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August 28, 2016 at 10:48 am in reply to: Paul Wolfowitz 'might have to vote' for Hillary Clinton #51782
znModeratorMany GOP foreign policy experts see Donald Trump as unfit to be president
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-fg-trump-foreign-policy-20160731-snap-story.html
To the extent Donald Trump has articulated a coherent foreign policy, it appears a dark shoot-from-the-hip unilateralism that puts him at odds with thinking that has dominated the GOP for generations.
As Trump starts his general election campaign, many Republican foreign policy and national security advisers and thinkers who have spent decades promoting America’s preeminent role in world affairs remain deeply skeptical of his views.
They say they are aghast that the GOP nominee boasts of reading little and ignoring expert advice, and instead of gleaning his knowledge of global events from Sunday TV talk shows.
“Donald Trump still has the habits of a reality show host. He says things as dramatically and as provocatively as possible,” said Dimitri Simes, president of the Center for the National Interest, a Washington think tank founded by President Nixon.
Trump rang establishment alarms — again — last week when he urged Russia to find Hillary Clinton’s deleted State Department emails, apparently daring a foreign adversary to hack a federal agency or a U.S. presidential candidate. (Trump later said he was being sarcastic.)
The episode, along with his fresh criticism of U.S. alliances during the Republican National Convention, cemented doubts for many who still had hopes Trump would tamp down his rhetoric for the fall race against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“When he entered the race, the overarching concern was lack of experience and an inability or unwillingness to define what his policy would be,” said Elliot Abrams, a Middle East expert and military hawk who served as deputy national security adviser to George W. Bush.
“Now, particularly after the convention, he has defined it. And it would destroy the greatest single asset we have, which is our alliance structure,” he added.
It was hardly Trump’s first break with orthodoxy.
Trump not only has expressed admiration for Russia’s authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin. He has said he might recognize Russia’s military annexation of Crimea, which America and its allies consider illegal, and might lift U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow for its regional aggression.
Trump has challenged the importance of NATO, the transatlantic military alliance born out of World War II, and shaken one of its pillars by saying he might not defend a member nation under attack from Russia or other invaders, as the treaty requires.
He has called for using torture against terrorism suspects, and has said America has no standing to lecture other nations on human rights and the rule of law, as administrations have done since the depths of the Cold War.
He also has suggested upending decades of U.S. efforts aimed at stopping the spread of nuclear weapons by suggesting Japan and South Korea should build their own atomic arsenal rather than rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella.
By embracing these and other controversial positions, Trump has turned America’s postwar political dynamic on its head. Many foreign policy experts now view the Democratic nominee as a more stable hand on national security than the wobbly GOP.
Trump’s most ardent supporters see his freewheeling approach as refreshing. They relish his role as a rule breaker who mocks the pious language of diplomats and policy wonks. They agree with his allegation that so-called experts have made America weaker and less respected.
But the response from the GOP foreign policy and national security establishment has been fierce.
Some stalwarts — including Richard Armitage, a former high-ranking Pentagon and State Department official, and Brent Scowcroft, who counseled four Republican presidents — have thrown their support to Clinton.
“It’s the fact that our friends aren’t going to trust us and our enemies aren’t going to fear us” if Trump is elected, said Paul Wolfowitz, a deputy defense secretary under George W. Bush.
Wolfowitz said he has serious concerns about Clinton’s foreign policy but will probably vote for her. And he mocked Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns, as other presidential candidates have done for decades.
“I wonder how [he would] feel if they leaked his tax returns,” he quipped, referring to suspicions that Russia hacked and leaked Democratic Party emails.
The criticism emerged early in the primaries when Trump began rising in the polls.
In February, Robert Kagan, a prominent neo-conservative who argues for American exceptionalism, free-market capitalism and an interventionist foreign policy, called Trump a “Frankenstein’s monster,” capable of destroying the GOP. He has since backed Clinton.
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In March, 121 self-described members of the Republican national security community signed a public letter pledging to work against Trump’s election and blasting him as utterly unfit for the White House.
“His vision of American influence and power in the world is wildly inconsistent and unmoored in principle,” they wrote. “He swings from isolationism to military adventurism within the space of one sentence.”
Eliot A. Cohen, a senior State Department official under President George W. Bush, said he helped draft the letter “so I can look my grandchildren in the eye 15 years from now.”
“It’s not just demagoguery,” Cohen said of Trump’s campaign rhetoric. “It’s an appeal for a certain kind of dictatorship.”
While others won’t go that far, at least publicly, they have expressed grave concerns about Trump’s lack of specifics on how and when he would use U.S. power.
“Donald Trump, essentially, has simply indicated that he would be tough enough to sock it to him,” said Richard Lugar, a former Indiana senator who chaired the foreign relations committee and now leads a think tank devoted to global leadership. “There’s not a great deal of analysis [and] almost none at all for the complexities.”
Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser and then secretary of State under George W. Bush, declined a request for comment. But someone familiar with her thinking said she has been “disgusted by this whole thing.”
Like her, many in the foreign policy elite cut their teeth in the Cold War. They see Trump’s apparent camaraderie with Putin, who is steadily reasserting strongman rule in Russia, as naive.
Lanhee Chen, policy director for the 2012 GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, decried what he called Trump’s “flippant nature” in addressing foreign policy.
Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, took time to study and think about foreign policy questions long before he ran for president, Chen said.
“It’s a little bit late in the game” to start now, he said. “But the temperament is not something you can study. It’s just sort of who you are.”
Trump has begun receiving briefings from more knowledgeable policy experts, and now that he is the nominee, will be offered classified intelligence briefings from U.S. officials.
Some conservative policy experts say Trump is being underestimated.
“He appears to have a number of strong instincts that have not yet crystallized into a comprehensive world view,” said Paul Saunders, executive director of the Center for the National Interest.
Saunders said wearing his lack of expertise on his sleeve may not impress foreign policy circles, but likely appeals to some voters.
Trump appears unbothered by criticism from people who should be his political allies. His gamble is that voters will disdain “experts” as much as he apparently does.
Those experts, he told a news conference Wednesday in Florida, got the world in the trouble it’s in.
“So a lot of the people that you think are good because you know their name or because you see them on television, I don’t think are good,” he said. “Because look at the end result. The end result is our country is a mess.”
August 28, 2016 at 10:34 am in reply to: Paul Wolfowitz 'might have to vote' for Hillary Clinton #51780znModeratorI still say it’s about control when it comes to the ruling elite. And, if you can’t control your rhetoric, you’re a bad candidate. Trump’s a nightmare for many reasons, but I think down deep at the core of the issue for the most exalted wingnuts is that he’s shown he will play to the unwashed herd over the Party Leaders. That’s both his appeal to his voters and his downfall to the party leaders. Luckily, his message of hate and bigotry turns off enough voters. WV’s probably right. We can stop worrying about Trump and start worrying about Hillary.
