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By Dan Graziano
ESPN Staff Writer
The quarterback who went No. 2 overall in this year's draft is 3-0, ranks sixth in the NFL in passer rating and has five touchdown passes without an interception.
The quarterback who went No. 1 overall in this year's draft hasn't played yet.
So what happened here? Did theLos Angeles Rams blow it withJared Goff? Are the Philadelphia Eagles geniuses for trading up to No. 2 to select Carson Wentz? Is Wentz a prodigy? Is Goff a bust???
Yeah, it's a hot-take world when it comes to quarterbacks, and everybody loves to jump to their favorite conclusions. In this case, it's not that simple. While Goff and Wentz will forever be linked due to their proximity at the top of the draft, their 2016 situations are anything but apples to apples.
Here's a key difference: TheMinnesota Vikings didn't offer the Rams a first-round pick for their starting quarterback a week before the season. The Vikings did do that for the Eagles, which sentSam Bradford to the upper Midwest and elevated Wentz to the starter's role.
While the Eagles weren't preparing Wentz to start Week 1 until that deal went down eight days before their opener, the fact remains that they did manage to sufficiently prepare him to start -- and play very well -- in September.
To hear the Eagles tell it, it wasn't that tough.
Case Keenum said in a phone interview Wednesday. "Our protections are definitely a little bit different, and combining them with the concepts has been a challenge. Knowing who's hot on a particular play, when they're hot, the dropback game. ... There's been a lot of change, and it's a lot to process. But I think it's working pretty good."
Keenum takes responsibility for some of the offensive issues, saying, "I've missed a few throws with some guys running open." The Rams are 30th in the league in passing yards per game and last in completion percentage. Only three teams have fewer touchdown passes than the Rams' four.
They are 3-1, however, thanks in large part to a defense that has taken away the ball nine times and is holding opponents under 20 points per game. Keenum and the offense have largely protected the ball well, and they've done enough in spite of the growing pains.
So add up the surprisingly strong win/loss start and the fact that this offense is still putting itself together, and you can see why the Rams don't feel any rush to get Goff in there. It's entirely possible he's as ready as Wentz is. But the Bradford trade gave the Eagles a reason to elevate Wentz, and the complexities of the Rams' under-construction offense give L.A. reason to worry about Goff having too much on his plate if he does play.
Wentz's coaches in Philadelphia are all quarterbacks -- Pederson the head coach, Reich the coordinator and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. Wentz is surrounded by people who speak his language, know what he's going through and communicate simply and on his level.
Groh and Weinke were quarterbacks, but neither had ever coached quarterbacks in the NFL until this season. Boras is a former offensive lineman, and Fisher's background is on defense.
That doesn't mean what the Eagles are doing is right or what the Rams are doing is wrong. What it tells you is that the situations in which Wentz and Goff find themselves at the outset of their careers are very different. It's easy to look at what has gone on so far -- Wentz lighting up the league, while Goff rides the bench -- and say they may have been picked in the wrong order, but it's important to remember there's a long way to go. A month does not make a career (or two careers).
[www.espn.com]
ESPN Staff Writer
The quarterback who went No. 2 overall in this year's draft is 3-0, ranks sixth in the NFL in passer rating and has five touchdown passes without an interception.
The quarterback who went No. 1 overall in this year's draft hasn't played yet.
So what happened here? Did theLos Angeles Rams blow it withJared Goff? Are the Philadelphia Eagles geniuses for trading up to No. 2 to select Carson Wentz? Is Wentz a prodigy? Is Goff a bust???
Yeah, it's a hot-take world when it comes to quarterbacks, and everybody loves to jump to their favorite conclusions. In this case, it's not that simple. While Goff and Wentz will forever be linked due to their proximity at the top of the draft, their 2016 situations are anything but apples to apples.
Here's a key difference: TheMinnesota Vikings didn't offer the Rams a first-round pick for their starting quarterback a week before the season. The Vikings did do that for the Eagles, which sentSam Bradford to the upper Midwest and elevated Wentz to the starter's role.
While the Eagles weren't preparing Wentz to start Week 1 until that deal went down eight days before their opener, the fact remains that they did manage to sufficiently prepare him to start -- and play very well -- in September.
To hear the Eagles tell it, it wasn't that tough.
Case Keenum said in a phone interview Wednesday. "Our protections are definitely a little bit different, and combining them with the concepts has been a challenge. Knowing who's hot on a particular play, when they're hot, the dropback game. ... There's been a lot of change, and it's a lot to process. But I think it's working pretty good."
Keenum takes responsibility for some of the offensive issues, saying, "I've missed a few throws with some guys running open." The Rams are 30th in the league in passing yards per game and last in completion percentage. Only three teams have fewer touchdown passes than the Rams' four.
They are 3-1, however, thanks in large part to a defense that has taken away the ball nine times and is holding opponents under 20 points per game. Keenum and the offense have largely protected the ball well, and they've done enough in spite of the growing pains.
So add up the surprisingly strong win/loss start and the fact that this offense is still putting itself together, and you can see why the Rams don't feel any rush to get Goff in there. It's entirely possible he's as ready as Wentz is. But the Bradford trade gave the Eagles a reason to elevate Wentz, and the complexities of the Rams' under-construction offense give L.A. reason to worry about Goff having too much on his plate if he does play.
Wentz's coaches in Philadelphia are all quarterbacks -- Pederson the head coach, Reich the coordinator and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. Wentz is surrounded by people who speak his language, know what he's going through and communicate simply and on his level.
Groh and Weinke were quarterbacks, but neither had ever coached quarterbacks in the NFL until this season. Boras is a former offensive lineman, and Fisher's background is on defense.
That doesn't mean what the Eagles are doing is right or what the Rams are doing is wrong. What it tells you is that the situations in which Wentz and Goff find themselves at the outset of their careers are very different. It's easy to look at what has gone on so far -- Wentz lighting up the league, while Goff rides the bench -- and say they may have been picked in the wrong order, but it's important to remember there's a long way to go. A month does not make a career (or two careers).
[www.espn.com]
