The Professor scrimmage report covering the 8/9 event

A huge crowd for the joint practice. The bleachers on both fields were packed as was one of the two end zone bleachers. Practice was supposed to start at 4:30 and at that time the chargers were out stretching on the far field but the rams were not out yet. The rams came out about 15 minutes later and did not seem to have as organized a pre-game warm up. However, I was sitting in the bleachers on the chargers side. There was no place to sit in the bleachers on the near field so I am not sure exactly what they were doing. At around 5 pm, the chargers offense and rams defense went the far field and the Rams O and Chargers D went to the near field. I stayed on the far side so watched our D vs. their O. The first drill was one on one passing. Two QBs were alternating throws. One throwing to the left side of the field, the other to the right. The offense was going to the far end zone (near where I was sitting). The rams were playing well. I don’t think any of the first 10 pass were caught but I may have missed one on the right side of the field. You may have heard about the fights, Tru was flagged on one play about ten yards down field and then probably had interference at the end of the play. It got rough between Tru and the receiver with helmets coming off. Robey Coleman came over and got into it with the SD receiver. I am not sure which SD player it was but someone came off and took Coleman off his feet and basically drove right through him and body slammed him down. It was about 10 yards in front of me. Everybody got into it then and this was only 5 minutes in. Not a good look for the rams, after last year’s scrimmage with Dallas. When everyone calmed down, Tru and Robey Coleman sat out for a few minutes to calm down. The rams dbs constantly were draped over the SD receivers. There were a number of balls tipped and knocked down. A few times flags were thrown on the rams and at least once, no flag was thrown, but I would have tossed one if I was the ref. SD started getting some receptions doing well with slants. Webster was beat on a nice leaping catch by Dontrell Inman. He also gave up a catch on his next time up against Jamall Jones (I don’t know anything about him). A few minutes later the teams moved on to 7 on 7s. After a SD run up the middle, a fight broke out between E.J. Gaines and Jamall Jones on the near side of the field. It looked like the fight started after the whistle. Again, lots of players got involved and the coaches had to calm things down. When 11 on 11s started, Tru batted down a pass. Kennan Allen had a nice completion, two runs (hard to tell how much they got as it was hard to see through the players on the sideline blocking my view. Gates had a nice catch.

At the break, most players moved over to the other field. I went that way and watched from the end zone bleachers. Special teams and punting was up next. When the rams were punting, at least one did not look good, not much hang time nor was it deep. When the rams were the receiving team, Kupp was first up as the returner, he made two people miss and would have had a 20 or 30 yard return. After two returns, Shakeir Ryan came on as the return man. I don’t know what was up with SD’s long snapper, but two high poor snaps in a row led to poor punts and no chance for Ryan to field the punt. Shippen came in for two and fielded two deep punts, and had lots of room to return the first. It was deep and pinned in the corner, but the punter outkicked his gunner (I guess trying to make up for the previous two punts). Ryan got another shot at it, and juked out a few players and took it to the house.

At the next break, the teams went back to 7 on 7s. I stayed on the rams’ O side. Gurley had a nice catch on the first play. Next play was a TD down the middle to Higbee. However, I felt the ball was flat and may not have had such a good end result if there was a safety out there playing center field. Woods had some nice grabs and Hemmingway had some mice catches.

When Mannion was in, he had an incomplete followed by a pass I felt he held too long but the throw led to a nice catch by LLorens. Mannion hit Shippen and Spruce on the next two passes. Spruce took a hit from two defenders but got a few yards post catch.

When Goff came back in, he had a quick hit to Goff and then to Woods, who took a big hit but held on. McRoberts made a nice leaping catch and Shippen had some nice moves after a catch as well.

In the 11 on 11s, Goff had a deep pass to Gurley, if he led him more it was a TD, as it stood interference was called on SD so it would have been a 40 yard pick up. Spruce had a couple of catches, and then Gurley was opened but led too much, Gurley tried to one hand it but could not. Next pass was thrown slightly behind Woods in the middle of the field for an incompletion. Mannion hit Justin Davis and then overthrew McRoberts heading about 15 yards downfield to the left sideline, someone on the sideline had that pass hit him in the face. Next pass was off target again to McRoberts going toward the right sideline.
From what I saw, the rams’ O did better early on rather than later. In the next set, Goff hit Higbee and then Woods had a nice catch keeping his feet in bounds on the right sideline. Goff then hit Higbee for what would have been a big gain but he bobbled and dropped it. Next pass to Cooper by the left sideline was blocked. Goff’s next pass was batted down at the line. Next play he held the ball too long and the ref whistled it dead (would have been a sack).
In the Red Zone, Goff had a nice roll out (looked designed) and throw to Woods but he could not hold on. Gurley took two handoffs first was whistled dead prior to the end zone, the second did not get in up the middle.

When the 2s came in with Mannion, Llorens had a nice run around the left edge followed up by a nice catch. When I watched practice on Friday, Llorens looked really good when running with the 3s. It seems I was not the only one who noticed this as he got a lot of playing time with 2s today.
When Goff and the 1s came back on, Goff had a nice pocket but led his receiver too much in the end zone for an inc. He changed the next play at the line and handed off to Gurley up the middle for little gain. Higbee had a drop in the end zone, and when the 2s were back, the defender jumped a route and knocked down what would have been a TD to Spruce.

I have less notes for the later part of the practice. Goff was picked on the sidelines and he hit on a deep sideline pass on the left side to Kupp.
I only focused on the line a bit. On the first play Hav ate up his man. On the next, Hav and Brown did a nice job taking on the two lineman, but the corner had a free beeline to the QB on Hav’s side (there was not TE or RB) there to help. The ref blew it dead but Goff threw it complete to Higbee on the left side. I am not sure if the DB would have got there in time for the sack, but even if he didn’t he would have blown up Goff. One other time I watched the line, there was a big hole in the center of the line and a LB was coming in, Eldrencamp filled the hole and stuffed the LB.

