GLENDALE, Ariz. _ The phrase developed into a familiar refrain from Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff.
Each week of the last month seemed to begin and end with Goff repeating what sounded like a mantra:
"I need to be better."
On Sunday, Goff finally delivered.
He passed for 424 yards and two touchdowns as the Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals 34-7 at State Farm Stadium.
The Rams improved to 7-5, keeping alive their playoff possibilities.
Six days after the Baltimore Ravens routed them 45-6, the Rams gave up only a fourth-quarter touchdown to fall shy of posting their first shutout since 2017, when they defeated the Cardinals 33-0 in London.
That also was the locale of Goff's last touchdown pass.
He had not connected with a receiver in the end zone since an Oct. 27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium. The three-game drought was the longest of Goff's NFL career.
But Goff found tight end Tyler Higbee for a touchdown in the second quarter and wide receiver Cooper Kupp in the third quarter for a 27-0 lead.
Goff completed 32 of 43 passes before he was replaced by Blake Bortles midway through the fourth quarter. Goff's 424 yards passing were the third most in his career. He passed for 517 yards in a Sept. 29 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 465 yards in a 2018 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Goff's big performance came with a caveat: The Cardinals were ranked second to last in the NFL in total defense and dead last in pass defense.
But it was still a much-needed confidence boost for Goff, who has been under fire for performing well below the level that earned him consecutive Pro Bowl selections the last two seasons. In the days leading up to Sunday's game, Goff said he did not feel extra pressure to live up to the $134 million extension he received before the season, but he stressed that he needed to be better.
Goff recaptured some of his previous form by relying heavily on Higbee and receiver Robert Woods. Higbee caught seven passes for 107 yards, both career bests. Woods had 13 receptions for 172 yards.
Goff extended a 20-0 halftime lead with his touchdown pass to Kupp midway through the third quarter.
On the ensuing possession, rookie safety Taylor Rapp returned an interception for a touchdown, providing a highlight-reel play for a defense that neutralized rookie quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL draft, completed 19 of 34 passes for 163 yards. He rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown in four carries as the Cardinals fell to 3-8-1.
The Rams have four games remaining and probably need to win all of them to be in contention for a third consecutive playoff berth.
Next Sunday, they play the Seattle Seahawks at the Coliseum. Road games against the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys precede the finale at home against the Cardinals.
The NFC West-leading 49ers are 10-2 after losing to the Ravens on Sunday. The Seahawks (9-2) play the Minnesota Vikings (8-3) on Monday night _ and the Rams could use some help from their division rival as they attempt to catch the Vikings in the race for an NFC wild-card spot.
Goff completed 24 of 31 passes for 323 yards and a touchdown in the first half as the Rams took a 20-0 lead. Higbee caught nine passes for 112 yards and the touchdown, and Woods had seven receptions for 107 yards.
The Rams' first drive stalled at the Cardinals' nine-yard line, forcing them to settle for a field goal. It appeared as if it might be another unproductive day for the offense when another drive stalled and Greg Zuerlein missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt.
Goff and Higbee connected for a 26-yard gain on the next drive and then capped it early in the second quarter with a two-yard touchdown for a 10-0 lead.
Gurley rushed for a touchdown with less than three minutes left, and Goff deftly executed a two-minute drive that ended with Zuerlein's 33-yard field goal as time expired in the half.
