Fisher: Sticking with Keenum

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OldSchool

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Yeah I did but he's winning games. Hiccups are bound to happen

And yet the Eagles won, comfortably. Wentz has also outplayed Keenum by a country mile this year. It's not even close.

But all that notwithstanding, why the hell be so scared to start a rookie? Is Fisher that scared of making mistakes on offense? Or is he just afraid of Goff making mistakes, but ok with Keenums 4/8 TD/INT ratio, including 3 pick sixes? Is he ok with Keenum throwing picks late in the game to ruin our chances, as he has done in the last 3 weeks (twice with a chance to at least tie the game)?

Yeah, I'll take that roller coaster over what we are getting now any day of the week. Even with Keenum's "stellar" week last week, he threw a pick into triple coverage with a chance to move the Rams down the field to tie or possibly win. Why is that roller coaster ok, while the roller coaster of a guy like Goff with much more upside intolerable? I just don't get it.

Wait so you guys think I'm defending Fisher for not starting Goff? Guess you haven't read any of my posts for months on who should be our QB or my feelings on Fisher which is laid out in my sig.
 

MountainRam

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at the risk of repeating, please get used to be fact Goff will not start this year (or until 13th game of season or so). This is THE only way that guarantees continued employment for Fisher into next year. If he plays Goff and its a dud,Fisher will be gone at end of this season. Don't underestimate Fishers instincts for survival. He has a history of 22 years to back his survival skills.
 

kurtfaulk

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I'm positive fisher is into s and m for pleasure. How else could he enjoy having case as his Qb for 7 weeks.

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Loyal

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You want Mr "I blitz when I don't know what else to do" leading this team???

I'd rather have Boras!!!
I don't care. Get Jim Tomsula for the last 9 weeks for that i care!:sadwalk:
 

kurtfaulk

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I can only imagine what Goff is thinking, standing on the sideline watching case in action. Probably what kurt was thing watching bulger in action. "I'm standing on the sideline because of this guy?"

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thirteen28

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Wait so you guys think I'm defending Fisher for not starting Goff? Guess you haven't read any of my posts for months on who should be our QB or my feelings on Fisher which is laid out in my sig.

My bad if I misinterpreted what you were saying.

There are a few who are defending not starting Goff, so my post applies to them, not you ;)
 

Ajb44

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Wait so you guys think I'm defending Fisher for not starting Goff? Guess you haven't read any of my posts for months on who should be our QB or my feelings on Fisher which is laid out in my sig.
No not at all haha. I was just saying yes I saw the bad game today from Wentz but I was just clarifying that Wentz looked bad in preseason as well. We shouldn't use that as a reason to not start goff. Seems to be everyone's go to.
 

OldSchool

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No not at all haha. I was just saying yes I saw the bad game today from Wentz but I was just clarifying that Wentz looked bad in preseason as well. We shouldn't use that as a reason to not start goff. Seems to be everyone's go to.
Yup it's funny when Wentz does well we should start Goff and when he doesn't... We all know they're two separate players in two vastly different situations :D
 

thirteen28

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Yup it's funny when Wentz does well we should start Goff and when he doesn't... We all know they're two separate players in two vastly different situations :D

Here's what kills me though, although it's a hypothetical (but very plausible) ... if we had taken Wentz and the Eagles had taken Goff, Wentz would probably still be carrying the clipboard while Goff would probably be starting and playing at least acceptably for the Eagles.
 

dieterbrock

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Right. That's why he came out of preseason QB3...(n)

Let's spare one another the debate jrry32...and just wait and see when Goff does take the field. As they say "action speaks louder than words"...
problem is that only Fisher is saying he's not ready. That doesn't mean he's not ready. Fisher wants to win with Keenum. That's it. Kevin Hogan played today as bad as Keenum. Have to believe Goff is more ready than Hogan
 

tavian

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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000726478/article/time-for-la-rams-to-turn-to-jared-goff


LONDON -- Drained by another last-minute defeat, another unsuccessful "home" game in London, another season headed to the same 7-9 bull----, Rams coach Jeff Fisher refused to change course.

"The quarterback is not the reason, by the way, that we lost three games. I'm staying with Case (Keenum)," Fisher said before he was even asked Sunday afternoon at Twickenham Stadium, anticipating the long two weeks ahead.