At the end of session, the teams went to a two minute drill. Both the rams’ ones and twos ended those drills with incomplete passes (the last one was batted down). After the joint practice ended on the rams’ O side of the field, the rams 3s faced each other. On the first play, Llorens again got the edge running to the left. At that point, I left as I had to pick up my son. For those who will get their first shot at watching the 2017 rams when the play Dallas, pay attention in the 4th quarter to #37 De’Mard Llorens. I am not saying he will make the squad, but he is definitely making his presence known.

Final note on Goff: He looks much better this summer than last. He looked in way over his head last year in the preseason, holding the ball too long, getting sacked, fumbling, and throwing picks. He is not a stud yet, but he has come a long way from last year. He is clearly better than Mannion and that was not the case last summer.

So Ram — general camp goer commentary, 8/9

The Rams depth is better now than it has been.

Nick Robey is looking good. Joyner is out so Cody Davies is an excellent back up at FS. John Johnson.

Tru & Webster look solid. There is a lot of young depth at CB. Even Hatfield is looking good. Troy Hill has stepped up. Last Thursday didn’t look that good. Since then looks even better than EJ Gaines at CB.

LBer’s ? Will see. Quinn& Barwin will add serious pressure of opposing QBs.

Westbrooks is good.

RB depth? Malcom Brown is looking real good. Surprising hands out of the backfield.

Hemingway’ growth is fun to watch. He is a stud. Harkey I believe makes the team. He can always be used as an extra blocker. Higbee has been inconsistent.

The OL’s starting 5 is already in place, however that will look like. I actually think Kromer has it right with Jamon Brown at RT. After Monday’s practice I’m really impressed by John Sullivan. Saffold in between He & Whit is cool. Pace Murray looks good. He is the next man up. The Rams have him switching everywhere. He will play guard or tackle. He’s just a baller. Donnal has been hurt , but I think the Rams go light on the offensive line. I think that is a strength,but Saffold scares me injury wise. Blythe doesn’t stand out. Eldrenkamp looks good. Williams has to go for sure. Depth = Wichmann,Donnal,Pace Murray,Eldrenkamp?

IS JARED GOFF TOUGH ENOUGH TO BE THE KING OF HOLLYWOOD?
The Rams QB is sick of losing and does not want you thinking he’s soft. The recovering No. 1 pick is gonna do L.A. his way—even if he takes some licks in the process.

TYLER DUNNE

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2726189-jared-goff-rams-interview-2017-nfl-season-preview

Adversity makes quarterbacks, and no, this is not adversity. This is a life that’s too good to be true.

His high school, nestled west of San Rafael Bay, California, resembles a tropical oasis. Kids eat lunch outdoors at Marin Catholic…on leather cushions…on pristine wooden benches…covered by navy awnings.

Jared Goff glides through his old hallways with a few of his best friends just like old times, past the site of “Saladgate,” right to the Class of 2013 headshots. There’s Goff, grinning, bow tie ‘n’ all.

He walks outside. Far behind an end zone, there’s a parking structure that is an architectural masterpiece. Off in the distance, behind the bleachers, is Mount Tamalpais. It’s a sight straight out of National Geographic. This is the nation’s 17th-richest county.

Goff shrugs and acknowledges he’s never been through any chilling hardships off the field. All four of his grandparents and both parents are still alive, he notes, as are his closest friends.

He was Cal’s first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener. He was drafted first overall into the NFL.

He doesn’t have a blemish on his face, and his hairline isn’t merely intact—his full, golden locks flow in the wind. And sure, Goff listens to Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. What of it?

He’s not like Dak Prescott, whose mom died. He’s not like Derek Carr, whose infant son nearly died.

Nor is he a 199th overall pick like Tom Brady. Nor was he embarrassed nationally in a green room like Aaron Rodgers.

Goff entered the NFL unscathed, it seemed, but he was then bruised and bloodied and winless through seven starts. Now, the future of pro football in the country’s second-most populated city rests on his shoulders. This 22-year-old can be the King of Los Angeles, the reason for people to care about the NFL in the land of Magic and Kobe and Kershaw and LaVar and Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. And geez, if only people would stop confusing him with Ryan Gosling. Dozens ask if he’s him. He says he’s not. They move on, disappointed.

With his feet now propped up on the desk of his old high school coach, Goff rubs a cold water bottle against his forehead.

Back at Marin Catholic to run his first football camp and tournament, he’s asked to relive a hellish rookie season.

The first hit that comes to mind? Goff pretends to punch himself across the face: “I don’t even remember who it was.” Down 42-7 against Atlanta on Dec. 11, he ran for the end zone and was helicoptered at the goal line: “If I give everything I got and I get hurt, so be it.” Against Seattle four days later, he never even saw Richard Sherman in his peripheral: “I’m trying to score. I was never thinking, ‘OK, I’m going to get hit.'”

He was sacked 26 times in those seven losses. A human pinata. And he knows what you’re thinking: that he’s too soft, too overwhelmed, a kid too blinded by those L.A. lights.

So he’s blunt.

Right here, the essence of Goff crystallizes. One thought, above all else, drives him play in and play out.

“I’m more afraid that people will be like, ‘He’s a little bitch,’ than I am of truly getting hit,” Goff says. “So that’s what drives me to be like, ‘I’m fine.’ That mentality is what keeps me in the game.

“I remember going in for that touchdown [against Atlanta], knowing I’m about to get absolutely sandwiched.

“Sure enough, my chinstrap came off. My nose was bleeding.”

In Year 2, he must wipe that blood away and win.

Quarterbacks are not allowed to be goofy, or fun.

You must stand at the podium and filibuster to the masses on the merits of seizing opportunities and giving 110 percent. You must conduct yourself as a buttoned-up CEO 24/7 and take yourself far too seriously.

