If Fisher won't make a QB change maybe it's time the Rams made a Head coaching one

[JKBOGEN]

If Fisher won't make a QB change maybe it's time the Rams made a Head coaching one

http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...be-its-time-the-Rams-made-a-Head-coaching-one

October 24th, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

The Rams are heading into their much needed bye at 3-4 after blowing a quick 3-1 start on the season. Who is to blame for this three game slide? Well, many people are responsible but it starts with the QB and his Head coach.


For those of you who don't know I have been supporting Jeff Fisher because quite honestly I think the Rams waited too long to fire him and have missed out on young Head coaching candidates like...Hue Jackson, Adam Gase, Todd Bowles, Gus Bradley, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer, Doug Pederson, the list goes on. I wouldn't necessarily say I am advocating a firing of Fisher but I am saying this: If Fisher sticks with Case Keenum as his QB for week nine I completely want him gone.


Hear me out, I understand why Jared Goff hasn't played yet. However, this isn't about Goff entirely and Fisher seems to blind to realize that. For example this Fisher quote here is telling.


“Jared’s going to play when we feel Jared’s ready. Had we won this game you wouldn’t be asking about Jared, we didn’t lose this game because of the quarterback play. We lost it because of some other positions.”


This is the problem Fisher thinks Goff not being ready to start means Keenum is the starter moving forward. No, how about this. Give Sean Mannion a shot at QB, the fans are tired of Keenum and to be honest he's not winning games anymore so you have no leverage other than the fact he had one great game versus the Lions which in all accounts was a fluke and even so didn't lead to a win. Mannion could easily throw four interceptions like Keenum so how do you even have leverage to say Keenum is the guy after that game.


Lets take a look back at the previous QB's benched by Fisher with the Rams and compare them to Keenum's 2016 campaign.


Case Keenum 2016 stats through seven games: 62.0% CMP, 1,708 yards, 6.84 yards per pass, 8 TDS, 10 INTS, 4 FUM (3-4 Starting) (Defense allowed 22.0 PPG) (Running game: 179 carries, 559 yards, 4TDS)


Nick Foles 2015 stats through seven games: 58.8% CMP, 1,310 yards, 11.9 yards per pass, 7 TDS, 5 INTS, 4 FUM (4-3 Starting) (Defense allowed 17.8 PPG) (Running game: 185 carries, 924 yards, 6 TDS)


Austin Davis 2014 stats through seven games: 65.2% CMP, 1,680 yards, 8.92 yards per pass, 10 TDS, 5 INTS, 4 FUM (2-4 Starting) (Defense allowed 30.0 PPG) (Running game: 174 carries, 668 yards, 4 TDS)


Well, I didn't understand moving on from Austin Davis as you may well know and I still never will. Just imagine what he could have done if he was on this team. This isn't about my love for Davis this is about the fact Keenum has a good defense, running game is off to a slow start but he has talent and he's not getting the job done. Again, while I want Goff to start week nine, if he's not ready then let Mannion get his shot. Otherwise drafting him in the third-round was a complete waste.


Back at the beginning of the off-season around the draft Head coach Jeff Fisher and General manager Les Snead asked for Owner Stan Kroenke's blessing in trading up to no.1 overall for California QB Jared Goff. Well they received his blessing and then they basically pleaded for time with the reason being that Goff isn't ready. Kroenke has given them time, the fact of the matter is this. The Rams are 3-4 in a division they could easily be in front of had Keenum not lost them to out of the last three games. This is a team that should be making the playoffs in Fisher's fifth year as HC. Kroenke might need to put his foot down and pull a "Jimmy Haslam" just like Haslam did with Pettine last year. "If you aren't going to play our young QB then I am going to look elsewhere for a HC". Now he was wrong because Johnny Manziel proved to be a bust on and off the field but my point is that it's time to see what Goff can do.


