Quarterback controversy in L.A. is nothing new for the Rams

Quarterback controversy in L.A. is nothing new for the Rams

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-quarterback-controversy-20161110-story.html

Vince Ferragamo was in the Coliseum press box last Sunday when the chants imploring the Rams to sack struggling quarterback Case Keenum in favor of No. 1 pick Jared Goff grew in volume and intensity.

Ferragamo’s mind shot back to Sept. 25, 1977, when — in the home opener of the quarterback’s rookie year with the Rams — a plane flew over the same stadium with a banner that read: “Fire the Ammo, Play Ferragamo.” The man under center for the Rams that day was aging veteran Joe Namath.

“A lot of the guys were kidding me, saying, ‘Is that your dad flying that plane up there?’ ” said Ferragamo, now 62. “In Los Angeles, we’ve always had that quarterback controversy; it always seemed to be part of the L.A. heritage and tradition … and it seems to be starting up again.”

As the Rams extended their losing streak to four with Sunday’s 13-10 loss to Carolina, fans have grown increasingly frustrated with Coach Jeff Fisher’s refusal to bench Keenum, voicing their displeasure with loud chants of “We want Goff!”

It all had a familiar ring to longtime followers of a franchise with a rich history of quarterback controversies dating to 1950-51, when Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield, a pair of future Hall of Famers, alternated each quarter while leading the Rams to the NFL championship game in both seasons.

Bill Munson, a first-round pick in 1964, and Roman Gabriel jostled for the job in 1964-65, with each developing his own legion of fans before Coach George Allen settled on Gabriel as his starter in 1966.

The 1970s was the decade of the quarterback controversy, starting with James Harris vs. John Hadl in 1974, Harris vs. Ron Jaworski in 1975, Pat Haden vs. Harris/Jaworski in 1976 and the battle royale of quarterback duels, Haden vs. Ferragamo, which spanned four seasons from 1977-80.

“People wanted to see the young, good-looking quarterback,” former Rams tackle Jackie Slater said of Ferragamo. “Pat was a smart guy, an efficient guy. He wasn’t very tall, but when he played, he did a great job.

“It was just that when Vince got on the field and threw one of those deep, pretty spirals, everybody started to clamor for him. … For a lot of the old-timers who can remember back that far, there are similarities to the situation today.”

Indeed, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Goff seems to have reprised the role of the 6-3, 212-pound Ferragamo in that he is taller, has a stronger arm and is more physically gifted than the 6-1, 205-pound Keenum.

Keenum is more like the 5-11, 182-pound Haden, who was more methodical and cerebral, a game manager who was accurate with short- and medium-range passes but didn’t have the gunslinger mentality of Ferragamo.

“When Vince came in, he was a totally different guy,” said Preston Dennard, a Rams receiver from 1978-83. “He was taller and could see over the line. He threw a really nice deep ball. Pat was a great quarterback, but sometimes you need a different type of personality or character to jell.”

Haden led the Rams to the playoffs in 1977 and 1978. The Rams were muddling through 1979 with a 6-6 record when Haden, after completing 13 straight passes, broke his right pinkie finger in Seattle on Nov. 4

Ferragamo, then 25, took over two weeks later and guided the Rams to four straight wins and the NFC West title. The Rams upset the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs and shut out Tampa Bay in the NFC title game before losing to Pittsburgh, 31-19, in Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl.

The controversy heated up in the summer of 1980 when Ferragamo had a strong training camp but Haden was named opening-day starter.

“In those days,” Ferragamo said, “you didn’t lose your job because of injury.”

The on-field rivalry between the two was intense. Off the field, much like Keenum and Goff, the two were friends.

“Pat always pulled for the team when I was playing, and I did the same for him,” Ferragamo said. “We were roommates in the preseason, and we always had fun. It wasn’t like we were going to have a fight outside the locker room.”

Haden broke the index finger on his throwing hand in the season opener in 1980. Ferragamo took over and threw for 3,199 yards and 30 touchdowns to lead the Rams to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth before jumping to the Canadian Football League in 1981.

“I shot from the hip, but it worked because we had a good team,” Ferragamo said. “We always had a great offensive line. We could run on and pass-block anybody. The feeling was, they didn’t care who the quarterback was, we were gonna win. When you have a good team, good players around you, everybody looks good.”

The Rams have an excellent defense this season, but inconsistent play along the offensive line has slowed Todd Gurley and the running game, which, in turn, has stunted the passing game.

The Rams rank 31st in the NFL in average yards per game (311.5), they’ve scored one offensive touchdown in each of the last two games, and Keenum — who has completed 174 of 283 passes for 2,004 yards, with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions — ranks 28th in the league with a quarterback rating of 77.2.

“They’re not scoring enough, they’re not a balanced offense,” Ferragamo said. “Right now, it’s kind of a hodge-podge. Last year, Gurley was the guy, and this year they can’t get him going.”

Fisher has stubbornly stuck with Keenum because he believes the fifth-year veteran gives the Rams the best chance to win. The fans see Goff on the sideline and think differently.

“I don’t really blame the fans for chanting — it’s justified because they want more production,” Ferragamo said. “The mysterious thing is they traded up for Goff, and when you think of a No. 1 pick, you think, ‘Oh, he should be paying dividends right now.’ ”

Slater sees other forces at work in keeping Goff on hold.

“The situation is magnified by the fact that the Rams gave up a boatload of draft picks to get this kind of talent, and he’s not being used while the older guy is struggling,” Slater said. “But I believe when they picked Jared Goff, they didn’t do it with a closed eye to his perceived flaws. They knew what they were getting.

“The fans are getting anxious — they want to see the kid, and understandably so — but you have to think there’s a reason. Organizationally, from the top down, they made the decision knowing it’s going to be a long-term process and that it was going to take some time. So I have to trust the process.”