Dabbing? A borderline misdemeanor. Barking at a teammate after a drop? Classless. Aloof after an interception? Memed for life. NFL teams make $100 million investments in you these days, so every word, every reaction to success and failure is scrutinized.

Then there’s Goff, here at his camp, throwing fade routes to 10- and 11-year-olds. He wants each of them to dance after every score.

One kid does the worm. “Wow!” he yells.

One bowls the football to knock over another coach at the camp. “That’s choreographed. That’s a $5,000 fine!”

He’s no robot, crafting an artificial image of himself. He’s also no suave celeb, cutting people out of his life due to inconvenience.

Goff is who he is.

He’s a prankster. When he was seven years old, in the family hot tub, Goff told his mom to look through the hole on the other end of a pool noodle. Nancy Goff didn’t think twice because he was so young. Jared then proceeded to blow 100-degree water straight into her cornea.

“I thought he blew my eye out,” Nancy says now. “I really thought I lost my eye.”

Into high school, Jared and his pal Robbie Terheyden devised a ruthless prank on a pizza delivery man. Jared tied up his friend and stuffed him into a closet near the front door. When the pizza arrived, Robbie jolted out in nothing but his underwear and stormed through the door while screeching: “Save me! Save me! He’s got me held hostage!”

This prank didn’t land. The guy delivering the pizza said he was from New York City and saw this all the time.

And oh, about “Saladgate.”

Goff and Co. once placed a plate of salad on top of a door hinge so when one of their friends walked through, it’d spill all over him. That friend never arrived as planned. So they took the plate down, set the plate up, took it down, set it up until…one girl walked through and the salad spilled all over her. To this day, nobody knows who exactly was the guilty party. All were punished.

Stay on alert. He’s still at it. Just a few days before his camp back home, Goff found a small garter snake in his garage, put it in a cup and pretended to throw it at his mom. One problem. When he looked in the cup, the snake was gone.

“I’m like, ‘Where is it?'” Mom says. “He’s like, ‘I don’t know.'”

Dad chimes in.

“It’s in the house somewhere.”

The Rams see this side of Goff daily.

“He’s a corny dude,” receiver Pharoh Cooper says. “He’s got a little cornball to him. That’s just how he is.”

He’s loyal. Over Christmas break in college, Goff awoke to a 4 a.m. phone call. It didn’t matter that he had a 6 a.m. workout in Berkeley, about 30 miles from home. When Ryan Farney, a former high school teammate, and another friend called to say they just blew $800 at a casino and didn’t have enough money for their cab to take them all the way home, Goff was there within 10 minutes to pick them up at the exit where their driver had dropped them off.

And before threatening his mom with that snake, Jared asked her to walk outside on Mother’s Day. Right there, with a big red bow on top, was a 2018 Audi Q5.

He’s smarter than you think. The world had a laugh at Goff’s expense when he said on HBO’s Hard Knocks he didn’t know the sun set in the west. But this wealthy kid from Novato was also the only Caucasian in an African-American Studies class at Cal. He’s always challenging his mind, exploring what he doesn’t know.

He’s also always trying out new technology. Goff loves his drone and has gotten better at flying it since he landed it in his neighbor’s pool. And somehow—his close friend Cam Croteau still has no clue how—Goff effectively hacked into the cellphones of both Croteau and one of Croteau’s cousins so it seemed like they had called each other.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey, what’s up?”

Both were confused. Goff simply listened in from his own phone and laughed.

He’s authentic. Before the NFL draft, one scout, roaming the campus in disguise, approached Goff and said, “You’re Jared Goff! You must be a big deal here!” to gauge his reaction. Goff told him he was simply a student at Cal.

This constellation of character traits is what has endeared Goff to teammates.

“He’s a serious dude,” Farney says. “But there’s a side to him that’s lighthearted, and that’s what makes him sincere. He’s the real deal. A genuine guy.”

So, no, Goff is not soaking in L.A. Last year, Goff turned down all but two invitations to movie premieres. He checked out Beauty and the Beast only because his mother and sister wanted to go and Kong: Skull Island because he knew some people involved with the movie. He’ll eat sushi downtown each Thursday. Other than that, he has zero plans to bask in the Hollywood limelight.

He’s single and not ready to mingle. A celebrity relationship is at his fingertips, but he’ll pass.

“You don’t have to be the King of L.A.,” Mom says, “in the way one person thinks you’re the King of L.A. He’ll do it his way.”

Her son puts it a different way.

“Do you think Tom Brady is with Gisele [Bundchen] if he doesn’t win a Super Bowl? No. There’s nothing that matters if you don’t win games. It’s just like if you’re an actor or actress or a rapper or anything. If you don’t produce, people won’t care.”

Getty Images
The skepticism wasn’t a shock because Mazi Moayed understands perception. Still, this predraft question from a Rams scout—Is Jared tough?—felt like more of an insult to Goff’s former high school coach.

He pointed to countless plays, comebacks, hits taken, hits delivered, the 1-11 season at Cal.

“Extremely tough,” Moayed says. “He’s mentally and emotionally strong.”

Goff, still sitting at Moayed’s desk, listens to that story and assures he doesn’t care about perception.

“If people think I’m soft, I don’t really care. That doesn’t bother me,” Goff says, contradicting what he’d said moments earlier. “I know what my teammates think.”

Because underneath that layer of “cornball” is a layer of grit that most outsiders miss.

He insists he’s never been hurt. He doesn’t know what hurt even means—he’s only been injured twice (ever) in all sports. High ankle sprains. Blindside hits. He plays through everything. And Goff repeats he did not suffer a concussion on that Sherman hit despite the team announcing it as such, saying he scored higher on his post-hit concussion test than his initial baseline test.

The Rams wouldn’t let him back in.

Now it sure sounds like Goff wants a piece of Sherman.

“He said I was running disrespectful,” Goff says sternly. “I think he was mad, too. I kept throwing at him.”

