http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/09/02/nfl-team-team-pivotal-players

The 32 Pivotal Players for the 2016 Season
For each team, the season will hinge on one guy’s success more than any other. These are the players—some big stars, some new faces, some underappreciated contributors—who’s performance will make or break their club
by Andy Benoit

Los Angeles: Mark Barron, LB

One of pro football’s fastest-growing trends is the rise of three- and four-safety dime packages—replacing linebackers with box safeties. And there’s no greater beneficiary of this movement than the 6' 2", 213-pound Barron. The No. 7 pick in 2012 by the Buccaneers, Barron floundered for 21⁄2 years as a strong safety in a zone-based scheme before being traded to the Rams, who smartly recognized that he’s best on the attack, not reading and reacting.

So they made him a linebacker who would blitz and chase ballcarriers behind a penetrating defensive line. Barron has flourished. Yes, there can be problems when a 310-pound run blocker gets his hands on him. But with the NFL presenting an increasingly space-oriented game, those sorts of matchups are more rare. Barron also provides flexibility with coverages because his experience at safety helps him to better guard tight ends.

Maybe?

Anyway, here are all of his throws from last night. You be the judge, but I saw two poorly thrown balls and FOUR DROPS. Yes, the fumble was his fault but the INT came on a great play by the D and a retarded ass play call. I still think he should start Monday night.

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Another stream of consciousness thing...

First, the negatives.

I'll start with Goff. What happened to that "most Pro ready" QB? The one that bravely insisted on doing his Ram private workout in a downpour? That amazed coaches and scouts on the chalkboard? That processed with speed in college? That had such accuracy and touch? Damn! Get this imposter outta here, and go get that other kid back.

Seriously? Goff seems to be regressing. He's overwhelmed too often. He definitely isn't reminding anybody of Joe Montana lately. Something is very wrong here. Goff has demonstrated in college the ability to excel at the highest levels. But now he can only occasionally flash, while mostly flailing. I'm concerned about his self confidence at this point.

Given Fisher's track record of developing QB's, I'm worried. Whatever the amalgamation of Fisher, Boras, Groh, and Weinke have concluded, it ain't working. Not NEARLY as well as was expected by virtually everyone. At least not yet. My worst fears are being realized regarding Goff's development. And all this on the heels of the Foles implosion. Shudder...

Lest we blame all of Goff's struggles on the coaching staff, let's remember that both Keenum and Mannion have greatly exceeded expectations this year. Unless we give all the credit to them for self development, don't we have to give the coaches some credit here?

I didn't focus on OL play, but I did notice that backup OT's Williams and Battle had terrible snaps when I did have my eye on them. Is it that Battle is not yet fully healthy? Both seem likely goners after last night. Pace Murphy threw a nice block that I noticed.

Duke Williams had a nightmare game.

Quick is so done as far as I'm concerned. No sympathy in my heart left for him anymore.

Even Higbee disappointed. Maybe this "drops thing" is contagious?

Still underwhelmed by our backup LB's after 4 games. Is Snead looking for a LB on the waiver wire? Might be, at that.


Now for a few bright spots.

Mannion is looking more and more like our #2 for next year. Heck, until Goff gets his feet on the ground, it seems that he's our #2 THIS year.

I don't remember ever seeing a RB corp so deep. Ever. How can they cut Green? And McGee is gonna be on somebody's roster this year. C Reynolds has gotta be released in favor of Green, don't you think?

Mike Thomas made some plays last night both as a receiver and on ST as a returner and gunner. Maybe he sticks, after all?

Good to see Hav get some snaps, but is he gonna be ready for opening day? I'm very comfortable with GRob and Saffold at OT's until Hav is 100%.

Just an aside, but how the heck can a coaching staff that has RB's and DL players coming out their ears have so much trouble stocking this team with WR's? Just amazing. Feast or famine, position wise.

Fox really showed up last night, huh? Hope he can make it to the PS.

Fassel has some work to do, that's for sure. Hope he gets on top of it now that he can finalize his various ST groups and no longer needs to look at everybody. Last night was a ST comedy of errors, wasn't it? Three Viking scores resulted from ST fubars.


Final word about the preseason. When the projected starters were in, the Rams looked more than okay. Including against the SB champ Broncos. The coaches gave lots of snaps to all the backups in order to try to find a gem or two. And they certainly had success with that philosophy.

