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The Los Angeles Rams drafted quarterback Jared Goff to be the franchise quarterback, not hold video cameras while other players make an impact.
The Los Angeles Rams are a considerably more solid team than many people give them credit for. Under head coach Jeff Fisher they have been respectable, though unspectacular. His 30-40 record feels more like he is treading water as he hopes for the right situation to strike him in the face. The same could be said of his current handling of rookie quarterback Jared Goff.
In some respects, the Rams leadership should be lauded for their patience with Fisher. He is known for his patient approach and when he has been forced by the front office into moves (like Vince Young), it has not ended well.
Unlike Young, however, Fisher does not appear to have reservations about his new young quarterback. If anything, Goff is impressive enough for Fisher to want to start him when he’s ready. Other coaches, including Cleveland Browns head man Hue Jackson, coveted Goff and believe he can succeed in the NFL (per the Browns website). Yet Fisher patiently holds out.
Instead of starting Goff, the Los Angeles Rams have turned to journeyman Case Keenum. Keenum only had 15 starts under his belt before 2016 and was 5-10 in those efforts. Still, he was expected to help groom Goff and prepare his eventual successor. It isn’t fair to say this was the blind leading the blind, but it is also a far cry from Aaron Rodgers learning from behind legend Brett Favre or Steve Young behind Joe Montana.
With that in mind, here are five reasons why the Rams should buckle up and roll with the rookie immediately.
Aug 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) on his sidelines during the second half of a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Rams 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
5. Higher Upside than Case Keenum
While second-overall pick Carson Wentz is lighting up the scoreboard on any given week, Jared Goff is stuck sitting on the bench. He’s watching Keenum struggle through week after week rather than making an impact for his team.
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Goff was drafted to be a starter and he has all the tools to do the job. There’s no question that he can come in and make throws that are at least similar to what Keenum can do. Yet head coach Jeff Fisher is opting to continue with Keenum
There’s no feud (a la Vince Young-Jeff Fisher), which makes this puzzling. Keenum clearly isn’t a league-leader and he appears to be near his ceiling. Goff can break that ceiling.
Among all quarterbacks, Keenum is just 22nd in completion percentage (62 percent), 12th in yards (1708), 16th in touchdowns (eight), has thrown the second-most interceptions (10), and 15th in yards per attempt (7.2). At most, Keenum is middle of the road.
Keenum is a known commodity. This is how he performs and he will consistently be middle of the road. While it’s better to have him on the field than starting Blaine Gabbert, the Rams have a much better QB situation. If it’s a choice between continual mediocrity under Keenum or potential big gains under Goff, the Rams should risk it and go with Goff.
Oct 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher looks on against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
4. Time to Stop Treading Water, Play to Win
The Los Angeles Rams defense plays to win each and every snap. They are a fearsome unit that is well tailored to make the opposition’s day long and painful. It is a disservice to that defense to continually play it safe on offense. Case Keenum is playing it safe. Jared Goff would be playing to win.
Keenum is 6-6 as a starter for the Rams franchise over the last two seasons. He currently has the Rams at 3-4 in 2016. Those marks are exactly what makes the Rams so frustrating under Fisher. He’s never terrible, but the high water mark often seems to be .500 rather than something positive that could mean playoffs.
Goff at least has the potential to get the Rams over the hump. By putting him in, as mentioned previously, the Rams are going with the player who has the higher upside. It’s always a gamble to go with an unproven quarterback, but teams eventually have to gamble at the game’s most important position if they want to win.
Fisher has milked the rebuilding stage of the Rams for long enough. If he wants to be a winner with Los Angeles, that means bringing in Goff as the starter. It doesn’t mean treading water with Keenum under center. The rest of the team deserves a fighting chance from the offense and the fans of the franchise deserve it as well.
It may not be enough to keep saying Goff will “play when he’s ready” when the team is ready to receive him and work with him through his struggles regardless. The team is ready for him to play—and to win this season.
Oct 23, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Vikings, 21-10. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
3. Success of Rookie Quarterbacks Bodes Well for Goff
While taking it slow behind a veteran quarterback is the proven, old-school method, it’s clear that the modern NFL still favors rookie QBs.