Count on seeing Goff’s mean streak this season. It’s inside of him. Boiling. Waiting to burst. Once, when Goff was the second baseman on Marin Catholic’s baseball team, the runner in front of him was signaling pitches to the batter. Goff was livid. He told the runner, on the spot, that if he did it one more time he’d make sure a fastball was thrown directly at his rib cage.

In football, when Marin Catholic was demolishing a team, someone speared Goff in the sternum as he held the ball on an extra-point attempt.

“This rugby dude just comes in, flying headfirst—pow!—right in his chest,” Moayed says. “It was totally intentional.”

Goff popped up, ready to fight, and the player scurried away.

“I’m like, ‘Where are you going?'” Goff says.

Moayed calls it a “Joe Coolness.” He was so calm, so cool in leading his team to legendary comeback wins, but he can also “rip your heart out.” Sure enough, Goff has always worn No. 16 for Joe Montana. It was his dad’s idea long ago.

Ever since then, Jerry Goff has never been able to tell if his son threw four touchdowns or four picks.

“Even at Cal when it was a shitshow and with the Rams when it was tough, he’s got that ability to keep it in perspective,” says Dad, a former MLB player. “Of course you want to go nuts when you’re not playing well and throw shit and break stuff—that’s my personality—but he’s different. He keeps the positive energy going in the right direction.

“At the same time, he’ll carve you up if he needs to.”

Because last season wasn’t the first shitshow Goff encountered.

He’s confident—borderline positive—he can turn the Rams around because of that first year at Cal. As the losses mounted—55-16, 49-17, 62-28—Goff was hammered. He suffered a Grade 1 shoulder separation in a 63-13 loss to Stanford, played on and wasn’t forced out until another hit made it a Grade 3. “My arm was stuck,” he recalls. Meanwhile, upperclassmen never seemed to care. They headed straight to bars and frat houses after games.

And it pissed Goff off.

“I’m embarrassed,” Goff says. “I’m like, ‘What are you guys doing going to a frat party after a game? We just got our ass kicked.’ … Seeing now, seeing some of these guys who are at Cal, the culture is so much different. I hope I had something to do with it.”

He sparked a sense of accountability. Changing a culture, to Goff, is both macro and micro.

Of course, you need to deliver on the field, but it also takes doing the little things. It’s gathering up everyone’s wristbands after practice in high school to have them washed. Years past, sweaty bands were all tossed into a bucket after every practice, and it smelled like death. It’s having “Back with a Vengeance” shirts printed after Marin Catholic lost at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum his junior year. They won the NorCal finals the next year.

Above all, Goff knows every teammate is watching his every move.

Standing on the sideline at his son’s camp, Jerry Goff taps open his phone to show a side of Jared nobody saw last season. It’s the aftermath of the worst hit Goff took in the preseason. Covering his entire lower back is a black bruise so big, so gory, it’s something straight out of a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Cooper brought the sight up himself unsolicited. “Horrible,” the receiver says with a shudder.

Translation: Goff was thrown into the exact opposite situation as Dallas’ Prescott, He was handed a porous offensive line, a dearth of weaponry and no guidance. Nonetheless, there was Goff after taking seven sacks in a 44-6 flogging against Arizona, walking locker to locker.

Never forget this feeling, he told teammates. You never want to feel it again.

The Rams have endured 10 straight losing seasons. Pro football has failed, miserably, in L.A. before.

This is his greatest challenge.

“I think he embraces that. I really do,” his dad says. “He hasn’t said this, but he wants to prove L.A. made the right decision in giving up a bunch. That’s with him every day. He wants to show the fans and the organization, You know what, you invested this much in me, I’m going to give it all back to you guys with a championship.”

Goff knows the standard is different for him. It’s better that way, he promises.

But it’s also true a quarterback can get beaten down to the point of no return.

The Goff family sits among the fans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, right at the 50-yard line. Dad no longer tracks the ball. Instead, his eyes stay on Jared through the finish of the throw. Mom says a prayer aloud every game as her daughter asks, “Are you talking to yourself?”

Replays are the worst for her. She can hear the crunch of the hit.

And elsewhere, there’s doubt. A lot of doubt.

One NFC scout, likely speaking for others, calls Goff a career backup.

“He was a slow processor,” the scout says. “He took big shots. He reminds me of Blaine Gabbert early in his career, where he got hit so much you worry, ‘Is he going to bounce back his next years?’ … Some of these thinly built people get fucked up. That goes back to the violence of the NFL and the physical collisions. This is a fast, physical game. With defensive lines today, there’s a lot of bullets flying at you, and I just don’t see the calmness; I just don’t see the poise.”

Which isn’t what the Rams mortgaged their future to acquire. One reason they coughed up a first, two seconds and a third-round draft pick in 2016 and a first and a third in 2017 was Goff’s ability to hang in the pocket for that extra split-second, wait for a receiver to make a cut and whistle a bullet on the money before getting drilled. That’s what led to a 39-4 record in high school and a string of records at Cal.

As a rookie, he appeared damaged. Different. Whether Goff can recapture this poise, his best quality, may answer whether he takes L.A. or not. Sacked a combined 433 times, David Carr and Tim Couch eroded into shells of themselves.

This NFC scout looks at Goff and sees a similar demise brewing. He also sees a striking lack of presence, of that desirable mold we’ve all come to expect from a quarterback. He interpreted Goff’s attitude as being “too cool for school,” adding that he appeared “completely rattled” when news of his nine-inch hands went viral at the NFL combine.

Those closest to Goff are adamant such an opinion is wrong.

Moayed takes a look at Goff, now about 15 yards away near the field, and repeats that tough comes in different categories.

With Goff, “it’s inner.”

“You can’t see it,” Moayed says. “There’s tough guys who come out of all kinds of environments. Yeah, he’s GQ-smooth when you look at him. But he has the competitive toughness. I have zero doubts—zero doubts—that he’ll be successful at that level.”