I suspect that there will be some Boras/Groh passing wrinkles that will pleasantly surprise us come opening day.

And I have a feeling that our D is gonna be better than last year. And that our front 7 will be absolutely beastly.

Where did I go wrong? Or what did I miss?

Case Keenuim is starter; Jared Goff appears to be third option

By Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

[www.dailynews.com]

MINNEAPOLIS >> Words you never thought you’d string together in the same sentence one month ago: Take a seat, Jared Goff, here’s hoping we don’t see you start another game the rest of the 2016 season.

Sounds harsh, right?

Almost inexplicable considering the spot in the draft Goff was taken and the price the Rams paid to acquire it.

It’s not often a team pulls aside the first overall pick at the end of the last exhibition game and tells him they’d rather not see him play again this year.

But then, why would the Rams really want Goff to play significant snaps over the next four months when doing so means two bad things happening? Losing too many games or starter Case Keenum suffering an injury. Especially after the wobbly performance Goff delivered Thursday against the Minnesota Vikings.

With a chance to take a decisive step forward and ease some concerns and maybe even close the gap on Keenum, he took two major steps backward with a forgettable and regrettable showing that raises some legitimate concerns he might not be ready to take the field at all this year.

Forget the starting job, at this point Goff might not even be the best option as the primary back up. Sean Mannion seems to be in line to get that job.

“If we were starting right now, I’d probably have Sean be the No. 2,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said, dropping a bit of a bombshell.

Goff seemed taken aback upon hearing that, but stressed he’s going to focus on getting better regardless where his name falls on the depth chart.

“I feel like I’ve made big strides and I’m on the way to being where I want to be,” he said.

Perhaps.

But that finish line seems a lot further away now that anyone could have imagined.

Who would have figured that would be the case when the Rams gathered in Irvine a month ago?

Hard to believe, but the way Keenum has played during training camp and, frankly, the way Goff hasn’t, only a worst-case scenario puts Goff and the field this year. That’s a situation the Rams not only want no part of, it’s something they simply can’t afford. Not in Los Angeles, St. Louis or anywhere else they could have called home.

The Rams need to win and Keenum gives them the best chance to do that.

They need to finally pull away from the 7-9 mediocrity they’ve been mired in the last few years and it’s Keenum, not Goff, the most capable of making that happen.

“It’s going to take time,” Fisher said of the process to get Goff ready to play significant snaps.

That might be hard to swallow for some.

A couple months ago you’d have gotten a few angry looks and some choice words for even suggesting such a thing.

L.A. beamed when the Rams moved up to the first overall pick to land the franchise quarterback that’s eluded them for more than a decade. They aren’t great at every position across the board, but they’re elite in some areas and more than enough capable in others. Put a better quarterback on the field and it changes everything.

Goff, it was assumed, would add to the Rams mix the very thing they’ve been missing.

Two things most of us missed: How far Goff really has to go to be a reliable NFL quarterback, and how hungry and determined Keenum was to fend off the rookie and hold onto the job he took control of over the last four games of last season.

Give Keenum credit, he won the job hands down. If he keeps it up, the Rams have a chance to turn the corner.

As for Goff, there’s no way you could have watched Thursday’s exhibition finale against the Vikings and walked away convinced he’s even remotely ready to take the field.

That’s as disappointing as it is obvious.

Making his first start of the exhibition season, Goff helped lead the Rams on a seven-play 62-yard touchdown drive to open the game, but it quickly deteriorated into a bunch of misfired passes and turnovers, culminating in a disastrous close to the first half in which he mishandled a perfectly delivered shot-gun snap from center to set the Vikings up at the Rams’ 7-yard line, then threw an interception on the next play to gift wrap the Vikings the ball at the Rams 28.

The Vikings thanked Goff by tacking on 10 points in just less than a minute to take a 13-7 lead into intermission.

Goff’s final line: 6 of 16 passing for 67 yards, one touchdown, a fumble, interception and a 45.6 QB rating.

It was every bit as bad as those stats suggest and it continued a disturbing trend of uneven play by Goff during training camp and the preseason.

“I was happy with how we started,” Goff said. “Obviously you want to finish the half better.”