Honestly? First I don;t think it;s that conspiratorially united. I don’t see them acting in regulated concert any more than I see the left doing that. Second I don’t think they care one way or another who Trump appeals to as a base. I don’t think these guys sit there going “how do the 1% feel about a populist demagogue cause we need to act in unison.”
The guys we’re discussing looked directly at Trump’s foreign policy–which yes is knowable in its general outlines–and blanched. They blanched because it genuinely is disastrous from any other viewpoint except Trump’s.
And all of us here should be blanching too because it actually IS that bad.
On this issue anyway, these guys we’re discussing are just plain right about Trump and the effect he would have in foreign policy. They’re right that yes it IS that bad.
….
znModeratorRams and Broncos are not rushing rookie quarterbacks into action
Sam Farmer
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-broncos-farmer-20160827-snap-story.html
Broncos in February: Eat our dust.
Broncos now: Pardon our dust.
While it’s an exaggeration to say Denver’s NFL team has gone from Super Bowl to Superfund site, the Broncos unquestionably are a franchise under construction. They will be the first team in 15 years to switch starting quarterbacks in the immediate aftermath of winning a Lombardi Trophy.
The Rams know the feeling — not the Super Bowl afterglow but the under-construction part. Los Angeles and Denver, who met in an exhibition game Saturday night, have two of the NFL’s most uncertain quarterback situations. Both teams have first-round rookies at the position who are teeming with talent but so far are adjusting to the step up to the NFL.
In his road debut, against an elite defense, the Rams’ Jared Goff had some highs and lows after replacing Case Keenum early in the second quarter. Goff slid awkwardly on a third-down scramble and came up short of the first, was late on a couple of his passes when his receivers took shots, and survived a near-pick-six that was dropped by safety Darian Stewart. But Goff also looked more comfortable and fluid than he did in the first two games, and completed a 19-yard pass down the middle to fellow rookie Pharoh Cooper, who made a highlight-reel catch.
On the Rams’ first possession of the second half, Goff was hit hard from behind by outside linebacker Dekoda Watson, who badly beat tackle Darrell Williams around the edge. Later in the third quarter, Goff was driven into the ground after throwing. Sean Mannion replaced Goff late in the third quarter.
Incidentally, lots of people are working through some early-season hiccups. The public address announcer in the Denver press box opened by informing the media: “The Broncos have won the toss and have chosen to defer. St. Louis will receive…”
Mistakes happen, and old habits die hard.
Rams sign receiver Tavon Austin to four-year contract extension
Rams sign receiver Tavon Austin to four-year contract extension
For the Rams and Broncos, the pressing issue is young quarterbacks. For different reasons, each team has the luxury of time to develop its first-year passer. They are not approaching this like a two-minute drill.The Broncos bought themselves time because of their immediate past. They are basking in the warmth of a Super Bowl victory, and a season built around a smothering defense and quarterback play that was well beneath Peyton Manning’s standard. Coach Gary Kubiak has some breathing room to start second-year quarterback Trevor Siemian, as he did Saturday night, while rookie Paxton Lynch gets up to speed. Veteran Mark Sanchez, whose turnover problems have resurfaced, is looking less like a starting option.
Siemian played the entire first half for the Broncos, and followed an interception and a touchdown. Lynch started the second half and led a 41-yard scoring drive on Denver’s opening possession.
Like the Broncos, the Rams have also bought breathing room by leaning on their past — but in a different way. They have returned to Southern California after two decades in St. Louis, and that fresh start ensures that fans are going to come to the games and fill the Coliseum, at least during this honeymoon period. The reported attendance for the exhibition opener against Dallas was 89,140, a preseason record for a game played in the U.S. (Multiple games played in Mexico have drawn more than 100,000 people.)
Although there is pressure on Coach Jeff Fisher to win — he’s never done better than 7-9 in his four seasons with the Rams — there’s also an understanding that he’s got a Goff, one still adjusting to the NFL, and is in the NFC West, which with Seattle and Arizona is the league’s toughest division. Even though Fisher would feel the heat if the Rams were to do a face plant out of the gate, there’s a strong likelihood he will get a contract extension before the Sept. 12 opener.
Before the Cowboys game, I argued in this space that the Rams should make Goff the starter, give him the reps with the first-team offense, and basically follow through on their bold move to trade up and get him. The jury is still out on that. While Goff showed flashes of being the player the Rams think he’ll be, he also had rough outings in the first two exhibition games, with an interception and two fumbles that ended three of his first four possessions.
Fifth-year veteran Keenum, meanwhile, has looked more solid than spectacular, but certainly good enough to win some games. He completed eight of 12 passes for 77 yards against the Broncos, and was knocked halfway to the Broncos bench while running out of bounds by Denver cornerback Aqib Talib, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
History says the Rams won’t be rushed to get Goff out there. They took their time with defensive tackle Aaron Donald two years ago, waiting six games before starting him, and he wound up the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year. And last season, running back Todd Gurley, rehabilitating a reconstructed knee, won offensive rookie-of-the-year honors despite not starting until Week 4.
Yes, the past five quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall started from Day 1 — Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Jameis Winston — but their teams, respectively, were coming off seasons of 0-16, 1-15, 2-14, 2-14, and 2-14. The Rams were 7-9 last season, and made the biggest jump up to the top of the draft in NFL history. They swept Seattle last season and won at Arizona, so this isn’t a team starting from scratch.
Fisher and Rams General Manager Les Snead have repeatedly said they refuse to rush Goff onto the field before he’s ready, and they’re not going to live by artificial deadlines to force him into the starting lineup. The unusual story of the Rams’ return, and all the hype surrounding it, to some degree has afforded them the ability to take their time.
In L.A., as in Denver, fans are much more willing to tolerate a marginally satisfactory situation if they know a promising solution is in the works. For instance, there would be a lot more complaints about the Coliseum — insufficient and outdated when the Raiders left 22 years ago — absent the anticipation of a glistening new Hollywood Park stadium in 2019.
The Rams and Broncos have identified their quarterbacks of the future. But these are in-progress construction sites. Not just helmets, but hardhats, too.
Rest assured, Denver is still awash in orange. Only now it’s all traffic cones and caution tape.
znModeratorDefense shows up for first time in preseason
Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160827/bonsignore-defense-shows-up-for-first-time-in-preseason
DENVER >> It wasn’t like there was all-out panic going on, but it would be disingenuous to suggest there wasn’t some concern about the Rams’ defensive performance the first two weeks of the preseason.