Adds Cooper: “On the outside, you’re not going to think he’s tough. It’s just the way he carries himself and looks, you know? But on the field, he’s a tough guy.”

When 250-pounders with 4.5 speed barrel down this season, Chase Forrest, one of Goff’s backups at Cal, knows what’ll happen.

“He’s going to prevail,” Forrest says. “That’s what he does.”

He better. Goff acknowledges he’s never had a Plan B, adding, “That’s not good.” Since high school, it’s been NFL or bust, something his parents say they didn’t know. This doesn’t necessarily add to the pressure of being a QB in L.A. Rather, Goff sees this as an opportunity to mold a team in his image.

Forget red carpets and lavish outfits and photo ops.

This clean slate excites Goff more than anything.

“I have an opportunity to represent this team the way I want to represent it and the way I want people to think of us,” Goff says. “It’s not the other way around: I’m not going to let people react to what I do. I’m going to force what I want the Rams to stand for. People say being the face of a franchise is so stressful, so hard. But I get to show you what I want our team to stand for.”

The answer to that, to him, is simple.

“Not being OK with ‘I lost.’ No. That’s not OK. You think the best teams in the league do that?

“No.”

Don’t you dare call him a Golden State Warriors bandwagoner. At a Novato Chick-fil-A, donning a bright-gold Dubs shirt, Goff name-drops left and right. Adonal Foyle. Speedy Claxton. Troy Murphy. Ike Diogu!

He still owns a retro J-Rich jersey. He’s pals with Steve Kerr’s daughter and keeps in touch with the coach himself. He went to a Warriors basketball camp at eight years old. His favorite player, easily, is Draymond Green. And he’ll rip anyone who refers to Golden State as a “superteam,” ranting that they built primarily through the draft. The Warriors will be the front-runners to win a championship in 2018, 2019 and probably 2020.

Goff will celebrate each title, too.

As for his own team? The expectations feel just as high: “Win the division. Once you do that, anything can happen.” This year’s offense under new head coach Sean McVay, he explains, is more QB-friendly. The two speak regularly and even share texts here at dinner.

And all offseason…all summer…right into Week 1 and beyond, Goff has and will set every precedent. During the spring, he was at the facility each morning at 6:30. He treats quarterbacking as parenting, blistering some teammates for mistakes (like Tyler Higbee), while still feeling out the newcomers (like new No. 1, Robert Woods).

“It’s like having kids, and I’m managing all of them,” Goff says. “Then your kid yells back at you. You say, ‘Run your route,’ and they yell back, ‘Throw the ball where it needs to be!'”

Any temptations in Hollywood and any fears of this new coaching staff canning him any moment never pollute his mind. Distractions are eliminated. Goff is obsessed with one thing and one thing only: setting the standard.

“It’s my team,” Goff says. “I need to treat it like, ‘What would Drew Brees do today? What would Brady do today?'”

Surrounded by kids and parents in the final moments of camp, Goff is barely audible. He tells them all that it’s weird to see his own name on all these shirts—a bit strange considering he could be the face of an entire sport in L.A. Millions of dollars are at stake. Jobs are at stake. His own future is at stake.

For a moment, the crown appears too heavy for Goff. He’s still the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL, after all.

But he knows a turning point is coming. Maybe it’ll be another eyesore of a bruise. A comeback. A stern scolding of a teammate for pounding beers after a loss. Or maybe it’ll be a clutch throw right at a Richard Sherman, a Patrick Peterson. At some point in 2017, Goff must assert himself when all eyes are on him.

As he walks to his car, Goff speaks as if he already knows the outcome. There’s not a blip of hesitancy, let alone doubt, in his voice.

“I’m someone who’s going to fight until I can’t fight anymore,” he says. “I’m not going to quit until they take me off the field. You have to drag me off. I only know one way. I’ve done it in the past. I’ve done it my whole life. I plan to do it with the Rams. I plan on turning things around soon—sooner than later.

“Everyone’s going to see a completely different team this year.”

He’ll need to be the reason why.

Los Angeles Rams HC Sean McVay

(On the fights from today and whether he expected them)

“I think anytime you practice against somebody else guys are competitive, especially after the first day where there’s some good back and forth. Starting out with the one on ones, guys are competitors that’s what makes them great. We always want to be smart about it, but those are things that we’ll be able to look at and figure out exactly what happened. Going to back and forth, it’s hard to exactly say what’s had gone on. But, I thought the guys did a nice job regaining their poise and finding a way to get through this practice where we both got something out of it.”

(On how much better our performance was today from Saturday’s scrimmage)

“It’s a little bit hard to say right now, just because being a little bit more involved with the offense the other day where I was a little bit back and forth just based on the way things played on earlier on in practice. Until we fully go back and watch the tape it’s hard to say. What you did feel was good energy on both sides and I think that’s what we were trying to get accomplished.”

(On whether he was surprised by the number of on-field altercations between the teams today)

“Guys are great competitors, like I said we always want to be mindful, smart of this about how we do this. I’ve been a part of something like this when we practiced against the (Houston) Texans in Washington. Fortunately nobody got hurt as a result of it and we’ll try to be mindful of those things moving forward.”

(On what he said to CB E.J. Gaines)

“That’s between me and E.J., just letting him know that I’m with him and I’m supporting him and love him. But really, nothing else other than that.”

(On the fine line between intensity and not being smart and whether he was okay with the intensity)

“Because, the majority of it went on when I was on the other field and then didn’t see anything really occur like that, once I had kind of spent a little bit more time being on the defensive side and kind of bouncing back and forth. I thought the guys did a nice job after we gathered up though of regaining their poise. And that’s what practice is. You’re trying to mimic and emulate those game-like situations and we know that if we lose out poise in situations like that, usually that dictates a 15-yard penalty and that can be the difference between winning and losing a games. We’ve got to be mindful of that and do a good job moving forward.”

