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Practice Report 12/22: Keenum Preparing for Seattle Challenge
By Myles Simmons
Quarterback Case Keenum has gone through plenty of ups and downs in his first few seasons in the NFL. But he may not have played better in a victory than he did last week against Tampa Bay.
The quarterback was efficient, completing 14 of his 17 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. That’s 13.76 yards per attempt, and a quarterback rating of 158.0 -- just three tenths away from perfect.
Rob Boras said Tuesday he thought Keenum played outstanding in the coach’s second game since assuming the duties of offensive coordinator.
“I’m not sure what his numbers were, but the ball was complete. When it wasn’t there, he was smart and didn’t force it,” Boras said. “The whole offensive across the board -- guys stepped up and it’s been that way, really, for the last two weeks.”
The more he plays, the more comfortable Keenum’s looked on the field. It’s a correlation that makes sense given the difficult nature of playing QB in the NFL.
“Game experience, especially at the quarterback position, is priceless in this league. You have to learn from it,” Keenum said. “You have to get better, and you’re going to go through tough times. It’s not a perfect science. Obviously, some guys have it figured out better than others and have had a lot more success. You try to take stuff from them and how they do the game, how they play the game, how they prepare, and you try to fit it to your own game and what works for you.”
“I hope he’s feeling more comfortable,” Boras said. “I don’t think the gameplan should take credit. It was a short week. He just believed what he saw. That’s what he kept telling himself, ‘I’m not going to overthink it. I’m going to see what I see, and I’m going to believe it and let it go.’ He did that.”
It looks like everything is coming together as Keenum has won both starts since getting back into the starting lineup. In his last two games, the Houston product has completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 358 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. That’s good enough for a 106.6 rating and 9.18 yards per attempt.
“I’ve always concentrated on getting better,” Keenum said. “That’s what being a veteran is about, is accumulating experience and experience is priceless. It’s just a matter of keeping battling through the tough times and enjoying the good times.”
Plus, some of Keenum’s decisions don’t directly show up in the stat sheet. Head coach Jeff Fisher has complimented the signal-caller’s ability to make the proper checks in the run game, and Boras mentioned how Keenum taking a sack in certain scenarios is also the right call.
“Case, even those he had to take a sack twice, those were in situations where he didn’t force the ball and [had] something bad happen,” Boras said. “So, sometimes it’s the decision when the ball wasn’t thrown that are the ones you compliment him for the most.”
But this week will present a significant challenge as the Rams head up to Seattle for their second matchup with the Seahawks. Since starting out the year 2-4, the two-time defending NFC champions have won seven of their last eight to bring their record to 9-5. And looking at both squads, plenty has changed when it comes to their on-field makeup -- Keenum being one of them.
“It’s been a really long time, a full season,” Keenum said. “A few different players, but it’s Seattle and they’re still a really good defense. They still line up and run what they run.”
Still, there’s plenty to take not only from the Rams’ 34-31 overtime victory, but also the games the two teams have played in the past few years.
“We know who they are. They know who we are,” Boras said. “It just comes down to us doing what we do better than they do what they do. They haven’t changed a whole lot.”
Seattle’s known for running plenty of Cover 3 with its secondary and excelling at it with leaders like cornerback Richard Sherman, safety Earl Thomas, and safety Kam Chancellor. But the Seahawks can be just as formidable up front with players like Michael Bennett, who has 9.5 sacks and can move all around the defensive line.
“They line up to it different ways and they mix it up,” Keenum said. “They tend to mix it up against us sometimes, too. Divisional opponents you play twice, so it helps sometimes to mix it up. You still have to line up and play. You still have to line up and beat them. They’ve got some great players over there.”
The other challenge will be the crowd noise. CenturyLink Field has been known for a while as one of the loudest stadiums in the league, and often presents communication issues.
“We’re not going to be able to hear very much of anything,” Keenum said. “This will be my first time playing at Seattle. I played at Kansas City though. My first start was at Kansas City when they were going back and forth who was the loudest outdoor stadium. So I have an idea of what it’s like, but I’m sure it’s going to be really loud. It’s something we’re definitely going to have to deal with.”