You can argue some of the struggles were they result of playing alongside mostly back-ups and fringe roster players, this being the last preseason game and teams putting all their starters and key players in bubble wrap ahead of their season openers.

But that’s a two way street, isn’t it? He also was playing against a bunch of back-ups and fringe players.

The caliber of supporting cast and opponent had nothing to do with the passes that sailed high and wide past open receivers or dropping a snap that hit him square in the hands.

“I just took brought my eyes up, you can’t do it,” he said.

And it had very little to do with the poor throw he made on the subsequent screen pass, only for it to get tipped into the air by defensive end Justin Trattou and into the hands of defensive tackle Tom Johnson for an easy interception.

That was all on Goff.

From the get go, the Rams preached patience with their rookie quarterback. At this point that’s no longer even a decision.

The Rams have no choice anymore than to wait.

And it looks like it might be longer than anyone imagined.

Article provides grades for rookie QBs drafted in the 4th round and earlier.
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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...t-paxton-lynch-grade-highest-among-rookie-qbs

Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

Drafted: Round 1, No. 1 overall.

Preseason analysis: Goff has been very average in the preseason. He's been at his best on quick-rhythm throws that allow him to predetermine where to go with the ball and get it out of his hand rapidly. He hasn't looked comfortable working deep into progressions, and he's had issues protecting the ball (in three games, he's thrown one pick and fumbled twice). In Goff's defense, the pass catchers he's throwing to have let him down in each game he's played. It's tough to get into a groove when you have so many dropped balls. GRADE: C+

Areas for improvement: He needs a lot of reps to gain more confidence and poise inside the pocket. He also will benefit from simply getting physically stronger. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Goff has some room on his frame to add more weight and strength.

Expectations for rookie season: Goff didn't look like he was ready to start Week 1, but I imagine we will see him take over the position around midseason. I just can't see Case Keenum playing at a consistently high enough level to maintain his grip on the position.

Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Drafted: Round 1, No. 2 overall.

Preseason analysis: We didn't get to see a lot of Wentz, who has been out since suffering a hairline rib fracture in the Eagles' preseason opener. But there were a lot of positives aspects of his play. Wentz showed excellent arm strength to drive the ball, and he uses his athleticism to extend plays. He was also very effective in the zone-read opportunities he was given. He did have several balls sail on him, although most were still catchable. GRADE: B

Areas for improvement: Accuracy -- especially when he's under duress -- is still an area in which he can improve. Wentz also needs to do a better job of protecting himself both in the pocket and on the move. He took some huge shots from Tampa defenders, one of which resulted in his injury.

Expectations for rookie season: I think the Eagles would love to have Wentz sit behind Sam Bradfordfor the entire season. If Bradford stays healthy, I believe this will be a redshirt year for Wentz. However, if he's forced to play, I believe he could handle it. He's mentally tough enough to survive the up-and-down moments that will come early in his development.

Paxton Lynch, Denver Broncos

Drafted: Round 1, No. 26 overall.

Preseason analysis: Lynch was much further ahead than I anticipated during the preseason. His footwork was very crisp, considering the adjustment he's making from the offense he was in at Memphis. He displayed a huge arm and showed the ability to create with his legs. He is much more comfortable working on the edges as opposed to attacking the middle of the field. Lynch's touch and ball placement were a little spotty in the third week of the preseason. GRADE: B+

Areas for improvement: Lynch (six sacks in three games) still needs to improve his pocket awareness. He bailed early a couple of times, and he held the ball too long on occasion. He will get more comfortable in this area with more reps and game experience.

Expectations for rookie season: I know he's still pretty raw, but again, Lynch is much further along than I anticipated. His skillset is on another level than current Broncos starter Trevor Siemian. I believe he will take over the positon around the middle of the season.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Drafted: Round 4, No. 135 overall.

Preseason analysis: Prescott put on a show in the preseason, completing 39 of 50 passes (78 percent) for 454 yards, five touchdowns, zero picks and a passer rating of 137.8. I can't recall ever seeing a rookie signal caller perform better than he did this August. Prescott showed tremendous poise, accuracy, velocity and playmaking skills. He completed several beautiful touch throws down the field, as well as small-window drive throws at the intermediate level. He wasn't especially anxious to uses his legs to create plays, but when the opportunity presented itself, he took full advantage. GRADE: A+

Areas for improvement: Prescott has improved his throwing mechanics dramatically since last fall, but there are still some issues that pop up at times. He has a tendency to lock out his front leg, and that can affect his ball placement. However, that is something that can be easily fixed.

