Los Angeles Rams

5 Takeaways From the Los Angeles Rams Loss to the Minnesota Vikings

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Los Angeles Rams fell to the Minnesota Vikings 27-25 to finish the 2016 preseason with a 2-2 record.

Sep 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) passes against the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

With Week 1 right around the corner, the Los Angeles Rams wrapped up their preseason with a 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday as Jared Goff received his first start, but it certainly wasn’t a memorable one for the rookie.

The good news for Goff is his roster spot is already secured as plenty of other players on the Rams entered the game hoping to make one final case to be considered for the team this upcoming season. From running back to wide receiver, Los Angeles still has plenty of positions up for grabs when it comes to the 53-man roster and while there were a few players who stood out against Minnesota, there were those who failed to come up big when it mattered the most.

These next two days will seem like forever when it comes to some of these players waiting to hear whether they will be playing for Los Angeles in 2016 and without wasting any more time, here’s a look at five takeaways from the Rams loss to the Vikings.

Aug 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brian Quick (83) 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

Brian Quick Continues to Disappoint

When it comes to frustrating players, Brian Quick may top the list for the Los Angeles Rams as the wide receiver failed to record a single catch against the Vikings, despite seeing two passes thrown his way. Overall, Quick finished the preseason with just six catches and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team give up on him after all this time.

Quick has been the type of player the Rams have been waiting for to breakout over the years, but he just continues to be nothing but a disappointment. The competition at wide receiver beyond Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt has been wide open throughout camp, but there are plenty of other players who seem to be more deserving of a spot over Quick.

Between the lack of production and all of the dropped passes on his end, let’s hope this is finally the end for Quick with the Rams and the team decides to officially move on for good.

Sep 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) receives the snap in the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie Struggles Continue For Jared Goff

Rams fans who are already hitting the panic button over all of the draft picks the team surrendered to draft Goff need to relax and realize these types of struggles are common for most rookie quarterbacks.

As if completing just 6 of 16 passes for 67 yards with one touchdown wasn’t frustrating enough, Goff also threw an interception and recorded a fumble in the preseason finale against Minnesota. Goff has seen plenty of struggles throughout the preseason and while he’s received the benefit of the doubt for some mistakes, this was easily his most disappointing performance.

The good news for Los Angeles is the team has Case Keenum to run the offense for the regular season as Fisher realizes this team is talented enough to compete for the playoffs at the moment and would be better off with a veteran quarterback under center. Goff’s time will eventually come, but fans just need to be patient in the mean time and let the quarterback learn from the sidelines as a rookie.

Aug 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Aaron Green (36) scores a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Green Makes Strong Final Case

Thanks to Tre Mason‘s decision to skip training camp, the Rams had a surprising opening for one of the backup roles at running back behind Todd Gurley. After making an impressive first outing against the Kansas City Chiefs, Green made a strong case against the Vikings to prove he’s worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster.

Green rushed for 66 yards with one touchdown on 13 carries against Minnesota and even made an impact in the passing game by catching three of the four passes thrown his way for 26 yards. It’s such a big difference to have a running back who can be just as effective in the air as on the ground and Green has shown throughout the preseason just how much of a threat he can be with the football in his hands.

When compared to Terrence Magee, Green appears to be the favorite if Los Angeles was forced to pick between the two running backs. But it also wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team strongly consider keeping both players on board when looking at some of the wide receivers who failed to show up in the preseason.

Aug 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Morgan Fox (70) 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

Morgan Fox’s Monster Performance

The only reason why the Rams managed to record seven wins last year was due to their stellar defense and if they’re going to have any chance at topping that mark in 2016, the defense is going to need to come up big once again.

Fisher seems to have a pretty good idea about which players he’s going to keep around on defense, but one name to keep an eye on this weekend will be Morgan Fox after the rookie’s solid performance against the Vikings.

Fox caused all sorts of problems for Minnesota’s offense after recording two sacks to go along with three tackles in the preseason finale on Thursday. For the most part, Fox has been quiet for a majority of preseason and now the defensive end puts the Rams in a tough position when deciding whether or not they should take a chance on the rookie.

Even if it seems like a long shot at this point, if Fox were to earn one of the final spots on the roster for the Rams, it would certainly make an amazing story for a player coming from Division II football.

Sep 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jhurell Pressley (42) celebrates his touchdown in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Should Rams Be Concerned With Special Teams?

Preseason is always considered an audition for most players and how they may perform during the regular season. While Los Angeles looked impressive in numerous areas, the argument can be made that special teams is one area to be concerned over heading into Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rams found themselves on the embarrassing end of an awkward situation when they allowed the Dallas Cowboys to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the preseason opener, despite all of the hype surrounding the team’s return to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the Rams gave up another big play on special teams against the Vikings when they allowed Jhurrell Pressley to return a 106-yard touchdown in the second half.

And to think the offense was one of the main concerns for this team heading into preseason. Let’s hope these struggles on special teams only last for the preseason and the Rams can fix these issues before the games become meaningful.