Anger might be a better adjective — at least within the walls of the Rams training camp facility in Irvine.
And especially as it relates to the first-string defense.
A unit known for punching first, asking names later got out-muscled to start games against the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.
It was a shock to the system and a blow to the egos.
“Letting teams score on the first drive, that’s not us,” said cornerback Trumaine Johnson.
It wasn’t a good look at all, not for a group that needs to perform if the Rams have any real chance of escaping the 7-9 purgatory they’ve been sentenced to the last few years.
And it certainly raised some red flags.
“We make stops, we force three-and-outs. that’s what we do. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to,” said defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Inexplicably, that didn’t happen the first two weeks.
It’s only preseason, but the way the Rams got pushed around by the Cowboys and Chiefs on three long touchdown drives, there was concern.
The whoosh sound you just heard is the collective sigh of relief roaring across Santa Monica all the way to the Inland Empire after the Rams not only held their ground Saturday against the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, but darn near had their way with them during the first-team-against-first-team portion of the Broncos’ 17-9 win at Sports Authority Field.
The Rams made a loud and decisive statement by putting the clamp to the Broncos’ offense while allowing just 24 yards and one first down and forcing a pair of three-and-outs in the opening quarter.
And they finished their night with a fourth-down stand that pushed the Broncos back and gave the Rams’ offense the ball at the Bronco 45.
The starters were long gone by the time the Broncos pulled away for the win.
But by then, the message had been delivered and some order had been restored.
“That was our goal,” Johnson said. “The last two games, we started bad by letting them drive for touchdowns. We wanted to treat this like a regular game and compete. And we did that.”
After challenging themselves all week in practice to do better — bluntly, matter-of-factly and without regards to feelings or status — the Rams responded with a performance that should ease any concerns.
“For sure, we definitely stepped up as a unit,” Donald said. “Got some three-and-outs and got the offense the ball back right away.”
If you spend any time at all with the Rams defenders, you quickly understand they hold themselves and each other accountable.
And while the outsiders worried, the Rams themselves seethed.
“When we didn’t play to our expectations, it didn’t sit well with us.” Donald said.
They did something about it against the Broncos.
And just in the nick of time.
Saturday was the last real dress rehearsal before the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. If typical preseason protocol holds in Minnesota Thursday in the final preseason game against the Vikings, the Rams starters and key players will be bubble wrapped somewhere on the visiting sideline at US Bank Stadium.
They needed a bounce back performance in the worst way.
And they delivered one.
Buoyed by the return of defensive end Robert Quinn, who missed the last half of 2015 after undergoing back surgery and was held out of the first two preseason games for precautionary reasons, the defensive line was electric.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve played football, so it was great just to get out there and make some plays with the guys,” Quinn said. Quinn had 40 sacks between 2012 and 2014, and there’s every reason to believe he can be just as productive with the back injury now behind him. And now operating on a line that includes All-Pro Aaron Donald, fellow end William Hayes and underrated defensive tackle Michael Brockers, Quinn and the Rams have a chance to be special up front.
“I feel like we have the No. 1 defensive line in the league,” Johnson said.
They certainly played like it on Saturday, with Donald nearly unblockable while blowing up the Broncos’ interior line and Quinn playing fast and disruptive.
The Broncos managed just 13 first-quarter rushing yards, the seven times they challenged the Rams on the ground resulting in 1.9 yards per carry.
Hard to run when a brick wall is standing in front of you.
Behind them, the revamped starting secondary — even with safety Maurice Alexander sitting out his second straight game — played timely and productively.
E.J. Gaines — who missed all of last year with a foot injury — has worked and healed his way back into the starting lineup alongside Trumaine Johnson.
His return completes the Rams’ secondary puzzle, at least at cornerback, allowing Lamarcus Joyner to slide back to the slot, where he’s better suited against smaller, quicker receivers, and veteran Coty Sensabaugh to move across the field in various coverage packages.
The completeness and cohesiveness was evident Saturday, as the Rams pushed the Broncos around on a night they exorcised their demons against the Chiefs and Broncos.
It wasn’t like mass panic had broken out in Irvine, but for many reasons the Rams needed to redeem themselves against the Broncos.
“It was an improvement, and that’s encouraging,” Donald said. “We still have a lot of room for even more improvement, but this was a step in the right direction.”
It was only a preseason game, and Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian will never be mistaken for Peyton Manning, but for a unit that searched for answers all week and challenged itself to find them, the Rams left Denver late Saturday encouraged they were back on the right track.
znModeratorRams get a scare when Case Keenum is hit hard in loss to Broncos
By Gary Klein
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-broncos-20160827-snap-story.html
The Rams held their collective breath as quarterback Case Keenum dashed toward the far sideline at Sports Authority Field.
It was early in the second quarter of Saturday night’s exhibition against the Denver Broncos, and Keenum was hit late — and hard — by cornerback Aqib Talib as he ran out of bounds.
In what qualified as the final full dress rehearsal for the regular season, the Rams could not afford to lose Keenum.
“I didn’t see him at all,” Keenum said. “It all happened pretty fast. I was on the ground before I knew it.”
Not with No. 1 draft pick Jared Goff yet to take a major step forward.
Keenum got to his feet, the Broncos drew a personal foul penalty and Keenum led the Rams to one of Greg Zuerlein’s three field goals in a 17-9 loss to the Broncos.
It was the Rams’ first defeat after home victories over the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.
Keenum played four series before he gave way to Goff. But it seems clear the fifth-year pro won’t be moved out of the starting role as the Rams eye their Sept. 12 opener against the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football.”
“I’ve said that all along,” Coach Jeff Fisher said when asked if Keenum had done enough to lock down the starting job. “Case has been our starter since before the draft. I think he’s had a great preseason. He really has a good feel for what we’re doing. You see that in practice, too. Day after day he’s consistently making good decisions for us.”
Keenum is expected to remain on the bench with other starters Thursday night when the Rams play their final exhibition against the Minnesota Vikings at Minneapolis.
Through three exhibitions, Keenum appears the winner of a competition that never really materialized.
Rams and Broncos are not rushing rookie quarterbacks into action
Rams and Broncos are not rushing rookie quarterbacks into action
On Saturday, he completed eight of 12 passes for 77 yards and led the Rams on two scoring drives. In three exhibitions, he is 18 for 24 for 188 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.“I feel like I’m playing well. I feel like we’re moving the ball offensively,” he said, adding, “I feel comfortable in the offense, and the guys feel comfortable. Just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Goff completed four of 12 passes for 45 yards. Several of his passes once again were dropped. In three exhibitions he is 16 for 33 for 165 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
Rams Coach Jeff Fisher said this week he was looking for Goff to take “that next step” against the Super Bowl champions. He wanted Goff to release the ball more quickly, play decisively and make adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
Goff looked sharp on several passes — including one that rookie receiver Pharoh Cooper turned into a spectacular catch — did not fumble and survived his own hold-your-breath moment early in the third quarter.