Expectations for rookie season: Due to the back injury that will keep Tony Romo out for a significant length of time, Prescott is set to begin the season as the Cowboys' starter. I believe he will perform well during Romo's absence. He's playing behind the best offensive line in the league, and he has tons of talent at the skill positions (receiver Dez Bryant, running back Ezekiel Elliott, tight end Jason Witten). He won't have the same success he enjoyed in the preseason, but I believe Prescott can be efficient and productive. Look for the Cowboys to use him more in the run game than they did in the preseason.

Cardale Jones, Buffalo Bills

Drafted: Round 4, No. 139 overall.

Preseason analysis: Jones flashed some big-time tools in the preseason (he posted 7.4 yards per throw and 5.3 yards per rush in two games, plus 8.5 yards per run and a 93.8 passer rating in the preseason opener), but he was also very inconsistent. He has outstanding arm strength to drive the ball down the field and he throws well on the move. His decision-making and accuracy are still a concern. GRADE: C+

Areas for improvement: Jones should see better results once he cleans up some of his footwork issues. He needs to be more crisp and deliberate in his setup. And, again, his decision-making needs to be improved.

Expectations for rookie season: Jones won't see the field this fall, but he does have the tools to eventually develop into an NFL starter down the line.

Christian Hackenberg, New York Jets

Drafted: Round 2, No. 51 overall.

Preseason analysis: Hackenberg didn't play in the first two preseason games, but he did show some positive traits in Week 3 action. He has prototypical size and arm strength and he led a nearly flawless touchdown drive. However, after that drive, his lack of poise and inconsistent ball placement were concerning. He can really lock on his first read and get mentally stuck when that throw isn't available. GRADE: C

Areas for improvement: Overall, touch and accuracy are the biggest areas that needs to be improved on.

Expectations for rookie season: Hackenberg won't see the field this season, and he remains a long-term project at the position.

Cody Kessler, Cleveland Browns

Drafted: Round 3, No. 93 overall.

Preseason analysis: Kessler didn't see a lot of action in the preseason, attempting just 11 passes in three games. He had one nice back-shoulder throw and a couple of accurate quick passes, but he didn't look very comfortable in the pocket. He took two safeties in the first game (including one especially embarrassing gaffe) and he held the ball too long in each game viewed (four sacks in three games). GRADE: C

Areas for improvement: Kessler's feet are too busy in the pocket, and he needs to be more decisive. His deep-ball accuracy is another area that needs to be improved.

Expectations for rookie season: Kessler shouldn't see any action this season. In my opinion, he looks like a long-term backup quarterback.

Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots

Drafted: Round 3, No. 91 overall.

Preseason analysis: Brissett struggled in the first contest, completing 53.8 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 67.1. He made poor decisions and his ball placement was inconsistent at best. But he got better each week, flashing the ability to read the entire field in the Carolina game in Week 3 (completing all nine throws for 85 yards, a score and a passer rating of 143.1). He has enough arm to make all of the throws. GRADE: C+

Areas for improvement: His touch underneath and down the field needs improvement. Brissett is actually most comfortable on the intermediate throws. Decision-making is another area where he needs to continue to improve.

Expectations for rookie season: It looks like he will be the primary backup while Tom Brady serves his four-game suspension. It would be best for him and the Patriots if he doesn't see the field this season.

Connor Cook, Oakland Raiders

Drafted: Round 4, No. 100 overall.

Preseason analysis: Cook has ideal size (6-4, 217 pounds), a quick release and plenty of arm talent. He showed the ability to throw with touch at times, but his deep-ball accuracy was spotty. He flashed the athleticism to extend plays. The biggest issue was his tendency to force the ball into high-traffic areas, which resulted in two interceptions. GRADE: C

Areas for improvement: Field vision and decision-making are the two areas in which Cook needs to improve. He has all of the physical tools and the upside to be an NFL starting quarterback.

Expectations for rookie season: He won't see the field this fall.

Rams Notes: Roster cuts will begin immediately

By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER

[www.ocregister.com]

MINNEAPOLIS – Soon after the game ended, nervous time commenced.