It was all fine when the Rams started off 3-1 and Keenum was playing well enough with a good defense to win football games but now it's gut check time. The Rams next four opponents have a 8-18 record combined and the Rams will be at the Coliseum also known as their home until 2019 for five times out of the next nine games. The Rams have a bye so they have two weeks to prepare to face the Carolina Panthers who are spiraling downward. This is plenty of time to get whether it'd be Sean Mannion or Jared Goff up with the one's and getting ready to start. This is also plenty of time to sure up the running game and maybe even shake up the offensive line.


According to Fred Roggin of NBCLA it sounds like after years of mediocrity Jeff Fisher is on the hot seat.


Sticking with Case Keenum will lose Fisher his job at least if Goff is out there Kroenke and the rest of Rams brass might be accepting as long as they see the 22-year old under center. It's time for Fisher to make a change though because starting Keenum moving forward is a death sentence to Fisher's era with the Rams and maybe his football head coaching career.

 

[-X-]

You made his whole point for him, only it took you more words.
If Keenum had won the game, you wouldn't have written this article.
And the QB didn't lose the game. So, he's right.

And please go over these things a couple of times before you publish. Do yourself (and me) that favor.
Grammar and syntax is pretty important if you wanna be a writer.

 

[JKBOGEN]

You made his whole point for him, only it took you more words.
If Keenum had won the game, you wouldn't have written this article.
And the QB didn't lose the game. So, he's right.

And please go over these things a couple of times before you publish. Do yourself (and me) that favor.
Grammar and syntax is pretty important if you wanna be a writer.

I disagree, had Keenum won that game with that td and then the rams in OT won the game at the end of the day Keenum kept that game close. They left a projected 18 points on the board according to ESPN

 

[-X-]

I disagree, had Keenum won that game with that td and then the rams in OT won the game at the end of the day Keenum kept that game close. They left a projected 18 points on the board according to ESPN

And he could very well have put 18 points on the board if some plays were executed properly.
Let me guess. ESPN handicaps Keenum for the overthrow to Britt, and that factors into their points left on the field.

 

[JKBOGEN]

And he could very well have put 18 points on the board if some plays were executed properly.
Let me guess. ESPN handicaps Keenum for the overthrow to Britt, and that factors into their points left on the field.

I have been a supporter of Fisher for awhile now and it's just getting out of hand he threw his WRs under the bus when Britt and Quick have been good all year. Keenum needs to step down. Regardless if Goff is ready or not it's time for a new QB. Again, there is no reason Keenum deserved to be the starter over Austin Davis. I will hold that against him because it's absolute BS.

 

[KayJay]

Regardless, I don't believe Fisher is all that immortal anymore. Fisher is now threatening the only thing Kronke cares about...money. If the city of LA doesn't like a product, they won't come to the games, if they aren't coming to the games, there is no appeal. If there isn't any appeal, whats the point of building a stadium for a team that doesn't appeal to the public?

This is no longer about Goff being ready; its about the gamble that was decided before the season to put all his eggs in one basket to get Keenum ready instead of Goff. Fisher swung for the fence after realizing that potentially Goff would require more work. So he prepared a back up to start, something no other head coach in the NFL would have done. But can you blame him? The pressure to win in LA is real, so the best chance at survival was Keenum. However this move will be his own undoing.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

.

And please go over these things a couple of times before you publish. Do yourself (and me) that favor.
Grammar and syntax is pretty important if you wanna be a writer.

I took auto-correct off my phone and now i feel like i'm on my old 1983 hand-me-down smith corona. There are tons of Good writers that suck at grammar, but that's why they made editors
Yes finding someone who can fix your grammar and flow is a great thing to have if you want to publish as a writer

* edit. Ive always thought Syntax would make a killer name for an epic prog rock band hahah

 

[-X-]

edit. Ive always thought Syntax would make a killer name for an epic prog rock band hahah

Nice. Do they all wear black framed glasses?
Because that would be both ironic and cool.

 

[-X-]

Again, there is no reason Keenum deserved to be the starter over Austin Davis. I will hold that against him because it's absolute BS.

Well, in your opinion of course.
That only becomes fact when 100% of the world shares the same view.
And even then ... still an opinion.

