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October 23, 2016 at 6:05 pm #55896
znModeratorBonsignore: Sticking with Case Keenum – and Jeff Fisher – isn’t answer for Rams
By VINCENT BONSIGNORE / STAFF WRITER
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fisher-733071-rams-keenum.html%5B
LONDON – Jeff Fisher stood in front of reporters after another lost afternoon, another slew of mistakes and blown assignments and miscommunication and penalties and turnovers.
And another dreadful loss by his Rams.
In typical Fisher fashion, the Rams coach pointed plenty of fingers at his players and even his coaches.
But never once did he point a finger at the main culprit: Himself.
And rather than talking about what he should do for the future of the Rams – turn the quarterback keys over to rookie Jared Goff – he insisted he will stick with Case Keenum.
Selfishly so.
Because this is about Jeff Fisher, after all. Not the big picture of the Rams.
If it looked and sounded all too familiar, it’s because it is.
Jeff Fisher has become the master of ceremony of sorts at these events. And of deflecting blame and promising improvements and insisting the proper fixes will be made.
Nearly five complete years into his Rams tenure, he’s assumed this same position 40 times.
And if you count the 17 years he spent in Houston and Tennessee, it’s up to 160.
That’s an extraordinary amount of times to take the podium after coaching a team to another loss. In fact, it’s five shy of the all-time record.
That’s too many for Fisher to still be employed by the Rams, if you’re really being honest about things.
But with the Rams making the move from St. Louis to Los Angeles and all the upheaval that came with it, they felt changing coaches probably added an additional challenge they didn’t want to deal with. Just as importantly, after putting him through more than 12 months of uncertainty as the NFL untangled the Rams return to L.A., they felt they needed to do right by him.
So they gave Fisher the chance to coach the final year of his contract. And maybe, just maybe turn things around and earn a new deal.
So much for all that.
The extension should be out the window at this point, and not just because the Rams lost their third straight game Sunday in a 17-10 loss to the New York Giants in London.
It goes beyond one loss or a three-game losing streak.
Something just isn’t adding up.
And it begins with the man in charge.
It’s time for the Rams to look in another direction at head coach.
It’s time for a new vibe. A new voice. A new philosophy.
A new beginning.
It’s painfully obvious the Jeff Fisher era is not working. What’s worse, he’s now selfishly standing in the way of their future by coaching out of self preservation rather than with the big picture in mind.
That was painfully obvious when he blew off any consideration to making a switch at quarterback and expedite the Goff era by sticking with Keenum,
The Rams are going nowhere right now. They’re the same old tired, mediocre team they’ve always been under Fisher.
It’s time to accept that and get Goff onto the field, even if it means more short-term losses as he makes the transition to the NFL.
This season should no longer be about 2016, and some foolish notion the Rams will turn things around and turn the proverbial corner from 7-9 to 9-7.
That isn’t going to happen.
This season should no longer be about Fisher, either.
It should be about 2017 and 2018 and beyond.
And that means making the change to Goff.
But Fisher, who is thinking more about himself than the future, will have none of it.
In fact, he went out of his way to defend Keenum despite the four interceptions his quarterback threw Sunday and the side of the mountain he’s quarterbacked the Rams to through seven games.
“The quarterback is not the reason, by the way, that we lost three (straight) games,” Fisher said defiantly.
On that we agree.
Keenum isn’t the primary reason the Rams are 3-4. That’s on Fisher and the roster he’s constructed and the coaches he’s hired and the decisions he’s made and the philosophy he coaches by and the culture he’s created.
Keenum is just a small part of everything Fisher’s built.
But here is the problem.
In Keenum, Fisher sees a game manager quarterback who can maybe help squeak out enough wins to preserve his job. He’s thinking short-term, not long-term.
“I’m staying with Case,” Fisher said.
It’s self-preservation coaching at its worst.
And it’s standing in the way of the Rams, who need to think big picture now more than ever.
Goff might not represent the present, but he is the face of the future.
The Rams invested six draft picks to move into position to draft him, then chose him over Carson Wentz, who has developed into an immediate sensation in Philadelphia.