The Rams’ preseason finale, Thursday at Minnesota, provided a final opportunity for players on the roster bubble to prove themselves. By Saturday afternoon, the Rams must cut 22 of their 75 players and get down to the NFL-mandated maximum of 53. It won’t take that long, though.

The Rams’ coaches and management members plan to convene Friday morning and begin the process of telling players that they won’t be on the roster for the Sept. 12 season opener at San Francisco. There’s still hope, because starting Sunday, NFL teams can sign 10 players to a practice squad.

“They’re not easy,” Coach Jeff Fisher said of the cuts. “I’ve been doing them for a long time and I do each and every one personally. I’ve always done that. You tell them the truth and you stand behind that.”

Most often, though, the truth is evident on the field.

The Rams on Thursday started running back Aaron Green, an undrafted running back who looked solid in the preseason opener, then got hurt. They also started fifth-year receiver Brian Quick, who has struggled with dropped passes throughout training camp.

Green gained only 10 yards on his first five carries, and dropped a screen pass. Quick dropped the first ball throw to him, by rookie quarterback Jared Goff.

Defensive fringe players took better advantage. Reserve defensive linemen Morgan Fox and Ethan Westbrooks recorded first-half sacks and lineman Matt Longacre was disruptive, as he has been throughout the preseason.

The Rams, at least those secured of a roster spot, now will get a chance to unwind at home.

After six weeks of training camp at UC Irvine, players can return to their families and homes – most of which are in Ventura County – and slowly start building until the season opener.

The Rams will be off Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then practice Monday and Tuesday.

“That’s going to give us a chance to hang pictures,” Fisher said. “We just have to unload boxes and get ready. All the (information technology) and the video and everything has to be set up and running so the coaches can get going. We have a lot of work to do over the next couple of days, but I’d say by the middle part of the week, we should be ready to go, we shouldn’t have any glitches at all.”

NEW DIGS

The Rams likely got a glimpse of their future when they played in the Vikings’ new U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened last month and on Thursday hosted its second preseason football game.

The Rams’ stadium in Inglewood, set to open in 2019, will be designed by Dallas-based HKS Architects, the company that designed the Minneapolis stadium plus recently opened venues in Arlington, Texas, and Indianapolis.

Minnesota’s stadium has a roof covered by transparent glass-like panels, and large doors beyond one end zone that allow in fresh air and natural light. The Rams expect to incorporate similar doors and roof panels, although unlike in Minnesota, the roof won’t need to be slanted to prevent snow accumulation.

The Minnesota stadium cost $1.13 billion. The Rams’ project, which totals 300 acres, has risen to an estimated cost of $2.6 billion.

GO RAMS!!!!!

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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000694353/article/jared-goff-faceplants-in-preseason-finale

Jared Goff faceplants in preseason finale
By Chris Wesseling
Around the NFL Writer

Brace yourselves for Case Keenum versus Blaine Gabbert when the Los Angeles Rams open the season on Monday Night Football.

If Jared Goff had even a slim chance of overtaking Keenum for the Week 1 quarterback job, Thursday night's performance in the preseason finale slammed the door shut.

The draft's No. 1 overall pick authored an encouraging opening touchdown drive, highlighted by a 30-yard, read-option pass to Bradley Marquez. The wheels fell off thereafter.


Goff's next five third-down opportunities resulted in three consecutive overthrows, a bail-out throw short of the first-down marker and a muffed shotgun snap inside the Rams' 10-yard line. His next throw after the lost fumble was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted.

Operating almost exclusively out of the shotgun, Goff struggled with the follow through on his mechanics, showed errant ball placement and got rattled by pressure.

After going 3-of-4 for 53 yards on the opening drive, he was a disturbing 3-of-12 for 14 yards with two turnovers on the final seven first-half possessions.

The Rams' quarterback of the future finished his first preseason 22 of 49 (44.9 percent) for 232 yards (4.73 yards per attempt), two touchdowns, two interceptions, three fumbles and a 55.8 passer rating.

Perhaps most telling, Goff has shown little awareness -- struggling with snaps, taking too many hits and failing to process at NFL speeds.

August quarterback assessments are notoriously difficult. A seemingly overmatched Cam Newton posted similar numbers to Goff in his first preseason, only to break the rookie record for passing yards in his regular-season debut.