(On without looking at the film, what he likes)

“Like I said, I like the energy. I like the way that when I was over this side with the two minute drill that our defense stopped them on both drives. And those are where games are won and tight games at the end and two-minutes where we had to get a stop prevent them from being able to get a chance to kick a field goal. Both of our defense units stopped them from that. Other than that, just the overall competitiveness, going against another quality team is something that will be beneficial for us moving forward into the season.”

(On whether calming them down was the general message when he gathered them)

“Yeah, absolutely. You just want to be mindful of making sure that nobody gets injured. These guys are great competitors, but I thought they did a good job responding after we kind of came up as a team.”

(On whether the team playing with intensity is something he encourages)

“Yeah, I think that’s something we can enjoy about our guys is how competitive they are. We’ve got a good juice on both side of the football and our special teams competes with great effort and intensity and that’s what we want to embody as a team, but we want to do it smart.”

(On what he thought of QB Jared Goff today)

“I was over on this field a lot, I didn’t see a whole lot of the practice, just because we were doing a lot of two spot drills where things were going on at the same time. So, like I said, until I go back and really watch the tape – it’s hard to say.”

(On if there is a benefit to scrimmage against a team whom they face in the preseason)

“I think it’s good work for us both. It’s one thing if you’re playing them in the regular season where you want to be mindful of not giving away a couple of the things that you’re doing, but the preseason offers an opportunity to get ready for the season and I think that’s where it actually helps us out. Being able to practice against a different defense and offensive system and special teams getting to compete against them and being able to do that in two good practices and then go against them in Week 3 of the preseason. I think it will be great for us.”

(On not being able to monitor what the first team offense is doing at all times)

“It’s tough and that’s something that I’m getting used to and really I think it was more of a result of having a two-spot drill. Typically, if we were both just going one at a time you’re able to be a little bit more – you’re able to be involved the way you’d like to on the offensive side and then kind of have a feel for the defense and special teams, but today dictated a little bit different response and you know, I thought it was a great opportunity for those guys on offense to do some good things and again, I can’t wait to really watch the tape and get a better feel for it.”

(On how the Rams offense responded in today’s joint practice with the L.A. Chargers)

“Well, I thought they did a good job. The first time that we went against them a couple days ago, just adjusting some different things. Clearly they’ve got some premiere rushers on the edge in (DE Joey) Bosa and (DE Melvin) Ingram and I think (DT Brandon) Mebane offers a nice presence and they do a good job with some different packages that they’ll create on some of those third down situations and I think they’re going to be a tough defense which is why it’s such good work for us to get.”

(On the right side of the offensive line)

“We haven’t yet. I think we’ll get a chance to go back, look at this tape. Now we’ve had a couple days where (OL) Rob (Havenstein) and (G) Jamon (Brown) have played the guard and tackle position and we’ll get a feel for what we think is the best way to situate those five, kind of after meeting as a staff and talking it over.”

(On if seeing the same team so often and having both fan bases in attendance triggers fights)

“I think just great competitors that – you know, always want to be mindful of pushing it too far and I think that’s where sometimes you always want to just monitor that when you’re competing against other teams in practice, where you’ve seen it occur and those are things that are good learning opportunities for us as a team to say, ‘We can’t have this happen during the game’ and if we’re able to maintain our poise then that is what’ll keep us out of those bad situations that occur as just a result of us keeping that composure in those crunch-time situations.”

(On the reason fighting is more prevalent in joint practices as opposed to preseason games)

“I think it’s hard to say. I think it’s just great competitors and it’s also a little bit different setup in terms of where you’re actually going in all team settings and then when you go in actual one-on-ones where you’re really just isolating matchups, I think that’s when things can get a little bit more competitive and that’s probably a result of kind of when things started to get a little out-of-hand, if you will, early on at practice, but fortunately we were able to come together and finish it out and get the work that we wanted.”

(On what kind of test the Cowboys are to his team this Saturday)

“It’s a great test. I think (Cowboys Head) Coach (Jason) Garrett does an excellent job with the team and it’s clear why they were NFL East champs last year, so I think it offers an excellent opportunity for our team to go against a quality opponent and see how our first-string guys handle those first couple plays that we’ll give them and you know whether we play them through the first quarter or a couple drives, it’s going to be determined, but it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

***

QB Jared Goff

(On if they expected the practice to be a little feisty)

“Yeah I think day two of practicing against them and we’ve seen each other for a little while now. I didn’t see what happened. It was on the opposite field, but sometimes it happens. I thought it was under control for the most part.”

(On if the fights were a distraction for him)

“No. No, I don’t think so. Again, that was on the other side. I didn’t even see what happened. We had to pause for about 30 seconds and then kept going. No, it was fine.”

(On how this practice went for him compared to the last joint practice)

“Good. I think both times were good. I think we got off a lot more plays today. For whatever reason, it felt like we got more series with the offense. I thought it was good. I thought we did well in everything, but in the two-minute. We’d like to have a couple of those back, but then again I think last time we scrimmaged against them we had a good two-minute drill. So you know, today the two-minute drill was probably the one thing we want back and everything else was pretty good.”

(On him doing very well on the two-minute last practice and struggling a bit with that today)

“Yeah there’s always stuff you want to work on. Like I said, that would probably be the one period, I think we would like back, but I thought it was pretty good all around.”

(On opening it up a little bit more and taking more shots downfield)

“Yeah, you’ve got a good idea of what they’re doing now seeing them one time a few days ago, so yeah, we made some good plays on them.”

(On if what the Chargers do up front is good mental practice for him)

“Definitely. Especially when you don’t get a chance to game plan. It does make it a little bit more challenging kind of going on the fly there and trying to figure it out. So yeah, it’s definitely helpful and challenging on myself, challenging on the O-line and I thought they stepped up. They did a good job.”

(On what his goals are for Saturday)

“Just go out there and have fun, play football, get back out there. It feels like it’s been coming for a long time now, kind of get a chance to get back out there in the Coliseum and see all the fans again, have some fun and hopefully score some points.”