Goff was slammed to the ground by linebacker Shaquil Barrett as he was throwing what turned to out to be an incomplete pass. Goff remained on the turf for a few moments, looked shaky as he got to his feet and appeared to grab his right shoulder.
But he stayed in the game and completed a pass on the next play, before the Broncos broke up a fourth-down pass and ended his night.
“I didn’t feel the same way I felt the last two games,” he said. “I felt a little bit more under control and more comfortable.
Before the game, the Rams announced that they had signed receiver Tavon Austin to a four-year contract extension. Austin, the eighth pick in the 2013 draft, caught a team best 52 passes last season, but the Rams appear to be keeping the way they plan to use him under wraps. He was targeted only once Saturday and did not catch a pass.
That was a more active night than star running back Todd Gurley’s. After playing one series and scoring a touchdown last week against the Chiefs, Coach Jeff Fisher kept him safely on the sideline.
Defensive end Robert Quinn, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, played for the first time since undergoing back surgery and helped the first-team defense stifle an opponent on early drives for the first time in three exhibitions.
Middle linebacker Alec Ogletree was frustrated last week because the Rams gave up a touchdown drive for the second exhibition in a row.
Against the Broncos, Quinn, Ogletree and defensive lineman Aaron Donald all made plays that forced Denver to go three-and-out in its first two possessions. The Broncos wouldn’t score until four minutes before halftime.
Rams sign receiver Tavon Austin to four-year contract extension
Rams sign receiver Tavon Austin to four-year contract extension
“Letting teams score on the first drive is not us. We felt like we came out and played a tough first quarter,” Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson said after the game.Safety Cody Davis later intercepted a pass that Johnson batted into the air.
Fisher acknowledged he was concerned a series earlier and was “disappointed” to see Keenum absorb the shot from Talib.
“You don’t like to see that happen,” Fisher said, “especially in the preseason.”
The Rams led 9-7 at halftime thanks to Zuerlein, who struggled last season, making only 20 of 30 field-goal attempts, but was three for three Saturday.
On the Rams’ third possession, Keenum completed two passes to receiver Brian Quick and one each to tight ends Lance Kendricks and Tyler Higbee to set up Zuerlein’s 29-yard field goal with 1:05 left in the first quarter.
Zuerlein later connected from 38 and 48 yards.
znModeratorJared Goff rides highs and lows in Rams’ first preseason loss
Alden Gonzalez
DENVER — Star running back Todd Gurley sat against the Denver Broncos on Saturday and his Los Angeles Rams lost their first preseason game, a 17-9 defeat to the reigning Super Bowl champions at Sports Authority Field At Mile High.
The Rams’ first-team defense played well, but the entire offense was limited to only three field goals after going 7-for-7 in red-zone situations through the first two games.
Case Keenum was again efficient and Jared Goff again had his ups and downs on a night that featured at least a handful of drops by the Rams’ receivers. Leading 6-0, the Rams’ second-string defense surrendered a quick touchdown drive against quarterback Trevor Siemian, who ended it with a 1-yard pass to Virgil Green with four minutes left before halftime. The Broncos then added a 50-yard field goal by Brandon McManus and a seven-yard touchdown run by Ronnie Hillman, who gave his team an eight-point lead with 6:57 left in the third quarter.
Jared Goff
Jared Goff only completed 4 of 12 passes on Saturday against the Broncos.
QB depth chart: The Rams’ depth chart has pretty much already been set, with Keenum the starter and Goff the backup. Keenum ran with the first team for the third straight game, going 8-of-12 for 77 yards in four series, two of which ended in field goals. Goff went 4-of-12 for 45 yards and is now 16-of-33 for 165 yards in three preseason games, adding a touchdown, an interception, a lost fumble and four sacks. Keenum is 18-of-24 for 188 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and one sack in three games.Maybe that dude could start: Pharoh Cooper has already cemented himself as the Rams’ No. 3 receiver and turned in a very impressive catch to assist Goff. Seven days after scoring his first touchdown — by running an out and reaching for the pylon for an 11-yard score — Cooper came across the middle, extended with his left hand, tipped the ball to himself and secured a catch on third down. The rookie out of South Carolina will certainly contribute this season.
Who got hurt? Cornerback Troy Hill, seemingly vying for one of the last spots on the Rams’ roster, appeared to hurt himself while making a tackle on Hillman nearing the midway point of the third quarter. Hill walked off on his own power, but was escorted off the field by trainers.
A surprise player who impressed: Many have wondered when talented rookie tight end Tyler Higbee would eventually take over as the starter, but the man who currently has that job, Lance Kendricks, had a nice day with the first team, catching three passes for a team-leading 36 yards. Kendricks caught a 15-yard pass in the second drive and a 23-yard pass in the third drive.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Rams looked …: stout on defense. Michael Brockers, Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald recorded tackles for loss through the Broncos’ first two drives, both of them three-and-outs. On the third drive, the Rams forced a turnover on downs, with Dominique Easley coming up with a big tackle. And on the fourth one, Trumaine Johnson provided exceptional coverage of Cody Latimer on a deep ball up the sidelines, tipping it to Cody Davis for an interception.
One reason to be concerned: Goff doesn’t seem to have progressed to the level of an NFL starter just yet, though you must take into account that at least three balls were dropped while he was in the game. Goff slid awkwardly on third down in his first drive, falling just short of a first down with T.J. Ward closing in. In Goff’s second drive, he was bailed out by Cooper’s sensational play and also on a key drop by Broncos safety Darian Stewart, who would’ve had an easy interception and likely touchdown on Goff’s pass to the outside while deep in Broncos territory.On his third drive, Goff took a snap from the shotgun on third down and took a sack from his blind side.
znModeratoroff the net from Florida_Ram
Goff’s overall stats last night and that dropped pick six to Darien Stewart, are what will be mostly talked about by his critics but my eyes seen the gap between him and Keenum get much closer.
It’s easy to point out his flaws but its just as easy for anyone that knows what to look at with QB play that Goff is calming down and those flashes he’s been showing are going to win him the starting job sooner than many think.
I noticed unlike in the first 2 preseason games, he’s now showing glimpses of moving his feet while his eyes are scanning down field. His comfort level taking snaps under center looks to be vastly improving and not a major concern anymore.
The intangibles that made him so good at California and worth trading up for are beginning to translate to the NFL and he’s much closer to my eyes than what his critics will write about.
