Rams' Brian Quick transitioning from potential threat to reliable option
ST. LOUIS -- If Brian Quick's preseason performance created some optimism at Rams Park, the third-year receiver's 2014 debut should turn some heads around the league.
One career game doesn't suddenly make him a star, but there's always been a lot to like about the 6-foot-3, 218-pound wideout. Seven catches and 99 yards becomes much more impressive when considered in the context of struggles from the rest of the offense and a quarterback change at halftime.
"My yards and my individual efforts are not really (important) after a loss," Quick said in the locker room after Minnesota crushed St. Louis, 34-6. "I'm going to come out and get the ball, come out in practice and get better for next week."
That's exactly the kind of response Jeff Fisher and his coaching staff want to hear, but rest assured those numbers do matter for a Rams offense that should be ready to try just about anything to move the football. Quick caught a 23-yard pass from Shaun Hill on the first play from scrimmage, and he remained the team's most dangerous weapon through the fourth quarter, when he caught two Austin Davis passes for 22 yards.
He showed the ability to go deep and turn a short throw into a big play, and his size should make him a threat when the Rams eventually reach the red zone. None of it came as a surprise to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who says Quick has looked like a totally different player this year.
"Just a playmaker, has really improved his ability to run routes," Schottenheimer said. "(I) was happy to see him have that kind of success because he's worked really hard."
It took a while to get up to speed in the NFL after three prolific seasons at FCS school Appalachian State, where he did enough to convince the Rams to draft him with the first pick of the second round in the 2012 draft. Quick showed flashes as a rookie and doubled his production last year with nearly 300 yards, but he never seemed to be a consistent threat.
The transition from star receiver in college to virtual bench warmer wasn't easy for Quick, and he says he had conversations about the difficult adjustment with wide receivers coach Ray Sherman. But the potential St. Louis saw in the highest draft pick ever to come out of Appalachian State finally shined through once he got comfortable with the offense.
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"That was the biggest adjustment, learning the playbook," Quick says. "It kept me from playing fast, but now that I'm dialed in, I can move fast and play to my speed."
That's good news for the Rams, and fellow receiver Kenny Britt says Quick's emergence should help make it easier for everyone to get open. But his ability to make every catch may have actually limited the opportunities for Britt, who was targeted only three times and didn't have a reception.
"Everybody's going to get a chance to get the ball," Quick says. "It just happened that Sunday I had the opportunity to make plays, and I did."
Those chances may be more limited this season as St. Louis tries to sort out some serious concerns at quarterback, but the Rams still have their most talented group of receivers in recent memory. Britt remains confident in himself and says several others could step up in any given week, acknowledging there may not be enough passes to go around in the current version of the offense.
Although the loss clearly still detracts from the memory, Quick knows how important his progress could be for this team. He has a lot of improvements left to make and a long way to go before he can be considered an elite receiver, but Sunday's game showed virtually all of the tools are there.
The Rams don't need a pair of receivers to go for 100 yards each on a single day, something no duo has done since Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt in a 41-34 win over Detroit in 2006. But if they can add Quick as another player capable of that kind of production when the opportunity arises, it could be a huge boost for the offense.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
