THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Jared Goff had the ball in his hands, his Los Angeles Rams trailing the reigning NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks by six with 67 seconds left on the clock.

The second-year quarterback scanned the field and found tight end Tyler Higbee on a seam route 35 yards upfield. Also in the neighborhood? Three of the NFL’s best defensive backs: Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, who had already picked off Goff once in this Week 5 matchup.

Goff pulled the trigger anyway.

“He drops back and delivers a dime,” Rams coach Sean McVay told USA TODAY Sports last week when recalling the sequence.

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Goff connected with Higbee, dropping the pass just over the outstretched hands of Chancellor and Sherman and right in front of Thomas.

“He doesn’t flinch, man,” McVay gushed.

“This guy is not afraid to fail. He attacks it. That fearlessness while being smart is a great trait that a lot of the great ones have.”

The Rams’ comeback fell short as Seattle hung on for a 16-10 win that day. But for McVay, the Goff-to-Higbee play served as a measuring stick that displayed tremendous growth for a player in the midst of a dramatic transformation.

At this time last year, Goff, had yet to play in an NFL game despite being drafted first overall out of Cal. Then-coach Jeff Fisher finally gave him a shot in Week 11.

Naturally, the rookie struggled. Fisher got fired. Goff concluded the year with an 0-7 record after throwing seven interceptions and just five touchdowns. Critics were quick to deem him a bust.

But in January, the Rams hired McVay, then 30, making him the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. Team brass charged him with developing Goff into the face of a franchise trying to win over its new city.

Now nine games into their union, McVay has Goff playing at the level the Rams expected of a No. 1 overall pick. He directs the NFL’s highest-scoring offense (32.9 points per game) and his 2,385 yards, 16 TDs and 101.5 QB rating all rank among the top 10 league-wide among passers. 

Most important, the Rams leading the NFC West with a 7-2 record while riding a four-game winning streak.

So, how exactly did McVay pull off such a quick turnaround?

First, he and general manager Les Snead improved Goff’s supporting cast, knowing no young quarterback — no matter how talented — could single-handedly transform a team. The Rams signed veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth, center John Sullivan and receiver Robert Woods. L.A. then drafted tight end Gerald Everett in the second round and wide receiver Cooper Kupp in the third. Snead traded for Bills receiver Sammy Watkins during training camp. 

Meanwhile, McVay, offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson set out to properly develop Goff, convinced he could thrive despite his 2016 performance.

“I always remember that coach (Mike) Shanahan always said about players, ‘If he shows the ability to do it, then it’s our job to bring it out of him consistently’,” McVay explained, referencing his former boss with the Washington Redskins. “And so, even though that rookie year wasn’t what we want overall, he showed enough for you to say, ‘OK, it’s there. He’s mentally tough. He can hang tough in the pocket and keep his eyes downfield and take a hit.’ “

During the offseason, Goff worked with respected private quarterback coach Tom House, who also trains Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan. House sharpened Goff’s mechanics to hone his accuracy and consistency.

McVay, LaFleur and Olson routinely preached the importance of body language, ownership and leadership. McVay and his assistants also studied the way Goff absorbed information, deeming him a visual learner who best applied classroom lessons through repetition. The staff repeatedly drilled the 6-4, 223-pounder until decision-making, execution and reactions became second nature.

By the time the Rams hit the field for spring practices, Goff already exhibited change.

“Sean’s definitely built up some kind of confidence within him,” receiver Tavon Austin told USA TODAY Sports, saying Goff’s progress was evident during OTAs. “Now, you see how he takes control of the huddle and has started knowing the offense inside and out.”

The new offense has helped position Goff for success as has the resurgence of running back Todd Gurley, who provides balance and makes play-action effective, which both buys Goff time and leads to big downfield gains.

“I thought last year he was handicapped in the offense,” Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, who has called three of Goff’s games for CBS this season, told USA TODAY Sports. “They were scoring 14 points a game, and really the philosophy of the offense is totally different from what you see in the NFL. Having seen him in college and knowing what kind of kid he is, I felt bad for him, basically. Nobody wants to be considered a bust, nobody wants to be booed at home, nobody wants that.”

Having endured trying seasons both in high school and college (Cal went 1-11 his first season as the starter), Goff believed things would improve despite his catastrophic rookie season. 

“I think in the second preseason game — the Oakland game — that was the first time that we were like … ‘We’ve got a chance to be really good,’ ” Goff told USA TODAY Sports, while constantly emphasizing the focus on the team rather than himself.

“And then the game when we kind of felt like, ‘Alright, we’re here,’ was the Dallas game. We had beaten the Niners, and we were 2-1, and to go into Dallas and make it two on the road in a row? Long way to go, but that really helped our confidence.”

Goff and the Rams will be tested down the stretch as five of their final seven opponents, beginning with the Vikings this Sunday, have winning records. But based on what he has seen so far, McVay doesn’t expect Goff — described by coaches and teammates as “your typical chill Cali kid” — to wilt under pressure.

“He stays even keeled all the time. Now we’re really seeing it show up in games,” McVay said. “Again, he doesn’t flinch. That’s what you want. That demeanor and disposition rubs off on his teammates. When you’re calling plays in the huddle and you’ve got that calm, quiet confidence no matter what’s going on, that’s a special quality. He builds on his success, and when bad things happen, he learns from it. So, he’s just going to continue to grow.”

***

Follow Mike Jones on Twitter @ByMikeJones

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