While it's premature to downgrade Goff's career outlook, Rams fans have to be disappointed that he's headed for a redshirt rookie season rather than delivering the same brand of promise that Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota provided in Tampa and Nashville last year.
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This 3 steps backwards crap my ROD friends has me upset and sick towards the offensive coaches (Weinke/Boras) and the way they have handled him from the beginning of OTA's. JG is not blameless but for crying out loud.......

Know your damn Prodigy when you have invested so much to get him. From this day forward Its about the Rams and JG is put on the back burner until 2017. I have not lost faith in him but I have officially lost hope in the coaches that were accountable for getting him prepared and coached up to look at least like a 2nd string quarterback.

Again this has me quite sad and sick for the young fellow....

Dude is probably just putting tape out there, since the DL position is ridiculously crowded, but man what a game he had.

Also thought Ayers brought it, and was asking my friend "where the F was that intensity in previous weeks?"

So we've seen the flashes but can the coaches really judge him in games.
He has only played with the twos and threes. Could he perform better with Austin Britt Gurley Barnes snapping the ball. Our number one oline protecting him instead of running for his life every other play? I know he needs more time to adjust but some time with the starters would have been nice jmo

The so called racist Headcoach is now in San Francisco coaching during another debacle. He is on a super desperate mission to coach a team that has a leader on the field that seems to be rebellious, and has a hardtime finding the true meaning of life... The moral of this story is that this so called NFL is becoming a soap opera.

The Hypocrisy kills me.

Rookie Preseason performances of the 5 QBs picked #1 overall prior to Goff:
Jameis Winston
23/47
48.9%
311 yards
6.6 YPA
0 TDs
2 Ints
52.7 QB Rating

Andrew Luck
41/66
62.1%
522 yards
7.9 YPA
3 TDs
2 Ints
89.3 QB Rating

Cam Newton
24/57
42.1%
300 yards
5.3 YPA
1 TD
0 Ints
64.9 QB Rating


Sam Bradford
33/55
60.0%
338 yards
6.1 YPA
3 TDs
0 Ints
95.9 QB Rating

Matthew Stafford
30/55
54.5%
389 yards
7.1 YPA
1 TD
4 Ints
52.8 QB Rating

Yep, the preseason tells you a lot about how successful QBs will be.

No, I'm not talking about Gurley. I'm talking about Nelson Spruce. The week 1 star from Colorado who caught everything thrown his way in the dramatic 4th quarter comeback hasn't played since due to injury. Do the snaps he took in just a single game prove to be enough for LA to have him make the roster? IMO, I say absolutely he makes this team, but I want to hear from you guys on why or why not.

If there is something to learn about the recent injuries to Romo and Bridgewater it's that injuries can and do happen to starting quarterbacks. Last season, Keenum went out with a concussion and we had the "pleasure" of having Nick Foles to take over for a bit.

Fast forward to this year. What's the plan if Keenum goes down? Does Fisher roll with Mannion or does he give Goff the nod and force him to learn on the fly? Does our record at the time play a factor in who Fisher decides to go with?

Five Takeaways: Preseason at Vikings

By Myles Simmons

[www.therams.com]

MINNEAPOLIS — With the Rams’ 27-25 loss to the Vikings, the 2016 preseason is now complete.

Like it is with all preseason games, the final score doesn’t quite tell the whole story. With that in mind, here are five takeaways from the contest.

1) Good start, not-so-good finish

Quarterback Jared Goff started his first game of the preseason and things went well for his opening drive. The rookie out of Cal completed three of his four passes, including converting both third downs the Rams faced. On the first — a 3rd-and-2 play — Goff recognized the rush and got off a quick pass to running back Chase Reynolds in the flat that ended up going for 22 yards. Then on 3rd-and-goal from the one-yard line, Goff hit wideout Kenny Britt with a back-shoulder pass on the right side of the end zone to cap the drive with a touchdown.

But from there, the quarterback struggled to find a rhythm, including a particularly rough stretch inside two minutes in the second quarter. On 3rd-and-7 from the Los Angeles 12-yard line, Goff dropped a shotgun snap that went right to his hands. The Vikings would recover on the L.A. eight, but managed only a field goal with some solid defensive play.