Unless you foolishly think the Rams can gather themselves for a second-half push – and I have news for you, folks, the Rams are going to continue to bumble about under Fisher just like they always have – then the rest of the season should be about preparing and developing Goff and letting him build chemistry and trust with the rest of the offense.
And what a perfect time then during the upcoming bye week and with the Rams facing five home games over their final nine games.
But Fisher will have none of it.
“Jared is going to play when we feel Jared is ready,” Fisher said.
Translation: Jared will play only if I think he can help me keep my job.
And that’s just selfish.
October 23, 2016 at 6:09 pm #55899znModeratorGIANTS’ 4 INTERCEPTIONS KEY IN 17-10 WIN OVER RAMS IN LONDON
LONDON (AP) — The New York Giants capitalized on four interceptions of Case Keenum to defeat the Los Angeles Rams 17-10 Sunday in the first NFL game played at London’s home of English rugby, a sold-out and raucous Twickenham Stadium.
Keenum, coming off the best start of his career, had the Rams at the Giants’ 15-yard line with 50 seconds left when he lobbed a pass in the left corner of the end zone that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie easily picked off. Keenum’s intended target, Brian Quick, failed to get the quarterback’s audible and cut off his route early.
Keenum, who finished 32 of 53 for 291 yards and one touchdown, has thrown an interception on the Rams’ final offensive play of the last three games. That likely will fuel debate on a potential quarterback change to overall No. 1 draft pick Jared Goff.
Fisher said he had no intention of switching quarterbacks during the bye week.
“The windows are tight and the throws have to be more precise,” Fisher said of Keenum’s throws. “I’ll make changes at receiver before I make a change at quarterback.”
The win kept the Giants (4-3) in good shape in the ultra-competitive NFC East, where no one has a losing record. The Rams (3-4) lost their third straight.
The Giants entered Sunday with the worst turnover differential in the NFC at minus-10. Then tight end Larry Donnell coughed up the ball on the Giants 35, leading to the Rams’ lone touchdown, a 10-yard grab by Tavon Austin.
But the Rams were unable to build on that early edge and instead hit the self-destruct button. Keenum threw two interceptions, both off high-sailing deflections, to safety Landon Collins, and two more in the end zone to cornerback Rodgers-Cromartie. RB Todd Gurley struggled, carrying 15 times for 57 yards, his longest run an 8-yarder.
Collins returned his first pick 44 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, making several Rams miss tackles before he bowled over center Tim Barnes to draw the Giants even.
“I must have run at least 100 yards on that play,” said a beaming Collins, who until Sunday had only one interception in his two-year career.
Collins’ second pick set up the winning drive, which featured a 22-yard catch by Odell Beckman Jr. to the Rams 6. Rashad Jennings scored from the 1 for the Giants’ only offensive touchdown.
Eli Manning had a pedestrian day, going 24 of 37 for 196 yards and no touchdowns. The Rams managed 20 first downs to the Giants’ 13.
Manning said the pass rush and multiple coverage looks meant it was “tough to get into a great rhythm and hit a bunch of big plays.”
“It’s not one that we’re necessarily going to put on our highlight tape of how we’re supposed to win games, but it’s a team game,” Jennings said. “The defense bailed us out.”
The Rams’ final two possessions ended in the end-zone interceptions by Rodgers-Cromartie, the pro-Giants crowd of more than 74,000 roaring their approval.
HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE?
Los Angeles was the home team, but officials struggled to whip up a pro-Rams environment at Twickenham, where the big-screen TVs advised “Quiet please, offense at work” when the Rams had the ball — and the crowd kept up a deafening din during the Rams’ two doomed final drives.
LOPSIDED START
The Giants took the field looking jet-lagged, Rams the savvy travelers. That perhaps reflected the fact Los Angeles chose to fly overnight from Detroit the previous Sunday for a full week in England, while the Giants did most of their preparations at home before arriving Friday in London.
The Giants gained a single first down in the first quarter on an 11-yard completion to Sterling Shepard. The Rams, by contrast, controlled 11:36 of the first-quarter clock, gained seven first downs with a balanced attack, and scored on their first two drives to lead 10-0 with less than 10 minutes gone.
GIANTS RUNNING WOES
New York struggled for a seventh straight week to move the ball on the ground and Giants finished with 36 yards rushing on 20 carries for a paltry 1.8 average.
