. If he can stop panicking under pressure and trust his eyes, Goff can get back to the way he played in 2018.

Verdict

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The Rams are in a really tough spot. Goff has not played well this year, throwing only 20 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions with four fumbles lost. For a fifth-year quarterback, 17 turnovers in 15 games is a high number.

But on the other hand, Wolford has made one NFL start against an average defense. He benefited from a dominant performance by L.A.’s defense, which actually scored as many points (9) as the offense did. Wolford didn’t score a touchdown despite getting into the red zone four times, though the blame hardly falls completely on his shoulders.

Yes, Wolford played well in place of Goff, but was it enough to convince the coaches that he won’t regress against a better defense? The sample size is small, yet it was impressive given the circumstances and Wolford’s lack of experience.

Right now, it seems Wolford gives the Rams steadier play at quarterback. Outside of his interception, he didn’t throw a single other pass that was in danger of being picked. It feels like Goff has at least two such throws every game, and his turnover track record is well-documented. Not to mention, it’s going to be cold in Seattle, so if Goff can’t grip the ball normally and hold onto it when hit, that’s a major problem.

What the Rams need is a quarterback who can move the chains, avoid turnovers and make plays downfield. Wolford did all of those things in his first NFL start, and it’s worth seeing if he can keep that up against the Seahawks.

I’d ride Wolford into the first round of the playoffs, especially if Goff isn’t 100% healthy.