Jared Goff will start for Rams on Sunday against Dolphins
Listen to this articleThe Los Angeles Rams have announced their number one pick in the 2016 NFL Draft — the #1 pick overall — Jared Goff will make his first start in an NFL game.
For most of the season the Rams offense has been lackluster at best, with Case Keenum ranking at or near the bottom of starting quarterbacks in the league. He was #31 out of 32 last week.
Carson Wentz, who was the second pick in the draft, going to the Philadelphia Eagles, was #18 in last week’s QB rankings. His team is 5-4 this season, and the Rams 4-5.
The ascension of Wentz to the starting position has put a spotlight on Goff and the Rams. The second pick in the draft was having great success while the first pick was relegated to the sidelines. From the moment Goff was drafted, head coach Jeff Fisher has said their quarterback of the future would get the start when he was ready. Now they feel his is ready. In a statement published on their website, the Rams head coach said, “He’s ready, he’s preparing, and doing well,” adding, “He’s anxious and confident.”
Offensive coordinator Rob Boras spoke about a practice earlier this month when the team had a bye week, “You could just see the confidence with what was going on. The wheels weren’t turning when he got up to the line of scrimmage, and he was real accurate, and decisive with what he was doing. I’ve kept talking about how well he’s been doing in the classroom; it was time to see it out here with all those reps that he got. I think we were all really pleased to see what was able to do in those couple of practices.”
Boras also said Goff had been receiving the majority of first team reps in practice, a sure sign they were looking to put Goff in the starting spot.
Another aspect of their offense that needs improving is their running game. So far Todd Gurley, last season’s Rookie of the Year, has 515 yards rushing, averaging 3.1 yards per carry, 57.2 yards per game. Plus, they need to start scoring touchdowns on offense.
The addition of Jared Goff is expected to add some spark to the offense, which just hasn’t performed to expectations, even with Keenum under center. The coaching staff firmly believes he is confident enough to start playing every snap, and after OTA’s, a pre-season and nine games of a regular season studying and practicing, they feel he is ready.
The Miami Dolphins, fresh off a win over the Chargers in San Diego, will be Goff’s first real test. The Miami defense ranks #17 in the league — about average — so he has a good chance to prove himself in this one.
Plus, the Rams defense is #6 in the league. They held the Jets to just six points and the Carolina Panthers to 13. It’s like the football gods teed it up for Goff.
The Jared Goff Era in Los Angeles about to begin.
Photos by Claudia Gestro
Tim Forkes started as a writer on a small alternative newspaper in Milwaukee called the Crazy Shepherd. Writing about entertainment, he had the opportunity to speak with many people in show business, from the very famous to the people struggling to find an audience. In 1992 Tim moved to San Diego, CA and pursued other interests, but remained a freelance writer. Upon arrival in Southern California he was struck by how the elected government officials and business were so intertwined, far more so than he had witnessed in Wisconsin. His interest in entertainment began to wane and the business of politics took its place. He had always been interested in politics, his mother had been a Democratic Party official in Milwaukee, WI, so he sat down to dinner with many of Wisconsin’s greatest political names of the 20th Century: William Proxmire and Clem Zablocki chief among them. As a Marine Corps veteran, Tim has a great interest in veteran affairs, primarily as they relate to the men and women serving and their families. As far as Tim is concerned, the military-industrial complex has enough support. How the men and women who serve are treated is reprehensible, while in the military and especially once they become veterans. Tim would like to help change that.