Reporting from atlanta — With every pass he misfired and every third down he failed to convert, the truth gradually revealed itself.
Jared Goff wasn’t ready.
He wasn’t ready to deal with the complexity and unpredictability of the New England Patriots defense. He wasn’t ready when Brandin Cooks was wide open in the end zone midway through the third quarter, his delivery of the pass late enough to allow cornerback Jason McCourty to recover and break up a potential go-ahead touchdown. He wasn’t ready for the safety blitz that startled him into throwing a fourth-quarter pass off his back foot and into the hands of cornerback Stephon Gilmore, which ended any fantasy of the Rams reversing their deficit.
History will record Super Bowl LIII in definitive terms and what the account of the Rams’ 13-3 defeat to the Patriots on Sunday will show was that Goff was overwhelmed in his first, and possibly only, game on his sport’s greatest stage.
At only 24 years old and still in his third NFL season, Goff wasn’t ready. He wasn’t close to ready.
He completed only five passes in the first half. He finished 19 of 38 for 229 yards, answering in the affirmative the question of whether Rams, like deer, freeze in headlights.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates a touchdown by Sony Michel against the Rams inthe 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff watches after throwing an intereption in the fourth quarter as Patriots Adrian Clayton (94) and Duron Harmon celebrate.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 3/45
Rams receiver Brandin Cooks has his pass broken up by Patriots Duron Harmon (center) and Stephon Gilmore in the fourth quarter.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 4/45
Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman hoists the Lombardi Trophy after New England beat the Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) sits on the bench behind his teammate after giving up a late game interception.
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff is hit by Patriots Dont’a Hightower in the end zone after an incomplete pass in the 3rd quarter.
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Rams losing head coach Sean McVay walks off the field after meeting with Patriots head coach BIll Belichick in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) hugs New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) as the Patriots beat the Rams 13-3 in the Super Bow.
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Rams receiver Robert Woods walks off the field after losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Rams running back C.J. Anderson, left, and reeiver Josh Reynolds look at the scoreboard late in the 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski catches a pass in front of Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam in the 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII.
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Patriots running back Sony Michel breaks free from the Rams defense in the 3rd quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Rams receiver Josh Reynolds makes a catch in front of Patriots Jason McCourty inthe 3rd quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks (12) was wide open in the end zone but couldn’t hang onto a pass while getting hit by New England Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty (30) in the second half.
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New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) beats Los Angeles Rams linebacker Dante Fowler (56) for a reception in the Super Bowl.
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Patriots receiver Julian Edelman leans into Rams defensive back Aqib Talib during first half catch and run in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Patriots defensive lineman Trey Flowers tips a pass that was ultimately completed to Rams receiver Josh Reynolds from Jared in Goff during the first half.
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff is harrassed by Patriots defenders as he throws a second half pass in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks fails to haul in a pass after it is broken up by Patriots defenders Stephon Gilmore and Duron Harmon during the fourth quarter.
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Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepts a pass intended for Rams receiver Brandin Cooks near the end zone during the fourth quarter.
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks can’t haul in a pass in the end zone as he is defended by Patriots defensive back Jason McCourty in the third quarter.
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) barely gets a pass off under pressure from Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers (98) and outside linebacker John Simon (55) during the second half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 23/45
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski just misses a pass from Tom Brady as he is defended by Rams linebacker Cory Littleton.
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Linebacker Brandon King (36) lies in the confetti on the field after the Patriots defeated the Rams 13-3 in the Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald drags down Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, forcing an incomplete pass during the first half.
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Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski (3) celebrates with offensive lineman Ted Karras (75) after kicking a field goal late in the fourth quarter to give New England a 13-3 lead.
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Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore prevents Rams receiver Brandin Cooks from making a catch in the third quarter.
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Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) intercepts a pass intended for Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks (12) to end a scoring threat late in the fourth quarter.
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks walks away as Patriots defensive backs celebrate an interception by Stephon Gilmore to kill a fourth-quarter drive.
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Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore intercepts a Jared Goff pass in the fourth quarter.
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Patriots running back Sony Michel dives into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski hauls in a 29-yard pass to set up a Patriots touchdown.
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Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
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From fire to lights, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
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Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, before he peeled off his shirt, performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
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Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty tries to grab the ball after breaking up a pass intended for Rams receiver Josh Reynolds during the first half.
