For the majority of Los Angeles Rams fans, the San Francisco 49ers are the team’s most hated rivals. San Francisco had won nine straight regular-season games against the Rams prior to the Carson Wentz-led victory in Week 18, with Kyle Shanahan proving to have Sean McVay’s number – outside the playoffs, that is.
No Rams fan should want to see Shanahan and the 49ers in the Super Bowl, but they’re just one win away from punching their ticket to Vegas for a date with either the Chiefs or Ravens in the big game. The one quarterback standing in the 49ers’ way?
None other than Jared Goff.
While some Rams supporters have struggled to support the Lions after some of the perceived “dirty” hits by Detroit’s defenders in the wild-card game, the majority is actively rooting against the 49ers. The last team any Rams fan wants to win the Super Bowl is the 49ers, and it’s up to the Bay Area-native Goff to end their postseason run next week at Levi’s Stadium in the NFC title game.
Goff, who the Rams traded for Matthew Stafford three years ago, led the Lions to two postseason wins this year – their first two playoff victories in more than 30 years. It’s been a long three decades for fans in Detroit, but Goff has them one win away from a Super Bowl appearance.
As sour as some Rams fans may be about the wild-card game, there’s no reason to root against Goff in the NFC championship against the 49ers. The Rams were the ones who dumped Goff after five seasons and a Super Bowl appearance, and he’s been nothing but professional and classy every step of the way. He’s an incredibly easy player to root for.
Goff and the Lions beating the 49ers in the NFC title game won’t be easy. In his career, he’s 3-6 against San Francisco, including 0-1 with the Lions. His numbers are impressive in those games, though: 1,918 yards, 17 touchdown passes, seven interceptions, 89.0 passer rating. They’re even better if you eliminate his start against them as a rookie when he threw two picks and one touchdown pass.
Lions fans were (mostly) happy to see Stafford win a ring with the Rams two years ago, and Rams fans should be pulling for Goff to get his this year. And him taking down the rival 49ers would just be icing on the cake.