GIANTS KICKER
New Giants kicker Robbie Gould made a 29-yard field goal in his only attempt and converted two extra points. He replaced Josh Brown, who was placed on the NFL’s commissioner exemption list after more information surfaced about his abusive behavior toward his then-wife.
Gould, cut by the Bears in September, got the surprise recruitment call Thursday as he was taking his 3-year-old son swimming. Their first question: Did he have a valid passport?
“Getting a fresh start and being in a place like New York and playing for the Giants, as one of the charter franchises, is something special,” he said.
INJURY SCARE
Giants kick returner Dwayne Harris suffered what looked like a serious injury when returning the final punt of the first half. He lay still on the ground for several minutes, was immobilized and carted off the field as teammates prayed. But he returned to field the first punt of the fourth quarter. Neither team reported any other serious injuries.
October 23, 2016 at 6:55 pm #55908
InvaderRamModeratori don’t like that bonsignore article. i don’t know how starting keenum doesn’t have the long term picture in my mind. in fact. one could say he did have the long term picture in my mind by giving goff time to acclimate himself to the nfl. it also seems like he’s trying to put all the blame on keenum without giving context to those 4 interceptions.
and while i am in favor of starting goff after the bye (as long as he is ready). after thinking about it i don’t see how it benefits the rams in any way for fisher to declare goff the starter right after the giants loss. except for to take some heat off himself for the next 2 weeks. fisher has long been touted as a players’ coach. i don’t see any selfishness in this at all. maybe i’m reading it wrong.
i think there are a lot of things you can criticize fisher on. i think some of the personnel decisions have been questionable. i’m beginning to wonder his ability to get his players ready for a game. but i don’t think you can call him selfish. or that he’s holding goff back as a way to preserve his job.
October 24, 2016 at 12:19 am #55947
NERamParticipantGeeeeeze…
“The Giants took the field looking jet-lagged, Rams the savvy travelers. That perhaps reflected the fact Los Angeles chose to fly overnight from Detroit the previous Sunday for a full week in England, while the Giants did most of their preparations at home before arriving Friday in London”.
Pretty sure I expected a bit of a snappier showing than what they put out.
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This reply was modified 8 years ago by
NERam.
October 24, 2016 at 1:29 pm #55987
ZooeyModeratori don’t like that bonsignore article. i don’t know how starting keenum doesn’t have the long term picture in my mind. in fact. one could say he did have the long term picture in my mind by giving goff time to acclimate himself to the nfl. it also seems like he’s trying to put all the blame on keenum without giving context to those 4 interceptions.
and while i am in favor of starting goff after the bye (as long as he is ready). after thinking about it i don’t see how it benefits the rams in any way for fisher to declare goff the starter right after the giants loss. except for to take some heat off himself for the next 2 weeks. fisher has long been touted as a players’ coach. i don’t see any selfishness in this at all. maybe i’m reading it wrong.
i think there are a lot of things you can criticize fisher on. i think some of the personnel decisions have been questionable. i’m beginning to wonder his ability to get his players ready for a game. but i don’t think you can call him selfish. or that he’s holding goff back as a way to preserve his job.
I agree. He is imputing motives that he can’t possibly know. And he clearly is just seeing what he wants to see.
Because one could just as easily put forward a case that starting Goff would be self-preservation. If the Rams win with Goff, Fisher is a genius. If they lose with Goff, he’s a rookie QB who came from a system that did not prepare him for the NFL, and he’s only learning, so he needs more time to develop. Therefore it isn’t Fisher’s fault.
Furthermore, Bonsignore accuses Fisher of blaming everyone but himself, but at the same time argues that Fisher should have thrown Keenum under the bus and announced Goff is starting. But Fisher didn’t blame Keenum. And it’s good that he didn’t demote him on the spot because throwing a QB under the bus like that isn’t good for morale in the locker room.
What’s more, he is assuming that the W-L record is what Stan is going to look at when the Fisher contract has to be determined, as if that is the only relevant consideration. And he is assuming the Rams would lose more with Goff than Keenum.