Keenum was picked off four times in a 17-10 defeat to New York, which included roughly as many effective forward passes as a typical game at the Cathedral of Rugby. His final errant lob, the result of a miscommunicated hand signal with Rams receiver Brian Quick, could have been fair caught by Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.


The Rams' caravan has taken them from St. Louis to Oxnard to Irvine to Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles and now to London over the last 10 months, carrying the same burdens that have plagued Fisher's entire five-year tenure. There are the persistent penalties, the good-but-not-good-enough defense, and a passing attack that ranks among the league's worst.

It's past time to see what No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff has to offer. Yet Fisher cut down that storyline before it could grow legs, playing better offense than any other Ram on Sunday.

"Take a look at the tape. See who's responsible for the interceptions. ... I'll make changes at receiver before I make a change at the quarterback position," Fisher said.

Fisher's stance is neither surprising nor sensible. Receivers were part of the problem on three of Keenum's picks, but that doesn't account for the other 49 passing plays that mostly led to nowhere. The Rams failed to score on their final 11 drives. Keenum knew that his final throw was hardly his team's only failure.

"I've got to give our guys a chance," a dejected Keenum said after the loss. "A few plays before that we had some chances, too. A little bit better balls. I think Mike Thomas scores if I throw a better ball on that, and I think Bradley scores if I throw a little better ball on that, too."

That sort of leadership is one reason why Fisher continues to stand by Keenum. Loyalty is a laudable trait in a head coach and one of the reasons why players love playing for Fisher. But players love to win above all, and it became increasingly clear in the second half that this was not Keenum's day.

Offensive coordinator Rob Boras has been resourceful the last few weeks manufacturing yards, and his team had its chances for more Sunday. Keenum missed Kenny Britt streaking wide open for a potential score on the first play of the second half. Three punts and one interception later, Keenum threw a pop fly to Quick, who had broken open in the end zone. By the time the ball fluttered back down to Earth, Quick was playing defense in an effort to prevent an interception. Keenum went deep again on the very next play and was picked off.

That was Fisher's moment to make a dramatic change. To rouse a sellout crowd that watched eleven straight punts and give his No. 1 overall pick a chance to do something special. For a team that has such an aggressive mindset defensively, the Rams are consistently cautious on offense.




Three times on Sunday, Fisher passed on a chance to go for fourth-and-short in Giants territory. Those decisions lay bare the enigma of these Rams: They have the confidence to stick with Keenum after the game but not enough confidence to convert first downs. Keenum is hardly the only reason why the Rams have lost three straight, but he wasn't the reason they started the season 3-1 either.

This is a team squarely in the middle of the NFL, with six straight games that have come down to the final series. Considering the team's -34 point differential, they are lucky to be 3-4.

This wandering Rams season, so full of disruption, begs for understanding, if not excuse-making. Even halfway across the world in a supposed home game, they were relative afterthoughts to the Odell Beckham show. Giants fans turned out in numbers, creating perhaps the loudest atmosphere in the history of the International Series. The crowd noise had a direct impact on a Rams false start penalty late in the fourth quarter, and contributed to the Rams needing to burn timeouts.

It felt like New Jersey in Europe as "Let's go Giants!" chants rang through the packed Twickenham concourses after the game. Mobs of Big Blue supporters shrieked when they got a quick glimpse of Jason Pierre-Paul, a "Beatles landing in New York" story in reverse.


Yet no matter what obstacles the Rams have faced this year, the lack of faith in Goff's readiness to play stands as a disappointment. He was drafted as a presumptive starter, with the billing that he was more "pro ready" than Carson Wentz. The Rams gave up two first-round picks, two second-round picks and two third-round picks for Goff because they believed he could snap Fisher's eight-quarterback losing streak, but they don't believe in him enough yet to start him over Keenum, who has eight passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the season.

"Jared is going to play when we feel Jared is ready," Fisher said.

NFL Network's Steve Wyche reported during the week that Goff has taken significant strides in practice since Week 1, and the team is ready to increase his practice reps starting with the Rams' upcoming bye. That's a sign the Rams are feeling optimistic about Goff behind the scenes, and they recognize developing their quarterback is a crucial component to their season. They just refuse to commit to that development like the Giants did back when they elevated Eli Manning as a rookie in 2004.