Keenum is the smart & safe choice to start at Frisco in 14 days but how much closer will that gap be after Goff gets another tuneup game on Thursday at Minnesota, along with 2 more weeks of practice and film study?
I wish I was wrong but like everyone else, I expect Fisher to play it safe and start Keenum for at least the first 2 games but there is no way I believe Fisher is going to let Goff hold the clipboard for much longer than a few games unless Keenum is tearing up the league with his passing stats.
I’m underwhelmed by how the offensive staff (Weinke & Boras) have prepared the young man as I expected him to be further along but If I had to bet everything I own, I would say Goff starts a minimum of 12 games in 2016. I’m still every bit as happy as I was from the moment Snead pulled off the blockbuster trade to get him.
znModeratorI for one think there;s no such thing as any of that.
And if a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere, 1-earth g adapted extraterristial was advanced and smart enough to beat the physics of light speed and travel to earth, why would it hang around in forests?
I dunno maybe it would.
But even then there;s the problem that Bigfoot can’t be aliens because Bigfoot doesn’t exist.
Shows like that con people, Jack.
.
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znModeratorJust saw bits and pieces. Plan to watch it later.
But I will say that the potent Jeff Fisher Field Goal offense is sharp. GZ got a nice workout tonight.
Lots of dropped passes, I hear.
I don’t know. Britt, Tavon, Quick, Cooper and who else do they keep?
I assume they’ll have at least five or six.
There is still room for a couple more. But the pickings seem pretty slim.
If Spruce had stayed healthy maybe… but he’ll have a tough time if he can’t get on the field.
I was dismissive, but the truth is, both the offensive and defensive ones looked sharp against the Denver ones. It was impressive.
Lots of bad drops, yes. Interestingly, not by Britt. Not by Cooper either that I recall.
znModeratortied with deandre hopkins for most tds by a receiver from the 2013 class.
Interesting…except, 4 of them (I think) we’re from rushing, and he had as many carries as catches, so I’m not sure whose contract to compare his to.
znModeratorRams sign receiver Tavon Austin to four-year contract extension
Gary Klein
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-austin-contract-extension-20160827-snap-story.html
The Rams have signed receiver Tavon Austin to a four-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday, a few hours before playing the Denver Broncos in their third preseason game.
The deal is worth $42 million, with $30 million guaranteed, according to a report by ESPN. Austin is now under contract through the 2021 season.
Austin, 25, was the eighth pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He is the top receiver for an offense that ranked last in the NFL in total offense and passing offense in 2015.
Last season, the 5-foot-8, 176-pound Austin caught a career-best 52 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 434 yards and four touchdowns in 52 carries, and scored on a punt return.
“Tavon has been an integral part of our offense and special teams since we drafted him in 2013,” Rams Coach Jeff Fisher said in a statement. “It is important to our organization to retain players we’ve drafted and invested in, and Tavon is an example of that. We’re excited for him to continue his career with the Rams.”
In May, the Rams picked up the fifth-year options on Austin and linebacker Alec Ogletree, who also was selected in the first round of the 2013 draft.
Austin is the most productive member of a receiving corps that includes veterans Kenny Britt and Brian Quick as well as rookie Pharoh Cooper.
Austin, who played in college at West Virginia, had 40 receptions as a rookie, three for touchdowns. In 2014, he had 31 catches, none for touchdowns.
znModeratorColin Kaepernick explains why he sat during national anthem
Steve Wyche
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has willingly immersed himself into controversy by refusing to stand for the playing of the national anthem in protest of what he deems are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United States.
His latest refusal to stand for the anthem — he has done this in at least one other preseason game — came before the 49ers’ preseason loss to Green Bay at Levi’s Stadium on Friday night.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
The 49ers issued a statement about Kaepernick’s decision: “The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”
Niners coach Chip Kelly told reporters Saturday that Kaepernick’s decision not to stand during the national anthem is “his right as a citizen” and said “it’s not my right to tell him not to do something.”
The NFL also released a statement, obtained by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport: “Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the national anthem.”
By taking a stand for civil rights, Kaepernick, 28, joins other athletes, like the NBA’s Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and several WNBA players in using their platform and status to raise awareness to issues affecting minorities in the U.S.
However, refusal to support the American flag as a means to take a stand has brought incredible backlash before and likely will in this instance. The NBA’s Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf of the Denver Nuggets, formerly Chris Jackson before converting to Islam, refused to acknowledge the flag in protest, citing similar reasons as Kaepernick and saying that it conflicted with some of his Islamic beliefs.
Abdul-Rauf drew the ire of fans and was briefly suspended by the NBA before a compromise was worked out between the league and player, who eventually stood with his teammates and coaches at the playing of the national anthem.
Kaepernick said that he is aware of what he is doing and that he knows it will not sit well with a lot of people, including the 49ers. He said that he did not inform the club or anyone affiliated with the team of his intentions to protest the national anthem.
“This is not something that I am going to run by anybody,” he said. “I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. … If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.”
Kaepernick said that he has thought about going public with his feelings for a while but that “I felt that I needed to understand the situation better.”
He said that he has discussed his feelings with his family and, after months of witnessing some of the civil unrest in the U.S., decided to be more active and involved in rights for black people. Kaepernick, who is biracial, was adopted and raised by white parents and siblings.
The former Super Bowl starting quarterback’s decision to go public comes while he is fighting for his football life with the 49ers, who drafted him in the second round in 2011. He lost his starting job last season after being one of the most promising players in the NFL during his run under former coach Jim Harbaugh.
Over the past few months, his relationship with management has turned sour. He requested a trade last spring, which never came. He also has spent most of the offseason rehabilitating from operations to his left (non-throwing) shoulder, his hand and knee. His recovery left him unable to fully compete with Blaine Gabbert for months and has him seemingly in a bind to regain his starting job.
He made his preseason debut against the Packers and played in the second quarter, completing two of six passes for 14 yards. He looked as rusty as you’d expect from someone who has not played since last November.
Following the game, and without any knowledge of Kaepernick’s non-football behavior, coach Chip Kelly said that there has never been any discussion about cutting Kaepernick. Rapoport added Saturday that Kelly will make “football decisions” on Kaepernick, despite the quarterback’s comments.
znModeratorYes, GOT has many quiet non-battle, non-soap-opera scenes that are quite good. Like that one, with Stannis.