On his next play from scrimmage, Goff would throw an interception to diving defensive lineman Toby Johnson off a pass tipped at the line. This time, Minnesota would capitalize on the turnover with a touchdown.

Playing the entire first half, Goff finished 6-of-16 passing for 67 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and a fumble. His preseason ends 22-of-49 passing for 232 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

2) Vikings, meet Morgan Fox

Defensive tackle Morgan Fox may have been a relative unknown heading into the fourth preseason game. But you can be sure Vikings quarterbacks Joel Stave and Brad Sorensen will remember his name going forward.


The undrafted rookie out of Colorado State-Pueblo dominated the Vikings’ offensive line in the first half, racking up three tackles — two for loss — 2.0 sacks, and four quarterback hits.

His first outstanding play came when he sacked Minnesota quarterback Joel Stave. Fox beat the right guard with a swim move, bringing down the QB in another step or two. Fox had another run stuff midway through the second quarter when he beat the center off the line knocked down running back Jhurell Pressley for no gain. Later, Fox burst through the interior of the line to sack the second quarterback up, Sorensen — on his first play, no less.

Who knows how much Fox may have helped his case to make the initial 53-man roster, but he certainly didn’t hurt it.

3) Rushing the passer

By and large the Rams got after the Vikings quarterbacks well on Thursday night. In the first half alone, Los Angeles tallied 3.0 sacks and nine quarterback hits.

Ethan Westbrooks was the other Angeleno to take down a quarterback in the first half, sacking Stave to begin the second quarter with an eight-yard loss on third down. Westbrooks registered two quarterback hits in the first half.

Defensive end Matt Longacre got in on the action in the fourth quarter, taking down Sorensen for a six-yard loss on third down. As did linebacker Josh Forrest, who registered a sack for a four-yard loss with just over four minutes remaining in the contest.

Linebacker Akeem Ayers, linebacker Brandon Chubb, and safety Christian Bryant also recorded quarterback hits in the contest.

4) Run stuffs and TFLs

Maurice Alexander missed some time in the preseason due to injury, but made his presence felt when he was on the field.

On 2nd-and-7 from the Minnesota 35, Alexander knifed his way through the offensive line to stop running back C.J. Ham for a one-yard loss. A few plays later, Alexander earned another run stuff up the middle by halting a play for just a one-yard gain.

Overall, the Rams had eight TFLs on the night — two from Fox, and one each from Alexander, Longacre, Forrest defensive tackle Cam Thomas, and a team TFL.

5) Extra points

— Los Angeles held many major contributors out of this game, including Todd Gurley, Case Keenum, Tim Barnes, Lance Kendricks, Tavon Austin, and Benny Cunningham. Defensively, the only two starters on the field were Alexander and linebacker Akeem Ayers.

— Right tackle Rob Havenstein played a few series on offense for his first preseason action after being taken off the physically unable to perform list last week.

— Minnesota returned a kick 106 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter, marking the second score surrendered on a Rams kickoff this preseason. That’s an unusual mark for special teams coordinator John Fassel’s unit. Los Angeles also muffed two punts that the Vikings recovered inside the red zone.

what did he do that you all are posting about, I stopped watching??

It remains to be seen who will be the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams when they open the season against the San Francisco 49ers, Monday September 12th, in Santa Clara. Currently, Case Keenum seems to be the safe choice to start the opener. He has led the first team offense well in the first 3 preseason games, and seems to have the confidence of the coaches.

But the question I would like to consider today is this:

• Would Jared Goff be considered more strongly as the best candidate to start the season behind center were it not for his receivers' drops?

Now, before anyone goes down the path of; "Every quarterback deals with drops" or "Some of the drops were just good defensive breakups", I will acknowledge, these are valid points. Also, of course, if the balls are caught, it changes EVERYTHING that happens afterward. But I will set that aside for now.

So let us look at the statistics, and each pass in question. I will only hold truly egregious drops against the receivers, or failure by blockers, and express an expected catch as an ADJUSTED STATISTIC. Then, later we will ask the question again.

