- Joined
- Jul 31, 2010
- Messages
- 8,874
Monday Wrap-Up: Keenum Named Starter, Two OLs to IR
By Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Monday-Wrap-Up-Keenum-Named-Starter-Two-OLs-to-IR/3cc7afb7-a0ad-4cb9-b9fc-bdea58e57d44
After some careful consideration, head coach Jeff Fisher has decided to make a change at starting quarterback. Case Keenum will be under center going forward as the Rams look to get back on track.
“I’ve decided to go ahead and make a quarterback change. I’m going to go ahead and go with Case,” Fisher said Monday evening. “This is my decision based on what I think is best for this team, offensively, is to go this direction.”
The Rams traded for both Keenum and Nick Foles on the same day in March, though Foles’ arrival was much more ballyhooed at the time. Keenum had spent most of the 2014 season with St. Louis -- first on the active roster and then the practice squad -- until the Texans signed him to start their final two games. Houston won both contests with Keenum, as the quarterback threw for 435 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s won games. He’s proven it,” Fisher said of Keenum. “He’s won games in Houston with a team that had significant injuries around him, and he found ways to win games.”
The head coach said the Rams expect they’ll be able to use Keenum’s mobility as an asset in the backfield.
“We’re going to let him play. We’re going to use his legs and let him make some plays,” Fisher said. “We’re going to trust his mobility and his ability to extend plays and things, and just give us an offensive spark that we need.”
On the other side of the equation, Foles will head to the bench. The quarterback has struggled in recent weeks, which is part of the reason why Fisher had been contemplating the change. It’s about the body of work as opposed to a singular performance.
“I told the quarterbacks, the lack of production is not Nick’s fault,” Fisher said. “The lack of production is a collective offensive effort and coaching. But, I need more production and it starts with that position.”
Foles has completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,678 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions, averaging 186.4 yards per game. Sunday’s contest against the Bears marked only the second time Foles had reached 200 yards passing this season.
“There were some routes that weren’t correctly run. There were some protection issues where he had pressure in his face,” Fisher said of Foles’ performance on Sunday. “There were some opportunities where we had some people open when the ball should’ve been delivered on time and the ball should’ve been completed.
“Again,” Fisher continued, “it’s not just yesterday. It’s over the last few weeks.”
The head coach added Foles could use some time to continue learning and processing the offense, with the idea that, eventually, he will be back under center for the Rams.
“Nick just needs a break,” Fisher said. “He’s going to continue to work. He’ll run scout team. He’ll be prepared to play. But, he just needs to get more experience under his belt in this offense.”
Still, Fisher was quick to point out that Foles was not the only problem offensively. As the head coach has said frequently in recent weeks, everyone on the team has to play better.
“Nick didn’t fumble the ball on the 17-yard line, nor did he give up two explosive plays for over 80 yards,” Fisher said. “It’s not his fault. We all need to play better. But I’m confident that right now this is the right decision for us as we move forward.”
As for the third quarterback on the roster, rookie Sean Mannion, Fisher said the third-round pick is doing fine with his limited practice opportunities.
“He’s got a good feel for what we’re doing. He’s paying attention,” Fisher said. “He’s getting very few scout team reps, but when he gets them, he’s doing fine. He puts our cards in our terminology and he’s doing fine. So, we’ll try to get him some more reps here as we push forward.”
But for now, it sounds like Keenum has the reins of the offense.
“As I told Case, he doesn’t have a short leash,” Fisher said, later adding,“I’m not saying this is week-to-week, but this is what’s best right now for our team as we move forward from a production standpoint offensively.”
BROWN, WILLIAMS SUFFER SEASON-ENDING INJURIES
The injury bug has bit the Rams once again, with two offensive linemen suffering season-ending injuries during Sunday’s contest against the Bears.
Coincidentally, both Jamon Brown and Darrell Williams suffered their injuries on the same play -- the interception in the fourth quarter. Brown was carted off the field with a lower-leg fracture, and Williams suffered a dislocated wrist.
Brown’s injury means the Rams have now lost their two starting offensive guards from the season opener, as Rodger Saffold was placed in injured reserve in October following season-ending shoulder surgery.
Brown had been penciled in as a starting guard since early in OTAs, when it became clear that he was working with the first group. While he initially started at right guard next to fellow rookie Rob Havenstein, Brown moved over to left guard late in the preseason. Once Rodger Saffold went down, Brown flipped back over to right guard.
Williams made the team as a rookie undrafted free agent after a strong August, in which he impressed during training camp. Williams was filling in for Rob Havenstein on Sunday, who had left the game with a calf injury.
Havenstein, however, should not be out for an extended period of time, according to Fisher.
“Rob left the game with a calf injury and it’s not as significant as we feared last night,” Fisehr said. “He’ll be day-to-day, possibly week-to-week, but he’ll be returning.”
Having lost another starter, the Rams will once again have to shuffle their offensive line. For competitive reasons, Fisher declined to say exactly where everyone will be playing along the line, but it’s fair to assume rookies Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann have a good chance to fill in. Fisher said offensive line coach Paul Boudreau has done well getting them ready.
“As we move forward, it looks like they’re both going to play,” Fisher said. “I’ve been pleased with Cody. Cody missed some time with the calf injury during camp, but since then, Coach ‘Bou’s getting him reps and he knows what to do -- big strong guy who can pull and can pass protect.”
With Brown and Williams both headed to injured reserve, Fisher said supplemental draft pick Isaiah Battle will be promoted to the active roster. The club will also look outside the organization to help with depth, either for the practice squad or the active roster.
“Fortunately we’ve got depth, we’ve got youth. These guys are going to become good players because of their experience,” Fisher said. “We took a little blow but we’ll be fine.”
By Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Monday-Wrap-Up-Keenum-Named-Starter-Two-OLs-to-IR/3cc7afb7-a0ad-4cb9-b9fc-bdea58e57d44
After some careful consideration, head coach Jeff Fisher has decided to make a change at starting quarterback. Case Keenum will be under center going forward as the Rams look to get back on track.
“I’ve decided to go ahead and make a quarterback change. I’m going to go ahead and go with Case,” Fisher said Monday evening. “This is my decision based on what I think is best for this team, offensively, is to go this direction.”
The Rams traded for both Keenum and Nick Foles on the same day in March, though Foles’ arrival was much more ballyhooed at the time. Keenum had spent most of the 2014 season with St. Louis -- first on the active roster and then the practice squad -- until the Texans signed him to start their final two games. Houston won both contests with Keenum, as the quarterback threw for 435 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s won games. He’s proven it,” Fisher said of Keenum. “He’s won games in Houston with a team that had significant injuries around him, and he found ways to win games.”
The head coach said the Rams expect they’ll be able to use Keenum’s mobility as an asset in the backfield.
“We’re going to let him play. We’re going to use his legs and let him make some plays,” Fisher said. “We’re going to trust his mobility and his ability to extend plays and things, and just give us an offensive spark that we need.”
On the other side of the equation, Foles will head to the bench. The quarterback has struggled in recent weeks, which is part of the reason why Fisher had been contemplating the change. It’s about the body of work as opposed to a singular performance.
“I told the quarterbacks, the lack of production is not Nick’s fault,” Fisher said. “The lack of production is a collective offensive effort and coaching. But, I need more production and it starts with that position.”
Foles has completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,678 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions, averaging 186.4 yards per game. Sunday’s contest against the Bears marked only the second time Foles had reached 200 yards passing this season.
“There were some routes that weren’t correctly run. There were some protection issues where he had pressure in his face,” Fisher said of Foles’ performance on Sunday. “There were some opportunities where we had some people open when the ball should’ve been delivered on time and the ball should’ve been completed.
“Again,” Fisher continued, “it’s not just yesterday. It’s over the last few weeks.”
The head coach added Foles could use some time to continue learning and processing the offense, with the idea that, eventually, he will be back under center for the Rams.
“Nick just needs a break,” Fisher said. “He’s going to continue to work. He’ll run scout team. He’ll be prepared to play. But, he just needs to get more experience under his belt in this offense.”
Still, Fisher was quick to point out that Foles was not the only problem offensively. As the head coach has said frequently in recent weeks, everyone on the team has to play better.
“Nick didn’t fumble the ball on the 17-yard line, nor did he give up two explosive plays for over 80 yards,” Fisher said. “It’s not his fault. We all need to play better. But I’m confident that right now this is the right decision for us as we move forward.”
As for the third quarterback on the roster, rookie Sean Mannion, Fisher said the third-round pick is doing fine with his limited practice opportunities.
“He’s got a good feel for what we’re doing. He’s paying attention,” Fisher said. “He’s getting very few scout team reps, but when he gets them, he’s doing fine. He puts our cards in our terminology and he’s doing fine. So, we’ll try to get him some more reps here as we push forward.”
But for now, it sounds like Keenum has the reins of the offense.
“As I told Case, he doesn’t have a short leash,” Fisher said, later adding,“I’m not saying this is week-to-week, but this is what’s best right now for our team as we move forward from a production standpoint offensively.”
BROWN, WILLIAMS SUFFER SEASON-ENDING INJURIES
The injury bug has bit the Rams once again, with two offensive linemen suffering season-ending injuries during Sunday’s contest against the Bears.
Coincidentally, both Jamon Brown and Darrell Williams suffered their injuries on the same play -- the interception in the fourth quarter. Brown was carted off the field with a lower-leg fracture, and Williams suffered a dislocated wrist.
Brown’s injury means the Rams have now lost their two starting offensive guards from the season opener, as Rodger Saffold was placed in injured reserve in October following season-ending shoulder surgery.
Brown had been penciled in as a starting guard since early in OTAs, when it became clear that he was working with the first group. While he initially started at right guard next to fellow rookie Rob Havenstein, Brown moved over to left guard late in the preseason. Once Rodger Saffold went down, Brown flipped back over to right guard.
Williams made the team as a rookie undrafted free agent after a strong August, in which he impressed during training camp. Williams was filling in for Rob Havenstein on Sunday, who had left the game with a calf injury.
Havenstein, however, should not be out for an extended period of time, according to Fisher.
“Rob left the game with a calf injury and it’s not as significant as we feared last night,” Fisehr said. “He’ll be day-to-day, possibly week-to-week, but he’ll be returning.”
Having lost another starter, the Rams will once again have to shuffle their offensive line. For competitive reasons, Fisher declined to say exactly where everyone will be playing along the line, but it’s fair to assume rookies Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann have a good chance to fill in. Fisher said offensive line coach Paul Boudreau has done well getting them ready.
“As we move forward, it looks like they’re both going to play,” Fisher said. “I’ve been pleased with Cody. Cody missed some time with the calf injury during camp, but since then, Coach ‘Bou’s getting him reps and he knows what to do -- big strong guy who can pull and can pass protect.”
With Brown and Williams both headed to injured reserve, Fisher said supplemental draft pick Isaiah Battle will be promoted to the active roster. The club will also look outside the organization to help with depth, either for the practice squad or the active roster.
“Fortunately we’ve got depth, we’ve got youth. These guys are going to become good players because of their experience,” Fisher said. “We took a little blow but we’ll be fine.”