Good dialogue on that show.
w
vYes. Though I find it to be a bit up n down, though I don’t mind that fact. Some scenes are just poorly done. (I generally find those scenes in the Daenerys narrative. I know I am supposed to like that narrative, but I don’t as much.) (Which, again, is fine.)
znModeratorThis is a favorite scene but it;s subtle. The great warrior lord Stannis discovers the bookworm Sam may be learning something about the Walkers. At first you think Stannis, who really is an ironclad ruthless warrior, will disdain Sam for his bookishness. Sam’s father had resented Sam and told him that either Sam join the Night Watch or he will be killed in a “hunting accident.” Stannis brings up Sam’s father, and you think that’s where the scene is going, comparing the warrior to the disappointing son, Sam. But then Stannis surprises Sam, and his dedicated warrior single-mindedness ends up surprisingly validating the disowned bookish son. Sam is empowered to be who he is at heart, in an unexpected way and from an unexpected source.
This is one of the great scenes in the entire series. Lady Brienne is not supposed to be a knight because she is a woman, yet she is charged with escorting the great but now crippled Jamie back to King’s Landing. Jamie has just lost his hand. He intrudes in a bath with a much put upon Brienne but wearily says don’t worry, not interested. When Jamie sarcastically hints she failed to protect her last lord, she is offended and drops all concerns but honor (Jamie does not know that Brienne was not at fault for what happened to Lord Renly). Her sense of knightly honor overcomes everything in the scene and influences the normally imperious (but also maimed) Jamie.
znModeratorThe Cowboys discovered a fractured verterbae in Tony Romo's back. Expected to miss 6-10 weeks. Wow
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) August 27, 2016
znModeratorAm i remembering
that right?Yes. You remember that right. You’re dead on.
Rams were 2nd in the league in a stat called “team opponent red zone scoring percentage (td only)”. That is, when the opponent was in the red zone, Rams allowed a TD the 2nd lowest percentage of the time in the league.
They were also 9th in a stat called “team opponent offensive points per game.” This is a more accurate defensive stat than “points allowed” because it excludes scores given up by the offense and special teams.
So, yes. You’re right.
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znModeratorJeff Bridges in Fearless.
On the 8/22 practice Goff took nearly every snap from under center as they really worked on PA passing.
Goff looked flawless in his movement. imoThanks, apparently someone generalized from the wrong practice or 2. Good correction.
I believe everything you say about Goff btw. Not only cause you were there and saw it, but also because I have echoes of it in my own head from watching vids. As in, less sharply or clearly, but yes I saw those things too so when you say it, it rings a bell.
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znModeratorYeah the bow and arrow was invented in Africa about 70,000 years ago so modern humans had them when they made first contact with Neanderthals 45,000 years ago. And modern humans certainly had spears designed to be thrown whether they had the holder that increases the distance or not.
More on this.
==
Lethal weapons may have given early humans edge over Neanderthals
Discovery of sharpened stone blades up to 71,000 years old suggests humans leaving Africa were armed to the teethhttps://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/nov/07/lethal-weapons-early-humans-neanderthals
Early humans wandered out of Africa armed with darts and arrows that made them formidable hunters and deadly competitors for any Neanderthals that stood in their way.
The revised version of the human story follows the discovery in South Africa of a haul of small stone blades or “bladelets” that formed lethal weapon tips, either for arrows fired from bows, or spears propelled from wooden throwers called atlatls.
Researchers uncovered more than 70 sharp stone tips measuring no more than 5cm long while excavating an eroded cliff face that overlooks the ocean at a site called Pinnacle Point on the south coast.
The development of the technology allowed early humans to attack wild animals or human foes from a greater distance and with more devastating effect. “People who possess light armaments that can be thrown long distances have immediate advantages in hunting prey and killing competitors,” Curtis Marean, project director at Arizona State University, told the Guardian.
The blades were made from a rock called silcrete that must be heated in fire to transform it into a material that can be flaked into a sharp edge. Long, thin flakes of stone were notched and snapped to make smaller tips, and then blunted on one side so they could be fixed into lengths of wood or bone to make a spear or dart.
Tests on the stone tools found at Pinnacle Point revealed they were made throughout a period lasting from 71,000 to 60,000 years ago, suggesting that one of the earliest arms industries was sustained by knowledge and expertise handed down from generation to generation. Details of the haul are reported in the journal Nature.
To manufacture the projectile tips, early humans must have collected raw rock materials, gathered wood for burning, known how to heat-treat the silcrete, prepare and trim the blades, and finally attach them to arrows and spears. The ability to master these tasks and pass them down to others draws on brain functions that are essential to the modern mind.
Scientists have unearthed similar stone bladelets at other sites in South Africa and Kenya, but none so old or as enduring as those discovered at Pinnacle Point. The technology spread to other parts of Africa and Eurasia around 20,000 years later.
Kyle Brown, a co-author on the paper from the University of Cape Town said the team spotted the minute but carefully made tools among the smallest material collected in sieves used at the excavation site.
Marean believes the combination of more advanced weapons and greater cooperative behaviour among the early humans was a “knockout punch” for the Neanderthals. “Combine them, as modern humans did, and still do, and no prey or competitor is safe,” he said. “This probably laid the foundation for the expansion out of Africa of modern humans and the extinction of many prey as well as our sister species such as the Neanderthals.”
In an accompanying article, Sally McBrearty, an anthropologist at the University of Connecticut, notes that the preparation of the stone weapon tips must have taken “days, weeks or months” and been interrupted from time to time by more urgent tasks. This suggests the early human weapons-makers had the brain power to hold tasks and future plans in their memories.
The invention of stone bladelets in south Africa may have defined the success of humans as they moved north to occupy the rest of the world. In the journal, Prof McBrearty writes: “Human populations are thought to have started migrating from Africa shortly after 100,000 years ago. If they were armed with the bow and arrow, they would have been more than a match for anything or anyone they met.”
znModeratorI don’t get it.
Is Ogletree slow with the calls? Confused?
Why the problem?
Did Ayers have the problem when JL made the calls? Or is this new? And why?
No one has suggested or hinted that it is AO. To the contrary.
And yes the Rams defense has, off and on, had problems lining up for a couple of years now. Every time they have a serious breakdown, if you listen, gap discipline and communication come up as the main culprits.
This defense demands a lot mentally and there’s often a guy or 2 who does not come through.
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August 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm in reply to: Paul Wolfowitz 'might have to vote' for Hillary Clinton #51708znModeratorWell, i am not convinced he’d be worse than Bush, and I’m not convinced ANYONE really
knows what Trump would dow
vIt’s out there. As much as with any candidate. And even the neo-cons can already see he is worse than they were. (Not that they would put it that way.)
znModeratorOften did he slice through holes to dodge oncoming traffic which led to multiple gains of four, seven or eight yards.
Some young man needs to settle his fanblog style down a bit.
“Often did he”? (?) Ye olde wordsmith, ye.
“Often, he … [+ verb].” That’s good plain style.
“Often did he.” Yikes.