 

[bubbaramfan]

With a coaching change comes all kinds of new stuff. Are you really ready to wait another 4 or 5 years till they all learn a new playbook, get used to new coaches, just plain start all over?

At the end of this season, I expect Kroenke to extend Fisher one or two more years with the understanding that the Rams MUST improve their record or he will be gone. Kroenke has to see if the Rams improve once Goff starts playing, and he'll need to see more than just the first few games.

Fisher is going to be coach of the Rams at least another year or two. Its going to take that long for Goff and the new WR's to come up to speed.

Personally, I'm losing confidence in Fisher, and I lothe having to bring in a new HC, with a new playbook and terminology, but if I have to wait another 4 years for the Rams to be a ligitimate contender, so be it.

 

[Rmfnlt]

With a coaching change comes all kinds of new stuff. Are you really ready to wait another 4 or 5 years till they all learn a new playbook, get used to new coaches, just plain start all over?

At the end of this season, I expect Kroenke to extend Fisher one or two more years with the understanding that the Rams MUST improve their record or he will be gone. Kroenke has to see if the Rams improve once Goff starts playing, and he'll need to see more than just the first few games.

Fisher is going to be coach of the Rams at least another year or two. Its going to take that long for Goff and the new WR's to come up to speed.

Personally, I'm losing confidence in Fisher, and I lothe having to bring in a new HC, with a new playbook and terminology, but if I have to wait another 4 years for the Rams to be a ligitimate contender, so be it.

I always struggle with the idea that it's not a good idea to change coaches because of the anticipated time it would take the successor to improve the team.

Of course, most times, a coach gets fired because he's not getting the job done.

Now... if there isn't much of a track record to go on (some teams jettison HCs after a year or two), then yeah... maybe hang on for a little longer.

But it's been 5 years now... Fisher has been given carte blanche on drafting/trades/coaches/etc. It's his team.

So, after 5 years of doing it his way, I think there's enough of a track record to say things are not likely to improve unless we make a move. NOTE: I am willing to give him the next 4 games, but I'm not expecting a whole heck of a lot.

If they make the right decision, I honestly can't see how the new guy can do much worse... given the talent on this team.

I am ready... and I don't think it'll take anywhere near 4-5 years to see improvement over what we see today... IMO, I think it could be done in a half season.

 

[JIMERAMS]

keenum is ten times better than Austin Davis. oh god here comes the almighty PFF numbers to prove me wrong.:blah::blah::blah::blah:

 

[bubbaramfan]

We still haven't seen Goff and most of the WR's Fisher brought in. There are repeating problems I blame on Fisher, but we haven't seen the finished product yet. Kroenke still needs to see how that will all turn out. Its why he'll give Fisher a year or two extension.

Who knows? Maybe Fisher has coached these guys up so they light it up when they hit the field and we won't be having this conversation. (I wish):help:

Just sayin, in kroenke's mind, he needs to see how Fisher does with Goff and the new WR's before he can make a decision on whether to retain Fisher or not.

 

[dieterbrock]

keenum is ten times better than Austin Davis. oh god here comes the almighty PFF numbers to prove me wrong.:blah::blah::blah::blah:

So other than your opinion, care to back that up somehow?

 

[dieterbrock]

We still haven't seen Goff and most of the WR's Fisher brought in. There are repeating problems I blame on Fisher, but we haven't seen the finished product yet. Kroenke still needs to see how that will all turn out. Its why he'll give Fisher a year or two extension.

Who knows? Maybe Fisher has coached these guys up so they light it up when they hit the field and we won't be having this conversation. (I wish):help:

Just sayin, in kroenke's mind, he needs to see how Fisher does with Goff and the new WR's before he can make a decision on whether to retain Fisher or not.

Rookie WR rarely do much, outside of some HOF type guys like Holt
Hard to say after 5 years Fisher deserves an extension just so we can see if these guys pan out

 

[JIMERAMS]

So other than your opinion, care to back that up somehow?

ya I watch the games and yes that is my opinion just like you have yours. my opinion is PFF is garbage too.

 

[dieterbrock]

ya I watch the games and yes that is my opinion just like you have yours. my opinion is PFF is garbage too.