In the end, one could argue either way with Keenum and Goff, and one could argue either way which QB would most likely preserve Fisher’s career, so the interpretation and motives one chooses to accept as “reality” doesn’t reveal anything about the Rams, Goff, or Fisher, but only that person’s opinion of Fisher.
October 24, 2016 at 2:20 pm #55990znModeratori don’t like that bonsignore article. i don’t know how starting keenum doesn’t have the long term picture in my mind. in fact. one could say he did have the long term picture in my mind by giving goff time to acclimate himself to the nfl. it also seems like he’s trying to put all the blame on keenum without giving context to those 4 interceptions.
and while i am in favor of starting goff after the bye (as long as he is ready). after thinking about it i don’t see how it benefits the rams in any way for fisher to declare goff the starter right after the giants loss. except for to take some heat off himself for the next 2 weeks. fisher has long been touted as a players’ coach. i don’t see any selfishness in this at all. maybe i’m reading it wrong.
i think there are a lot of things you can criticize fisher on. i think some of the personnel decisions have been questionable. i’m beginning to wonder his ability to get his players ready for a game. but i don’t think you can call him selfish. or that he’s holding goff back as a way to preserve his job.
I agree. He is imputing motives that he can’t possibly know. And he clearly is just seeing what he wants to see.
Because one could just as easily put forward a case that starting Goff would be self-preservation. If the Rams win with Goff, Fisher is a genius. If they lose with Goff, he’s a rookie QB who came from a system that did not prepare him for the NFL, and he’s only learning, so he needs more time to develop. Therefore it isn’t Fisher’s fault.
Furthermore, Bonsignore accuses Fisher of blaming everyone but himself, but at the same time argues that Fisher should have thrown Keenum under the bus and announced Goff is starting. But Fisher didn’t blame Keenum. And it’s good that he didn’t demote him on the spot because throwing a QB under the bus like that isn’t good for morale in the locker room.
What’s more, he is assuming that the W-L record is what Stan is going to look at when the Fisher contract has to be determined, as if that is the only relevant consideration. And he is assuming the Rams would lose more with Goff than Keenum.
In the end, one could argue either way with Keenum and Goff, and one could argue either way which QB would most likely preserve Fisher’s career, so the interpretation and motives one chooses to accept as “reality” doesn’t reveal anything about the Rams, Goff, or Fisher, but only that person’s opinion of Fisher.
IMO you guys nailed it completely.
That’s just a ridiculously bad article. Miklasz with an agenda level bad.
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October 26, 2016 at 1:44 am #56100znModeratorFive Takeaways: Rams 17-10 loss to Giants
Myles Simmons
After a long flight home following 10 days on the road, the Rams find themselves 3-4 and on a three-game losing streak heading into their bye week. With many in the Los Angeles locker room intimating the club will use the extra preparation time to reflect, recharge, and regroup, here are five takeaways from the Rams’ 17-10 loss to the Giants in London.
1) Turnovers hurt
While Los Angeles capitalized on an early takeaway — turning defensive back Lamarcus Joyner’s forced fumble into a touchdown — the club ended up behind in the turnover margin once again in this loss. While the box score gives those interceptions to quarterback Case Keenum, head coach Jeff Fisher stated both Sunday and Monday that they are not all on the signal-caller.
“At first glance, if you look, [you say], ‘Oh, he threw four interceptions,’” Fisher said. “You look at the actual plays, and as you guys know, interceptions — you can place blame wherever you want.”
For two examples, Keenum’s first interception — returned for a touchdown by safety Landon Collins — went off of wide receiver Tavon Austin’s hands. And Keenum’s final interception came in large part because of a missed check at the line with wide receiver Brian Quick.
“Just a miscommunication,” Quick said of the play after the game. “It just happened between us and the quarterback.”
“I was just trying to get Brian a chance in the back of the end zone,” Keenum said Sunday. “But I didn’t signal it well enough. So we’re on the same page, and I’ve gotta give our guys a chance.”
The Rams’ turnovers were certainly key to the outcome of the game, as the club did come out ahead in several key aspects. L.A. tallied 345 total yards, 20 first downs, 35:05 in time of possession, and finished 9-of-19 in third-down efficiency.
“You look at a 17-10 game, and you turn the ball over four times on offense, something’s going well for you — and that was the defensive effort and the special team effort,” Fisher said. “But we just couldn’t overcome the turnovers.”