August 27, 2016 at 11:39 am in reply to: Paul Wolfowitz 'might have to vote' for Hillary Clinton #51704znModeratorIt is certainly true that Trump will push tax policies that benefit the 1% and screw all the rest of us (including his voters), but he is a loose cannon on trade. He has said things about NAFTA and the TPP that worry the 1%.
You know these guys are not lockstep foot soldiers who ask the 1% what they’re supposed to think. I seriously doubt any of the more infamous warrior neo-cons could give a crap about trade policy, for example. If they even think about it.
These guys are about foreign policy. And in that arena, they know…in detail…how batshit crazy Trump is.
And they’re right.
And they made the right choice.
Because in fact he IS that bad. They went and looked at the policies and evidence and came to the right conclusion.
.
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znModeratorYou probably have heard that looking into a dog’s eyes causes ‘feel good’ chemicals like oxytocin to be released. So in essence dogs have triggered a mechanism that makes it feel good to be in their company. This is an example of dogs sorta directing our evolutionary pathway to their benefit and ours.
Of course those hormones are not just “feel good”–they set up attachment. And it’s not just the humans who get those hormone triggers, it’s the dogs too. Dogs are actually pre-programmed to be deeply attached to human individuals.
In terms of evolution, I think the human/dog connection was just an evolutionary accident that turned out to be wide-ranging and deep.
Just chatting. I ain’t sayin nothin you don’t know.
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August 27, 2016 at 8:45 am in reply to: Paul Wolfowitz 'might have to vote' for Hillary Clinton #51691znModeratorI really think now it’s just right-wing elites are afraid that they can’t trust Trump to do their bidding for the richest 0.1%.
You wish.
It’s because the people who were a mess before recognize with vivid clarity that Trump is even MORE of a mess. Oh, and, he will be helpful to the 1%…just look at his policies. His domestic economic policies help them even more than Bush did. So that is not the issue.
Even the last round of Bush nutcases recognize how bad Trump will be.
Remember in this thread we’re talking about what some nutcases got away with under Bush. That’s true.
AND then we act like Trump won’t get away with things? Forget it. It’s a pipe dream.
Of course he will. This wish that Trump isn’t going to be bad as he seems is just not going to hold up.
Even the previous assholes recognize that.
Yes he is worse, and yes once in office he can do things.
…
znModeratorI just signed up for the game pass free trial…it’s easy.
Signing up today gives you games through Sept. 3rd. See you see today’s and Thursday’s ps games free.
znModerator. That does not mean we chased them down and killed them – an unlikely scenario given their muscular physiques.
However, Shipman argues that it wasn’t just modern humans alone that Neanderthals were forced to deal with…it was also their partnership with domesticated wolves. This partnership made modern humans better at hunting big game. She says this advantage tipped the scales in modern human’s favor at a time when both groups were already under pressure from climate change.
Coupla things.
First, didn’t humans have bows and arrows at that point? And them launch style spear things (ie where you launch a sphere with a holder you don’t just throw it). I ain’t sure on the dates. If so, then Neanderthals were easy targets. Not that that alone accounts for their disappearance. (Well people SAY they disappeared. But if you watch The 13th Warrior, which is one of my favorite bad movies, they were still around in the 9th century.) (Yes kidding.)
Also, on dogs. Domesticated wolves. There is a lot of work being done now on the history of dogs. It very well could be that the human/dog partnership runs so deep that it helped shape the species we are. It goes way back and it includes a myriad list of adaptations that would never have happened without the dogs.
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znModeratorbubbaramfan
Keenum is currently the best QB. Goff is NOT ready to start. While its obvious he’s going to be a good starting QB, he’s not there yet.
My 2 cents: If they start Goff at this point, he would be a turnover machine. He’s not reading the defense as good as Keenum, and he’s throwing picks. Every TC practice he’s thrown at least one pick. Yesterday, Joyner stepped in front of a short sideline pass for a pick six. He’s also mishandled snaps and fumbled. I know a lot of fans want Goff to start now , but IMHO and after watching him up close in practice he’s just not ready. Its a big jump from college spread to NFL. Kinda like going from a piper cub to a 747. You have the basic idea on how to fly an airplane, but a 747 is a lot more complicated with more systems to understand. Not a great analogy, but you get my drift. NFL playbook is 10 times fatter than college. NFL defenses throw more blitzes and they are disguised better and Goff has never seen 90% of what getting thrown at him by GW. have to be patient with Goff, he’s making progress but he doesn’t have it all yet.Most of Goff snaps are form shotgun. If G’off lines up under center, he’s handing it off. Goff has yet to throw a pass if he lines up under center. I saw where he lined up under c, took the snap, handed it off, and then continued back and play faked like he still had the ball. No one on D was buying it. the little girl in the third row eating ice cream wasn’t buying it. Attention Rams opponents! If Goff lines up under center, its a running play!
Highlight of the day was a 35 yd rope hitting Thomas in stride down the sideline.
Thomas had a good day. Quinn got a few snaps. Spruce knee in a sleeve. Gurley and RB’s getting targeted with short passes coming out of the backfield. Cooper and McRoberts got several targets. Cooper fielding punts. Quick going into his 5th year and still being treated like a rookie, taking time away from coaches who should be coaching up REAL rookies. Its past time to move on from Q.
Looked like they practiced hard. Fisher very involved, really drilled them in 2 min drill.
OL looking good. Rams won’t keep 11 OL. 10 or maybe even 9. And some of those will be picked up by other teams and possibly start. OL is a problem for a lot of teams. The practices I’ve been to, the OL was one of the groups I paid a lot of attention to. Andy Donnal looks 20 lbs heavier and its looks to be all muscle and stronger.. Donnal is technically sound and probably the best pass protector after Saffold. Donnal getting reps @ LG. Donnal also gets a lot of reps @ RT and does a good job there. Bigger, stronger, strength and conditioning program in off season really helped . Donnal should make the 53.
Havenstien hasn’t even been on the field yet, and may not til after the season starts. They activated him so he doesn’t miss the 1st six games. He probably won’t play until the 2nd or 3rd. He’s only going to play RT. He was doing a lot of drill work on the sidelines yesterday. Busy with trainers on sidelines doing different drills. Close to participating?
Battle was on the field and took snaps at RT with the 2’s yesterday. they’re bringing him along slowly. 1 play then he came out. Next series, one play and then out. He’s wearing a knee brace. Battle is a big guy and doesn’t have the typical OL build. Very athletic and trim, no gut or big azz. guy is strong. He’s got a future with the Rams, but I don’t believe its anytime soon. Backup this year at best.
I know folks don’t want to hear it, but the injury bug WILL hit. A starter is going to miss games, and that’s where Saffold coms in. For a change the Rams don’t have to tear the OL apart to replace someone.