Sure, for every Dak Prescott you have a Blake Bortles, but the trend favors the Prescotts as of late. Going back to Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan in 2008, plenty of young quarterbackss have found major success. Discounting the abysmal first round of the 2011 class, we can see some impressive storylines among those players:
Among current NFL starters with significant time as a rookie player since 2008, there is an overall record of 99-110 as a rookie. That isn’t great (especially since we’re only looking at those who are still starters and therefore successful), but it shows that even with a rookie under center teams trend toward .500. That’s exactly where the Rams are trending now with Goff on the bench.
The upside, he could be the next Ryan or Flacco and go big as a rookie. The downside, he could end up like Bortles and never seemingly record from a disastrous rookie campaign.
The Rams won’t know until they try. So far, it’s working for 15 teams to roll with the guy who had significant reps as a rookie. That’s half the league that at least is comfortable with their quarterback situation. With 2016’s first-overall pick, the Rams have to be comfortable with him and his talent. Let him show it on the field. Many of the quarterbacks pressed into service as rookies weren’t in the right position to succeed. Goff, however, is.
Jul 31, 2016; Irvine, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pass at training camp at UC Irvine. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
2. Rams Set Up to Help Rookie Succeed
The Los Angeles Rams aren’t some 2-14 team struggling to even field a competitive roster. They’re a team that could break the NFC West open if they find competent quarterback play with a little flash of big-time potential. Case Keenum is competent-ish, but he’s far from having that flash. Jared Goff at least might have it, though.
Even if the overall production drops a little (say somewhere near 6.5 yards per attempt) with Goff on the field instead of Keenum, there’s a chance Goff keeps the ball safer (Keenum features a 8:10 TD:INT ratio) and makes some magical plays happen. Either way, he won’t be running for his life from defenders like many other rookies are forced to do.
The Rams can carry any quarterback right now. They may not be as good at doing that as the Denver Broncos, but they’re doing it right now and are still near .500. Before the team is broken by mediocre quarterback play and more losses is the time to bring in some hope and something fresh.
Goff can inspire the team going forward and they will play harder to make him a success and to protect the future of the franchise. If any team needs a jumpstart to get them over the hump, it’s the Rams. By bringing in Goff, the Rams have a catalyst to push the whole team forward and also improve the talent at a critical position.
He has talented receivers in Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt, a strong run game behind Todd Gurley, and he won’t be sacked into oblivion like David Carr once upon a time. The offensive line has allowed 16 sacks on Keenum already, but it isn’t an astronomically high number.
In addition, the defense is ready to pounce on opponents and keep games close. This gives the offense the opportunity to play balanced football and not put too much pressure on Goff’s unproven arm.
This won’t be like inserting a rookie quarterback onto a contender, but it also won’t be throwing the rookie to the sharks either. The Rams are a comfortable situation for a rookie quarterback to grow right now. After three straight losses, the team can afford to put him in and see what he can do in that situation.
Aug 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) gestures during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
1. It’s Time to See What Jared Goff Brings to Team
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about keeping Jared Goff on the bench is that the Los Angeles Rams and their fans don’t know what they have in the rookie quarterback. Jeff Fisher can preach that they need to wait until he’s ready, but teams never truly know until they are on the field taking snaps.
Goff finally started taking first team reps because of the bye week. Even that likely isn’t good enough to find out what he can do. It’s a step toward putting him on the field (hopefully), but it isn’t enough to being to learn if Goff is the answer.
For now, the young quarterback remains mystery. The hope is that he can be like Carson Wentz and galvanize the Rams to new heights. He has the talent to do so and his college play suggests that he’s able to put it together on the field.
So why wait? Rather than treading water behind the guy with low upside the Rams should be focusing on beginning the future as soon as possible. The team knows the future isn’t Case Keenum, so bring out Goff and begin the future now!
At 3-4 it’s already clear the Rams aren’t taking a step forward with Keenum under center. Goff has the potential to bring wins. Isn’t that the entire point of the NFL? If you aren’t winning and aren’t developing your young quarterback, you’re just wasting time.
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