Indeed, in the Rams’ four losses this season, they have come out behind in the turnover margin. In their three wins, they’ve come out ahead.
2) Sticking with Keenum
With Fisher saying he didn’t feel Keenum was the reason for the Rams’ three straight losses, it’s not too much of a surprise that he’s also stated that Keenum will continue as Los Angeles’ starting quarterback.
“I have not changed my mindset whatsoever with respect to Case and Jared,” Fisher said Monday, referring to the Rams’ No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. “Jared is going to be our starter [eventually], but we’re going to continue with Case.”
This week will provide Goff with an opportunity to take some more reps in practice. While Fisher has said Goff gets reps here and there during a regular practice week, there aren’t many opportunities to put the rookie behind center when preparing to win on Sunday. Of course, that isn’t the case this week.
“I don’t feel like Case needs the reps Wednesday and early next week,” Fisher said. “So, Jared will get those reps, which is good.”
Fisher also said young players like wideouts Pharoh Cooper and Nelson Spruce should be able to get reps this week.
3) Defense bounces back
Los Angeles’ defense had a tough two-game stretch against Buffalo and Detroit, but bounced back nicely with a strong performance against the Giants. The unit allowed only 10 points, as New York scored a touchdown off an interception. And Joyner forced a fumble on the Giants’ second play from scrimmage, which cornerback E.J. Gaines recovered to start his strong day.
The Rams’ defense allowed just 196 yards passing on 37 attempts from quarterback Eli Manning. Famed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was largely quiet on Sunday as well, with only five receptions for 49 yards.
“We challenged ourselves,” Joyner said. “We just had to challenge ourselves and prove ourselves the point that we can compete in this league as a secondary.”
“Well, our goal going in was to be better in the run game, and was to take away the deep throws. And be very much aware of where Odell lined up. And we did so,” Fisher said Sunday.
4) A need to eliminate mental mistakes
Part of the issue with Los Angeles has been a lack of consistency and mental errors. Whether it’s penalties or otherwise, those are factors that the Rams must clean up as they begin the second half of the season.
Running back Todd Gurley called for reflection after the game, saying members of the Rams must ask themselves, “are you helping, or are you hurting the team? It’s as simple as that. Mental mistakes, we can’t have. From everybody.
“It’s football,” Gurley added. “We’ve been doing this our whole life. Can’t be shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Asked as a follow-up how he feels he’s been doing himself, Gurley said, “You know, some games I’m hurting myself. Some games I feel like I’m doing as much as I can. And I don’t think it’s — It’s definitely not effort, because everybody, we love this game. And we want to win.
“But we just have to do the little things. The simple things,” Gurley continued. “Football is the only sport you have — I don’t know, there might be other sports — but you practice every day. You know what I’m saying? You practice every day. You play one game a week, and you practice every day. So you shouldn’t even” — the running back snapped his fingers — “when the game comes, it should be second nature.”
Those words, however, don’t constitute finger pointing. As Gurley said before, it’s about getting better as a collective unit.
“We lost the game. Penalties happened, turnovers happened, all of that stuff happened. But you’ve got to move on from this and stay together,” Gurley said. “When times get rough, everybody goes to pointing fingers in the locker room, media, whatever it is. So we’re on the field together so we’ve just got to stay together.”
5) Plan for the bye week
Younger players getting reps in practice means some of the more veteran players will be able to get some needed rest for the week and the weekend.
“Everybody has different needs and I think that’s the most important thing, is you address the needs. We have guys that need to rest, we have guys that need some work,” Fisher said. “This week is about resting, it’s about recovering – which we say all the time – it’s also about getting away and coming back recharged, that’s probably the most important thing.”
Fisher added the Rams have a chance to get some players back after the bye, which would put the club in good shape for Week 9.
“We have a chance to be extremely healthy, if you compare the roster after this bye week to the start of the regular season, so that’s encouraging,” Fisher said. “We’re going to work hard over the next couple of days, as staff – looking at what’s been good and what’s not, where we need to improve. I think realistically, when the guys come back after the bye week, we’ll have a couple of good days of work and then we’ll get ready for the Panthers.”
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