Though the plays go directly to Keenum’s helmet from quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke on the sideline, Boras said there are plans for if something goes wrong.
“That’s part of the preparation that we’re going through now,” Boras said, “is to try to make sure that we have the contingencies in place, so if he can’t hear, we can still get him a play and we can still hopefully be effective.”
And so as Keenum continues to progress in the offense, Sunday will provide another test for him to show what he can do as a quarterback in this league.
“I’ve said it before, anytime you step on the field I think it’s a statement,” Keenum said. “That’s how we accumulate resumes in this league -- it’s what you put on film. Anytime you do that, especially against a team like Seattle, who’s for the last few years have been playing a lot of really good football, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“This will be a big challenge for him,” Fisher said. “I mean, it’s not easy to go in there and play. But, he’s got the personality that I think it takes to go in there and be successful.”
INJURY REPORT
There was no official injury report released on Tuesday, but Fisher did provide an update on linebacker Alec Ogletree. Last week, the head coach said Ogletree’s practice window would likely begin this week with the idea of the linebacker possibly being active for Week 17 against the 49ers.
While Ogletree did not get on the field for the week’s first practice, Fisher said the linebacker did some work inside.
“He’ll be out over the next couple of days,” Fisher said. “We’ll see how he moves and then we’ll kind of push him as best we can, but not going to put him in a position where if he’s not ready, we’re not going to play him.
“But, I want him to have the opportunity to potentially get a few snaps against San Francisco,” Fisher continued. “We’ll know early in the week next week.”
VISITING BAILEY
A number of Rams went to visit wide receiver Stedman Bailey in Miami during the long weekend, including wide receiver Tavon Austin and safety Rodney McLeod.
“It felt good to see my man,” Austin said. “It's hard to see him like that, but he is definitely positive about the situation.”
“Just to be there and encourage him and lift up his spirits, if they were even down -- it didn't look like they were,” McLeod said. “It looked like he was very positive. We just wanted to take some time out and show him our support, and that we're rooting for him.”
For more on the visit to South Florida, we’ll have a full story on the site on Wednesday.
By Myles Simmons
Quarterback Case Keenum has gone through plenty of ups and downs in his first few seasons in the NFL. But he may not have played better in a victory than he did last week against Tampa Bay.
The quarterback was efficient, completing 14 of his 17 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. That’s 13.76 yards per attempt, and a quarterback rating of 158.0 -- just three tenths away from perfect.
Rob Boras said Tuesday he thought Keenum played outstanding in the coach’s second game since assuming the duties of offensive coordinator.
“I’m not sure what his numbers were, but the ball was complete. When it wasn’t there, he was smart and didn’t force it,” Boras said. “The whole offensive across the board -- guys stepped up and it’s been that way, really, for the last two weeks.”
The more he plays, the more comfortable Keenum’s looked on the field. It’s a correlation that makes sense given the difficult nature of playing QB in the NFL.
“Game experience, especially at the quarterback position, is priceless in this league. You have to learn from it,” Keenum said. “You have to get better, and you’re going to go through tough times. It’s not a perfect science. Obviously, some guys have it figured out better than others and have had a lot more success. You try to take stuff from them and how they do the game, how they play the game, how they prepare, and you try to fit it to your own game and what works for you.”
“I hope he’s feeling more comfortable,” Boras said. “I don’t think the gameplan should take credit. It was a short week. He just believed what he saw. That’s what he kept telling himself, ‘I’m not going to overthink it. I’m going to see what I see, and I’m going to believe it and let it go.’ He did that.”
It looks like everything is coming together as Keenum has won both starts since getting back into the starting lineup. In his last two games, the Houston product has completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 358 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. That’s good enough for a 106.6 rating and 9.18 yards per attempt.
“I’ve always concentrated on getting better,” Keenum said. “That’s what being a veteran is about, is accumulating experience and experience is priceless. It’s just a matter of keeping battling through the tough times and enjoying the good times.”
Plus, some of Keenum’s decisions don’t directly show up in the stat sheet. Head coach Jeff Fisher has complimented the signal-caller’s ability to make the proper checks in the run game, and Boras mentioned how Keenum taking a sack in certain scenarios is also the right call.
