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On a third-and-2 in the third quarter of today’s loss to the Steelers, Rams quarterback Jared Goff went to the sideline and was replaced by backup Blake Bortles. Rams coach Sean McVay said after the game that he planned that in advance.

McVay confirmed that Goff wasn’t hurt and didn’t need to come out, but he wanted to run a play that he thought Bortles would execute better than Goff would.

“We just had Blake come in. That was the play that we had designed for Blake. It wasn’t anything where Jared – you know, he was good. He was OK. That was a play that we were going to get Blake involved in and that was part of the game plan,” McVay said, according to Cameron DaSilva of USA Today.

Bortles is a better runner than Goff, so perhaps it’s reasonable for McVay to think Bortles could be used to pick up a first down with his feet. It didn’t work, however, as Bortles kept the ball himself on a zone read play and came up short of the first down.

But given that the Rams just gave Goff a contract with $110 million guaranteed this year, it’s alarming that he’s reached the point where they’re pulling him for Blake Freaking Bortles to try to give the offense a spark. Goff did not play well today, and he hasn’t played particularly well all season. McVay needs to change some things up with the Rams’ offense — but preferably not by replacing Goff with Bortles.