The Giants wound up falling from 5-4 to 6-10 after making that change, but Manning credits his massive second-year leap on what he learned from that experience. The Rams might need to take a step back to some 5-11 bull---- to ever move forward.

Instead, the Rams continue to stay the course, deflecting issues like the Giants did to 12 Keenum passes on Sunday. Fisher noted that left tackle Greg Robinson "needs to learn" to avoid penalties, yet it's Robinson's third season since being taken No. 2 overall. Fisher was quick to point out this is not a veteran Rams team, but they have been the youngest team in the NFL for seasons running.

At some point soon, Fisher needs to show he is capable of change.
 

12intheBox

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Bye week - Home game - Panthers struggling on defense - team in a slump

It just fits. Make the switch.
 

RamWoodie

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problem is that only Fisher is saying he's not ready. That doesn't mean he's not ready. Fisher wants to win with Keenum. That's it. Kevin Hogan played today as bad as Keenum. Have to believe Goff is more ready than Hogan
This is quite nonsensical. You're basically saying that Fisher is so stubborn that if Goff is ready, he won't start him. I won't believe that.

What I believe is that Goff was so slow catching onto pro offensive systems, coming from college spread offense, that Fisher as well as Weinke decided after his preseason play that he needed more work. I also think that was evident with almost everyone I heard, that truly have knowledge speak on it.

You're also taking a lot for granted in wanting Goff to start at all cost. What I will say is while I don't know how much Goff has grown, I know they are working with him. Fisher knows that after the Nick Foles fiasco that he needs to be right on Goff because he gave a lot to get him.

I'm not going to act like I know what's going on with Goff...but what I do know is Fisher wants to be sure Goff is ready to start. Ready doesn't mean he's perfect...it means Fisher has confidence Goff can make good decisions. We know he has the arm...what we don't know is does he have the mental.
 

gabriel18

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problem is that only Fisher is saying he's not ready. That doesn't mean he's not ready. Fisher wants to win with Keenum. That's it. Kevin Hogan played today as bad as Keenum. Have to believe Goff is more ready than Hogan
I wonder if Fisher knows how stupid it sounds to say he's not ready . Goff is one play from having to play .Then what ?
 

RamWoodie

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I wonder if Fisher knows how stupid it sounds to say he's not ready . Goff is one play from having to play .Then what ?
I believe Fisher felt the pressure to put Goff at QB2 after all the rift that came when Goff didn't suit up for the first game, even though Mannion played better than Goff. Mannion became the sacrificial lamb in all of this.
 

kurtfaulk

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Only a dullard of a hc wouldn't start goff now. Playing the qb position shouldn't be like brain surgery for a qb picked #1. His preseason was nowhere near as bad as people are trying to make it out. He made some great throws, better than case can even dream about. He was just careless with the ball, a trait that can be easily coached up.

.
 

RamWoodie

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Only a dullard of a hc wouldn't start goff now. Playing the qb position shouldn't be like brain surgery for a qb picked #1. His preseason was nowhere near as bad as people are trying to make it out. He made some great throws, better than case can even dream about. He was just careless with the ball, a trait that can be easily coached up.

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How many 1st round QBs have we seen flop lately? Quite a few...so no it ain't brain surgery...but let's not act like it's not complicated either.
 

jrry32

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How many 1st round QBs have we seen flop lately? Quite a few...so no it ain't brain surgery...but let's not act like it's not complicated either.

The irony of this statement is that the ones who flopped played about as badly as Case Keenum has this year. So yea, I'll take that risk.
 

kurtfaulk

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How many 1st round QBs have we seen flop lately? Quite a few...so no it ain't brain surgery...but let's not act like it's not complicated either.

I'll happily deal with the turnovers because

1 - case is a turnover machine

And

2 - goff will leave nowhere near the amount of points on the field like case has so far this season.

.
 

Pancake

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I find it hard to believe that after 7 games and preseason that the Rams can't get Goff up to speed enough to run 15-20 plays. They don't need to bring everything in the playbook to every game. Just learn enough to keep the D guessing and then execute those plays like professionals should be able to do. The truth here is that this coaching staff under fisher is not good. They are not doing a pro level job of teaching if at this point Keenum is the only option they believe in. And I wonder what this does to the mind and confidence of both Goff and Mannion. Especially for Goff who hasn't even taken a snap and has to listen to people call him a bust. I don't think what Fisher is doing is much of a confidence booster at all.