Why Won’t the Los Angeles Rams Give Jared Goff a Chance?

Monday night in San Francisco, the Los Angeles Rams were shut out by a 49ers team that last season ranked 29th in the NFL on defense. They mustered just 185 total yards in the 28-0 loss, converting just three of 15 third downs. 

When something like that happens, you can hardly blame just one player. But by all reasonable measures, L.A.’s worst player was quarterback Case Keenum, who earned a team-worst Pro Football Focus grade of minus-3.6 in a comically bad performance. 

Keenum completed just 48.6 percent of his 35 passes for 130 yards. He threw two interceptions and was sacked twice, finishing with a 34.2 passer rating—making him by far the lowest-rated qualified passer of the week. 

And yet after the game, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters (h/t Conor Orr of NFL.com) Keenum would remain the team’s starter, despite the fact L.A. has this year’s No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff holding a tablet.

That has left a nation of sports fans puzzled, especially considering that the NFL saw three other young quarterbacks—all of whom are less accomplished than Goff—excel in their NFL debuts in Week 1. 

I know, Goff didn’t perform well in training camp or the preseason, where he posted a passer rating of just 55.8 in four games.

But neither did No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz, who posted a rating of 41.8 to start the preseason before missing the rest of August due to injury. But the less-heralded North Dakota State product had a triple-digit rating as his Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. 

And I know, the Rams have stated time and again that they won’t rush Goff. It’s not necessarily a heinous approach, though it is unconventional, considering each of the last five quarterbacks chosen first overall have started from the jump.

But that was also supposed to be the plan for Dallas Cowboys fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott. And yet …

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