(On if he feels like he’s pretty much where he needs to be at this point in training camp)

“Yeah, I feel good. I feel good. Every day you’re trying to get better and continuing to get better. But no, I feel great where we’re at offensively and where we’re at as a team, as well.”

(On finally connecting on some deep balls)

“Yeah, about time. Deep balls come. I think early on in camp you’re just figuring out timing sometimes and just some different things with guys, but it takes time sometimes. I think they are starting to come. We were starting to hit a few today. It was a good job by the receivers of getting open downfield.”

(On Coach McVay as a play caller)

“He’s been great. Every day we’ve had him calling plays and he’s done a great job. He communicates well. I think his track record speaks for itself. Saturday, I’m excited. I think it’s going to be more of the same from what we’ve done in practice. (Inaudible) He’ll call the plays and that’ll be it.”

(On if he has an expectation about the number of snaps he’ll have on Saturday)

“I have no idea. That’s up to the coaches. We haven’t even talked about that yet. I’m sure we’ll get to it in the next couple days, but I’m not sure what we’re going to do.”

(On the atmosphere of this joint practice compared to a normal practice)

“It’s cool. You heard a lot of ‘Chargers suck’ and you heard a lot of ‘Rams suck’. You heard a lot of chants for both sides. It was fun. It was a really good experience out here, a lot of people, I think it was sold out and it was a lot of fun.”

(On if it felt like the fan bases were rooting against the other team)

“Yeah, I’m sure there’s a little rivalry among the fans, both L.A. teams now. But it was a good day today and I had a lot of fun seeing the fans out here.”

(On how his chemistry with TE Tyler Higbee has evolved)

“Two training camps living with him. I’ve spent a lot of time together off the field as well and it’s been good. I think he’s a great player. I think he’s coming along just fine and I’m excited to see what he can do this year as a starter this year. I expect him to do some big things.”

(On if he’s a good roommate)

“He’s okay (Laughs). He’s fine. He does well.”

(On how much different he feels going into this first preseason game compared to last year)

“This is much different. That was my first NFL experience. There was 90,000 people at a preseason game, so I was a little wide-eyed at first, but I feel good now. I feel more excited and I’m ready to get out there and just run some plays – just get out there and see a real defense, maybe get hit a couple times, just go through some things that you go through in a real game and just kind of get back into that feel.”

(On how he would evaluate the team’s composure and poise after the fights)

“Yeah, again, I didn’t see what happened, so I don’t really know what the deal was. But after we had two or three of them, it was smooth sailing from there. I thought we did a good job of responding to it.”

(On if he huddled up and rallied the team)

“On that side we were good. We didn’t have any fights over there, so we didn’t say anything. We were just like, ‘Alright, let’s wait for this one to end and keep going.’ But no, I think we responded well and from what I heard, the defense responded really well, as well.”

Rams lock horns with Chargers during joint practice

Gary Klein and Lindsey Thiry

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-report-20170809-story.html

Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson was not having it, not from Chargers receivers and apparently not from quarterback Philip Rivers.

Early in Wednesday’s joint practice, Johnson jammed Dontrelle Inman at the line of scrimmage and then shadowed the receiver up the field as Rivers fired a midrange pass. The players tangled as they fell to the ground but the battle continued.

Johnson took off his helmet and punched Inman, starting the first of three fights and skirmishes between the teams during a workout that energized and entertained a capacity crowd at UC Irvine.

Johnson and Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman said Rivers had been talking.

“He started it,” Johnson said, “and we basically finished it.”

Rivers did not speak with reporters after the workout.

For an organization that has mostly ignored the Chargers’ “Fight for L.A.” slogan, Rams players were quick to join the multiple frays.

The initial scuffle between Johnson and Inman had paused when Robey-Coleman rushed toward them. Robey-Coleman then shoved Inman to the ground, bringing players from both teams into the fight.

“Emotions got a little high and I had to defend my teammate,” Robey-Coleman said. “That’s part of the code. … As a veteran I know better, and I know I’ve got to have my teammates’ back no matter what.”

Rams coach Sean McVay had warned players before practice not to fight, Robey-Coleman said.

Chargers battle Rams at UC Irvine practice
“I kind of went against it but it was for my teammate,” said Robey-Coleman, who was taken to the locker room to cool off but later returned.

Cornerback E.J. Gaines was involved in the next two fights, emerging bloodied from the first.

McVay gathered his players after the first incident.

“We always want to be mindful and smart of how we do this,” McVay said of joint practices, adding, “Fortunately, nobody got hurt as a result of it and we’ll try to be mindful of those things moving forward.”

The Rams and Chargers will play an exhibition game at the Coliseum on Aug. 26.

The fights resulted from “friendly competition,” Johnson said, adding that the Rams secondary has always been “feisty.”

“Where I’m from, if somebody is going to initiate it, we gonna finish it,” he said. “Especially myself.”

Johnson acknowledged that removing his helmet was unusual.

“I’m from Stockton, man,” he said, laughing. “It just came out of me, it really did. I’m not going to take no mess from nobody, I don’t care who it is.”

Despite the fights, Johnson described it as a productive workout for the Rams defense.

“Philip Rivers, he’s going to be a future Hall of Famer,” said Johnson, who intercepted a Hail Mary at the end of a two-minute drill. “Just building confidence right now. I am proud of my guys.”

Fights break out between Rams and Chargers players
The Rams hosted the Chargers in a combined practice Wednesday at UC Irvine. Three fights broke out between players during the 2 1/2 hour workout. Warning: video contains explicit language.
Going long

Quarterback Jared Goff completed about half of his passes during full-squad drills and struggled during the two-minute portion.

But there was a bright spot: Goff completed several long passes during other drills.

“Yeah, about time right?” he said, jokingly.