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Rams defensive end John Franklin-Myers (94) and defensive tackle Ethan Westbrooks sack Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and forces him to fumble in the first half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 38/45
Rams linebacker Cory Littleton intercepts a pass intended for Patriots receiver Chris Hogan in the first quarter.
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Patriots middle linebacker Kyle Van Noy sacks Rams quarterback Jared Goff for a loss in the first half.
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Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise takes down Rams running back C.J. Anderson for a loss in the first half.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski can’t catch a pass while defended by Rams cornerback Aqib Talib during first-quarter action.
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Patriots fans outnumber Rams fans at the Marta train stop near Mercedes-Benz Stadium before Super Bowl LIII.
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Rams tight ends Tyler Higbee (89), Johnny Mundt (82) and Gerald Everett (81) take the field to warm up for Super Bowl LIII.
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Rams running back Todd Gurley jogs around the field during warmups for Super Bowl LIII.
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Patriots fans yell for players during warmups before Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) “They were doing such a good job defensively mixing it up on us and we had a hard time moving the ball,” Goff said.
The game unfolding like this became a distinct possibility as it became clear something was wrong with star running back Todd Gurley, who experienced inflammation in the same left knee he had surgically repaired in college. The Rams claimed he was healthy, as did the player himself, but common sense indicated otherwise. He touched the ball only five times in the NFC championship game. After two weeks off, Gurley was limited to 11 touches in the Super Bowl, including three in the first half.
The Rams basically lost their greatest offensive threat and consequently lost their way, as the Patriots made a concerted effort to pressure the notoriously skittish Goff.
“I think we felt like if we stopped the run and put it into his hands, it played in our advantage,” Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy said.
Sean McVay, the whiz kid coach who transformed a Rams offense that was stuck in the Stone Age under predecessor Jeff Fisher, did what he could to cover for his quarterback.
“I think the biggest thing is that the play selection didn’t give him much of a chance,” McVay said.
McVay neglected to mention how the inaccuracy of Goff’s passes and his inability to remain composed when pressured didn’t give him much of a chance, either. The Rams set a Super Bowl record by punting on eight consecutive possessions.
“For an offense like we know we’re capable of being, for them to do what they did to us is so impressive,” Goff said. “We tip our cap to them. At the same time, we left so much out there on the field. That’s so hard to take right now and I’m mad at myself.”
The only reason the Rams were in the game was because of their defense. Even with Goff passing for only 52 yards in the first two quarters, the Rams trailed by only a 3-0 margin at halftime.
On their second possession of the third quarter, the Rams advanced into Patriots territory. Taking a snap at the 29-yard line, Goff look downfield to find Cooks uncovered in the end zone.
“I was kind of surprised he was that wide open,” Goff said. “I tried to get it to him as quickly as I could. Unfortunately, it was too late.”
McCourty prevented Cooks from catching the ball and the Rams settled for a field goal that tied the score 3-3 with 2:11 left in the quarter.
With some trademark late-game magic from Tom Brady, the Patriots scored a touchdown to move in front 10-3 with seven minutes remaining in the game. Goff responded by marching the Rams to the Patriots 27-yard line, from where he lofted a perfectly weighted ball to an end zone-bound Cooks, only to have the pass broken up by safety Duron Harmon.
Harmon blitzed on the next play, causing Goff to deliver a rushed pass in the direction of Cooks. Gilmore intercepted the pass at the four-yard line, an image destined to be preserved in infamy until the Rams win a Super Bowl.
“That’s my fault,” Goff said. “It was a bad decision by me.”
Even in defeat, Goff remains the centerpiece of this franchise. He was drafted first overall shortly after the Rams moved back to Los Angeles. His precocity was a crucial part of the team’s success this season. Because he is still on a rookie contract, the Rams had the financial flexibility to add several veterans with established track records.
This game could be a “Tragic Johnson” moment, a crushing defeat that drives Goff as failure in the 1984 NBA Finals did Magic Johnson. Or not.
The Rams watched how Goff recovered from a winless rookie season, how he has risen every time he has absorbed a paralyzing hit. They believe he will learn from this.
“I think it would be important for him to respond the right way, which, knowing the kid, I know he will,” tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “Jared is going to be a special football player.”
Sunday night, he was an emotionally distraught player.
“It is the toughest loss I have ever had,” Goff said. “It kills. It is terrible. There are some good things you can take from it, but, right now, there is nothing. I wish I would have played better.”
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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com
Follow Dylan Hernandez on Twitter @dylanohernandez