Austin Davis played some darned good QB for us during his first 5 games as starter. He's not starter material and all but neither is Keenum. Stats wise (not PFF) Davis numbers were superior. I don't know who's better or worse, but the idea that Keenum is 10x better? No way

 

[JIMERAMS]

Austin Davis played some darned good QB for us during his first 5 games as starter. He's not starter material and all but neither is Keenum. Stats wise (not PFF) Davis numbers were superior. I don't know who's better or worse, but the idea that Keenum is 10x better? No way

the thing some people don't see is how many times our receivers saved Austins butt. he would throw high a lot and our receivers payed for it. keenum is a good backup not a starter Davis is a 3rd stringer at most.

 

[DaveFan'51]

I'm really not sure which way to go on this question! It is true that had the Rams won, this question wouldn't be asked! And I think 3 of the 4 Int's where not Keenums fault! But, with the exception of Quick quiting on his route, for what ever reason, I don't Blame the WR's either!
The BIG problem is we have to get our run game/ Gurrrley & Cunningham going. What ever it takes! I don't know how!! But No team should get itself into a position where it has to pass 53 times!!
Fisher has said Keenum will stay the starter because he didn't Lose these games. And he has also said Goff will be getting extra reps next Wednesday and Thursday. And that Keenum doesn't need the Reps. Maybe he's hinting at something. Maybe not! We'll see!

 

[thirteen28]

With a coaching change comes all kinds of new stuff. Are you really ready to wait another 4 or 5 years till they all learn a new playbook, get used to new coaches, just plain start all over?

At the end of this season, I expect Kroenke to extend Fisher one or two more years with the understanding that the Rams MUST improve their record or he will be gone. Kroenke has to see if the Rams improve once Goff starts playing, and he'll need to see more than just the first few games.

Fisher is going to be coach of the Rams at least another year or two. Its going to take that long for Goff and the new WR's to come up to speed.

Personally, I'm losing confidence in Fisher, and I lothe having to bring in a new HC, with a new playbook and terminology, but if I have to wait another 4 years for the Rams to be a ligitimate contender, so be it.

Making a coaching change doesn't mean you have to wait another 4-5 years to be good - particularly if you have talent on your roster. The 49ers changed coaches from Singletary to Harbaugh and went to the NFC Championship in the first year thereafter (and were a muffed punt away from going to the Super Bowl).

For that matter, installing a new offense doesn't have to be a 4-5 year process either. Martz came in in year one and installed an offense that only the would-be starting QB, Trent Green, had any experience in. We know what happened to Green, which means our eventual starting QB that year had to learn a new offense as well. Thus virtually every player was learning a new offense. And yet, right out of the gate they were able to run it effectively (with the word "effectively" being an understatement of epic proportions). To avoid getting this discussion sidetracked, I am not suggesting that someone can come in and turn our offense into the GSOT right off the bat. What I am saying is that someone who is a good teacher, who can relate the concepts to the players, who can implement a system that easy to learn and one that doesn't rely on excessively verbose playcalls, etc., can install a new offense that can be run with great efficiency right out of the gate.

As for the WR's, these guys were all brought in by Fisher, through the draft, with the exception of Britt who was a free agent.

The thing that makes me hesitate most about replacing Fisher is the defense. It isn't broke, and I don't want to change it. For that matter, I don't want to change most of the staff, and would love it if a prospective new coach would retain Williams as the DC.

If Fisher has to go, it's because he's gotten us to a point where he is no longer able to move the team forward. I recognize that he had a huge task in rebuilding this time when he first took over. And he has largely done a good job with that, as the roster is leaps and bounds better than it was at the end of 2011. Furthermore, I understand that he had two seasons in which his staring QB was lost with an ACL tear, which is hardly his fault. But that being said, his approach to offense is holding this team back - it is the reason we can't seem to take the next step. And given his history, both with the Rams and previously the Titans, that doesn't look like it's going to change. Thus, barring a sudden, unexpected change of approach by Fisher, it's really beginning to look like that moving on is going to be required for this team to take the next step.