Goff connected with K.D. Cannon and tight end Tyler Higbee for the long gains.

“Early on in camp you’re just figuring out timing sometimes and just some different things with guys,” he said. “But it takes time sometimes.

“I think they are starting to come. We were starting to hit a few. … It was a good job by the receivers of getting open downfield.”

Etc.

Receiver Paul McRoberts made several tough catches over the middle and near the sideline. … Shakeir Ryan, an undrafted free agent from Northwestern State, continued an impressive camp by returning a punt for a touchdown. … Cornerback Troy Hill intercepted a pass by quarterback Cardale Jones.

Trumaine Johnson With the INT

Trumaine Johnson picks off Philip Rivers during the Rams-Chargers joint practice in Irvine, Calif.

http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Trumaine-Johnson-With-the-INT/8b406e1f-e486-41f1-b8cd-3218c18007d0

bubbaramfan scrimmage notes covering the 8/9 event

I’m just going to blaze away in no order of what I took away from today’s TC.

LARGE crowd! Stands were full and folks crowding both end zones. 6 to 8 thousand

Lots of intensity from both teams.

Havenstien at RT and Brown at RG all practice. Mostly Woods, Kupp and Cooper (slot). They did mix it up with RB lined up outside (Gurley, Brown) or TE’s outside (Hemingway, Everett, Higbee).

OL was giving QB time in the pocket. Both ones and twos. Lots more completions.

WR’s that stood out: Woods, Kupp, McRoberts, (excellent day for McRoberts), Cooper Spruce and Ryan.

I didn’t pay much attention to the D, (they’re still ahead of the O).

Goff and Mannion look way ahead of where they were last year.

More passes and routes going over the middle.

At least 3 scrums– not too bad, but both teams taking no shyt.

Rams O held their own, moved the ball. I give them a “win” today. I watched most of the practice and the O looked better this time around against the Chargers. Yes the O needs to be better, but it has improved from the last Rams/Chargers practice I attended.

Downtown Rams‏ @DowntownRams
Mannion is receiving lots of pressure. 2nd team OL is clearly a weakness. Mannion misses wide open Spruce on an overthrown ball. #RamsCamp

Mannion throws pass way behind McBob to end offensive side of practice. Perfectly sums up today for #14. #RamsCamp

Practice is now over. Rams O couldn’t pick up more than 2 first downs on any given drive against the Chargers D today. #RamsCamp

Vincent Bonsignore‏ @DailyNewsVinny
Continues to get chippy out here as #Rams and #Chargers throw more blows during special teams phase of practice

Alden Gonzalez‏ @Alden_Gonzalez
Chant from Rams fans: “Pay your rent.”

8to12
Spruce has caught 2 in row: short passes over the middle

Downtown Rams @DowntownRams
Goff threads the needle between converging defenders to Cooper Kupp for the first down. #RamsCamp

Goff to Cooper for another first down #RamsCamp

Lindsey Thiry @LindseyThiry
Rams DB Troy Hill intercepted Cardale Jones a play after DB coach Aubrey Pleasant got after him.

Downtown Rams @DowntownRams
Big Rob Havenstein handling Joey Bosa at right tackle. Nice work by him so far. #RamsCamp

8to12
Overall, the Olineman, 1st and 2nd team, have kept the Chargers pass rush at bay. Goff and Mannion have had time to go through their reads without bailing on the play. Bosa and Engram have not got close to the Rams QB

RamBall
Looks like 11 on 11 starting Gurley up the middle for 6 yards. Havenstien at rt Brown at rg.

Downtown Rams @DowntownRams
Pharaoh Cooper just dropped a pass over the middle #RamsCamp

8to12
11 on 11 now….. 3 runs , 2 passes …. pass pro has been good

Downtown Rams @DowntownRams
Malcom Brown catches pass from JaredGoff for a first down and more. #RamsCamp

RamBall
OL holding up in pas protection so far, not much room to run through

===

A second fight just broke out at Rams Chargers. #FIGHTFORLA pic.twitter.com/Dg0JmEdj6l

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) August 10, 2017

==

RamBall
Mannion to McRoberts for a good gain

Downtown Rams @DowntownRams
Todd Gurley with a nice run through Whitworth and Saffold. Should be a common thing for Gurley moving forward.

Joe Curley‏ @vcsjoecurley
First nice completion of 11 on 11s for the Rams is Mannion to Paul McRoberts for 15 yards. Lot of run plays so far.

Downtown Rams‏ @DowntownRams
Pharaoh Cooper just dropped a pass over the middle #RamsCamp

Should be noted: Goff’s pick 6 to Gaines last week, went off Cooper’s hands.

Rich Hammond‏@Rich_Hammond
Fight #3!

==

Round 3. Mildest so far. pic.twitter.com/LgbZ67m686

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) August 10, 2017

RamBall
10 mins in and only QBs and WRs have made it out for the Rams

#50 and #83 both working out on the side, not participating in scrimmage

Rams doing some 7 on 7

===

"Our House" currently playing as the Rams kick off their practice with the Chargers. Seems fitting

— Kristen Lago (@kristennlago) August 9, 2017

Stands are full pic.twitter.com/nLwUO0f2W7

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 9, 2017

Rams take the field pic.twitter.com/tYs0Z9wAUJ

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 9, 2017

Here come some Rams pic.twitter.com/Cz7lx4kon4

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 9, 2017

GM Les Snead greeting fans on his way in pic.twitter.com/v8ks4EygKK

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 9, 2017

Goff, Mannion, and Orlovsky making their way onto the field #RamsCamp pic.twitter.com/wFVrLdB66N

— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) August 9, 2017

Sam Rogers, the Rams’ ‘nonstop ball of butcher knives,’ is putting in long hours at training camp

RICH HAMMOND

Yeah he can probably catch and block at this level, and play special teams too (both blocking on coverage units).

But, if he can run the ball at this level too?

That would make him a genuine real-deal “find.”

.