“Case, even those he had to take a sack twice, those were in situations where he didn’t force the ball and [had] something bad happen,” Boras said. “So, sometimes it’s the decision when the ball wasn’t thrown that are the ones you compliment him for the most.”
But this week will present a significant challenge as the Rams head up to Seattle for their second matchup with the Seahawks. Since starting out the year 2-4, the two-time defending NFC champions have won seven of their last eight to bring their record to 9-5. And looking at both squads, plenty has changed when it comes to their on-field makeup -- Keenum being one of them.
“It’s been a really long time, a full season,” Keenum said. “A few different players, but it’s Seattle and they’re still a really good defense. They still line up and run what they run.”
Still, there’s plenty to take not only from the Rams’ 34-31 overtime victory, but also the games the two teams have played in the past few years.
“We know who they are. They know who we are,” Boras said. “It just comes down to us doing what we do better than they do what they do. They haven’t changed a whole lot.”
Seattle’s known for running plenty of Cover 3 with its secondary and excelling at it with leaders like cornerback Richard Sherman, safety Earl Thomas, and safety Kam Chancellor. But the Seahawks can be just as formidable up front with players like Michael Bennett, who has 9.5 sacks and can move all around the defensive line.
“They line up to it different ways and they mix it up,” Keenum said. “They tend to mix it up against us sometimes, too. Divisional opponents you play twice, so it helps sometimes to mix it up. You still have to line up and play. You still have to line up and beat them. They’ve got some great players over there.”
The other challenge will be the crowd noise. CenturyLink Field has been known for a while as one of the loudest stadiums in the league, and often presents communication issues.
“We’re not going to be able to hear very much of anything,” Keenum said. “This will be my first time playing at Seattle. I played at Kansas City though. My first start was at Kansas City when they were going back and forth who was the loudest outdoor stadium. So I have an idea of what it’s like, but I’m sure it’s going to be really loud. It’s something we’re definitely going to have to deal with.”
Though the plays go directly to Keenum’s helmet from quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke on the sideline, Boras said there are plans for if something goes wrong.
“That’s part of the preparation that we’re going through now,” Boras said, “is to try to make sure that we have the contingencies in place, so if he can’t hear, we can still get him a play and we can still hopefully be effective.”
And so as Keenum continues to progress in the offense, Sunday will provide another test for him to show what he can do as a quarterback in this league.
“I’ve said it before, anytime you step on the field I think it’s a statement,” Keenum said. “That’s how we accumulate resumes in this league -- it’s what you put on film. Anytime you do that, especially against a team like Seattle, who’s for the last few years have been playing a lot of really good football, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“This will be a big challenge for him,” Fisher said. “I mean, it’s not easy to go in there and play. But, he’s got the personality that I think it takes to go in there and be successful.”
INJURY REPORT
There was no official injury report released on Tuesday, but Fisher did provide an update on linebacker Alec Ogletree. Last week, the head coach said Ogletree’s practice window would likely begin this week with the idea of the linebacker possibly being active for Week 17 against the 49ers.
While Ogletree did not get on the field for the week’s first practice, Fisher said the linebacker did some work inside.
“He’ll be out over the next couple of days,” Fisher said. “We’ll see how he moves and then we’ll kind of push him as best we can, but not going to put him in a position where if he’s not ready, we’re not going to play him.
“But, I want him to have the opportunity to potentially get a few snaps against San Francisco,” Fisher continued. “We’ll know early in the week next week.”
VISITING BAILEY
A number of Rams went to visit wide receiver Stedman Bailey in Miami during the long weekend, including wide receiver Tavon Austin and safety Rodney McLeod.
“It felt good to see my man,” Austin said. “It's hard to see him like that, but he is definitely positive about the situation.”
“Just to be there and encourage him and lift up his spirits, if they were even down -- it didn't look like they were,” McLeod said. “It looked like he was very positive. We just wanted to take some time out and show him our support, and that we're rooting for him.”
For more on the visit to South Florida, we’ll have a full story on the site on Wednesday.