Barnes is a lock and a pleasant surprise at C. He’s definatly used the off season to get stronger.. Rhaney still has trouble off the snap, get pushed back into the pocket. Folkerts is just slow, Kush has problems with the exchange, low snaps. Wichmann got some snaps @ C yesterday. Fisher and Boo not happy with backup C? I have no confidence in Rhaney @ C.
Nice problem to have for the Rams a pretty deep stable of capable O-linemen and you can’t keep em all. These next two pre-season games will clarify things. Don’t be surprised to see Wichmann in there at C late in the game
I have not been this excited about the Rams OL since the days of the “Dough-nut Bros.”. Nothing but a revolving door of has been FA’s, failed draft picks and hearbreaking injuries. Barring injury, the OL is going to be a strength of the Rams. Keenum is going to have more time and Gurley is going to run amok.
Now they go to Cal Lutheran up north.
znModeratorJared Goff looking for better start against rigid Broncos’ defense
IRVINE >> It’s another first for Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff, who will play his first NFL preseason road game at Denver on Saturday. Goff hopes for another first: a successful first drive.
“I’d love to go out there and score a touchdown,’’ Goff said after Thursday’s practice at UC Irvine. “That’s what we’re supposed to do.’’
Thus far, Goff hasn’t come close. On his initial series two weeks ago against Dallas, Goff was hit and threw an interception on his third play. Last Saturday against Kansas City, Goff tripped over a teammate’s foot and fumbled on his second play.
So the bar is low for improvement, but there’s reason to believe Goff could be ready to take a step forward Saturday, even though he’s facing the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos and one of the NFL’s stoutest defenses.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Thursday that, once again, Case Keenum will start at quarterback. The plan is for Keenum to play three or four series, then hand things over to Goff, who likely will play with the first-team offensive line then carry things into the second half with the second team.
That’s when Goff made strides last week. After a sloppy start, Goff looked sharp during the Rams’ game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown drive, when he completed all three attempts and marched the team 67 yards.
“I felt more comfortable toward the end,” Goff said. “I want to build on that in this game and continue to feel as comfortable as I can and get as ready as I can.”
Time is running short in Goff’s bid to supplant Keenum as the Rams’ starting quarterback.
By all indications, the Rams are comfortable going into their Sept. 12 season opener at San Francisco with Keenum as their starter. Fisher and Rams general manager Les Snead consistently have said they will play Goff only when he is ready. Camp practices and preseason games have provided mixed results.
For instance, on Thursday, Goff’s early work included a bad interception by cornerback Lamarcus Joyner, but also a nice touchdown pass to fellow rookie Mike Thomas.
Goff was directly asked Thursday if he would be disappointed if he didn’t start the season opener.
“It’s not up to me,” Goff said. “It’s something that I’d love to do, but it’s not my decision. That’s what they pay the coaches and what they’re here for. I’m just trying to get better every day.”
In preseason work, Goff has completed 12 of 21 attempts for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
There’s a good chance that on Saturday, Goff, the top pick in this year’s draft, will play during the same part of the game as Denver quarterback Paxton Lynch, whom the Broncos selected at No. 26.
Some draft pundits believed the Rams, who initially held the No. 15 pick, might select Lynch, but they made a blockbuster trade with Tennessee to move up to No. 1.
Lynch is in contention to start for the Broncos. In two preseason appearances, he has completed 21 of 33 attempts for 187 yards and two touchdowns. This will be the first time Goff is measured, on the field, against one of his contemporaries.
“He’s very competitive,” Fisher said of Goff. “I’ve probably never met a more competitive person. Even though he’s got a quiet demeanor, he’s competitive.”
znModeratorRams DE Robert Quinn ready to return, help Aaron Donald
Alden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff WriterIRVINE, Calif. — Back surgery, the resolution to a litany of ailments that hindered the early part of his 2015 season, prompted Los Angeles Rams defensive end Robert Quinn to sit out his final seven games. And because he did, Quinn was forced to watch his teammate, star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, draw an inordinate number of double- and triple-teams from opposing offensive lines, unable to do much of anything about it.
“Shoot,” Quinn recalled thinking, “now he knows what I feel like.”
Quinn — the 2013 Pro Football Writers Association Defensive Player of the Year after recording an NFC-leading 19 sacks — used to be the man opposing offensive coordinators feared. But that was before Donald’s star ascended and before Quinn’s back gave out. On Saturday in Denver, Quinn will play his first game in more than nine months, suiting up for a drive or two against the reigning-champion Broncos in a 6 p.m. PT kickoff. And Donald might finally start feeling a little relief.
“That man’s fast,” Donald said of Quinn. “When you got a guy who’s that fast, who can come off the edge, who can bend like he can bend, you just have to show that guy respect.”
Quinn recovered from a benign brain tumor in high school and starred at the University of North Carolina as a freshman and sophomore. A suspension during his junior season, for accepting improper agent benefits, caused Quinn to slip to the Rams at No. 14 in the 2011 draft. He went on to record 40 sacks from 2012-14, third-most in the NFL in that three-season span, and quickly built a reputation as one of the game’s best at getting to the opposing quarterback.
Rams defensive end Robert Quinn is set for his first game action Saturday since December back surgery. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said NFL defensive ends must turn the corner for potential sacks within nine yards.The good ones do it at eight yards.
The Pro Bowl-caliber players do it at seven yards.
“You’ll see Robert turn it at four, five and six,” Williams said. “Not very many people can do that; only the elite of the elite. I can’t coach that.”
Quinn said he “knew something was off” early in the 2015 season, “but I could never put my finger on it.” He estimated he played hurt in at least half of his eight games, dealing first with pain in his knee and his hip before doctors realized he needed surgery on his back. The Rams worked him back slowly at the start of this summer’s camp, but Quinn has progressed rapidly.
“It’s been a long grind,” Quinn said. “I’m finally starting to feel more like my old self.”
Lately, Williams’ focus has steered toward “holding him back,” because Quinn “has pushed so hard.”
“I didn’t know he was hurt, to be honest,” Rams middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “The way he came back, you can definitely tell he still has the get-off of the ball and he’s definitely able to make plays.”
The Rams’ defensive line — anchored by Donald, the game’s best interior pass-rusher — has the potential to be one of the NFL’s best this season. But that will only be the case if Quinn can rekindle his prior dominance, which is no certainty given the type of surgery from which the 26-year-old is recovering.
Quinn himself is not sure.
“I feel like I have the power back, I feel like I have some explosion back,” Quinn said. “But I haven’t played a game, so who knows where it’s truly at. I feel great, but I guess the game will tell.”
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