GAME 1
Goff 4/9 38 yds. 1 Int. Incompleted passes:

1. Drop by Cooper on a slant. 5yds (A.S. 5/9 43yds)
2. Hit by rusher not picked up, while throwing -Int.- Harkey was open on an easy 12 yd. curl (A.S. 6/9 55yds.) I know, I am stretching on this one, but did you see the replay from behind?
3. Drop by Thomas in the flat. (3 yds) (A.S. 7/9 58yds.)
4. Overthrow to Quick deep down right sideline- NO adjusted statistic.
5. Drop by Cooper on beautiful throw over the middle, GREAT pass- good defensive breakup- even though Cooper could have hung on,- NO adjusted statistic.

Final AS: 7/9 58 yds. 0 Tds 0 Ints.

GAME 2
Goff 8/12 82 yds. 1 td Incomplete passes:

1. Out pattern, dropped by Quick, who seemed to be slow to turn his head. (A.S. 9/12 88 yds.)
2. Out pattern to Quick batted down. (Maybe he could have fought better for it) Good defensive play. NO adjusted statistic
3. Slant to Quick- dropped. It was that high pass, but well within the catch range. (A.S. 10/12 100yds.)
4. Screen to Magee behind the line-dropped. Could have been a big play. He looked up field too soon. (A.S. 11/12 110 yds.)

Final AS: 11/12 110 yds. 1Td. 0 Ints.

GAME 3
Goff 4/12 45 yds. 0 Tds. 0 Ints. Incomplete passes:

1. Pass to Thomas-batted down. Good defensive play. NO adjusted statistic.
2. Out pattern to Higbee-he should have caught it. (Boy did he have a down day) (A.S. 5/12 50yds.)
3. Screen pass to Higbee- overthrown. NO adjusted Statistic.
4. Scramble pass to Duke Williams- the most egregious drop of preseason to date. GREAT Pass (A.S. 6/13 67 yds.) *Pass technically did not count because of defensive penalty. ADD one total pass.
5. Pass to Higbee- nearly a pick six by former Ram Darian Stewart. Whew. Worst pass of preseason to date. (A.S. 6/13 67 yds. 1 Int.)
6. Pass over the middle to Brown-knocked loose at impact. Good pass. Better defense. NO adjusted statistic.
7. Screen pass to Thomas- dropped. (A.S. 7/13 70 yds. 1 Int.)
8. Throw away screen pass, with pass rusher in his face. NO adjusted statistic.
9. Pass to Thomas in the flat- dropped. (A.S. 8/13 75 yds. 1 Int.)

Final AS: 8/13 75yds. 0 Tds. 1 Int.)

3 game AS: 26/34 243 1 Td 1 Int. Not bad. And that is just taking into account egregious drops. (Also by the defense)

So again I ask: Would Goff, at this point in time, be the favorite to start game 1 of the regular season, if not for the 10 egregious drops by his receivers? We will never really know.

Please vote in the poll! Thanks :cheers:

Anyone know how to watch the game tonight for the out of market folks without game pass? Have the non-nationally televised games been available on the bootleg websites? I didn't see a rebroadcast of it on NFL Network's schedule either.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/08/31/...s-jeremiah-george-hayes-pullard-scooby-wright

The 53rd Man: What It’s Like to Fight for That Last Roster Spot
The final week of the preseason is the edgiest of times for NFL players on the bubble. We tracked three young linebackers as they battled to make it for 2016
by Tim Rohan

TAMPA — Practice had ended when Jeremiah George grabbed his friend and fellow linebacker, Adarius Glanton, to do one more drill. They had only devoted so much time to special teams during practice, and George wanted to get his footwork down for when he played on the line on the punt team. George and Glanton took turns kick-stepping like tackles, blocking the other for a few moments, and then shedding the other’s hold, releasing and charging up field to cover.

This was like a receiver staying after to work on the JUGS machine, a corner working on his backpedal, a lineman driving a blocking sled. George was trying to make the Bucs roster as their sixth linebacker and a special teams contributor, and he was somewhere on the fringe.

For hundreds of players around the league in a similar situation, this is perhaps the most important week of the season. As the starters sit out the final preseason game, those players have one last chance to make a final impression on the coaches. Then by 4 p.m. Saturday, every team will make their final 22 cuts, trimming their rosters down to 53 players.

These are the decisions coaches and general managers agonize over. Determining the 44 or so first- and second-stringers is easy by comparison. Choosing the right last handful of players can solidify the depth of your roster. Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells had a saying: The 53rd man is going to win you a game or lose you a game at some point this season.


George as a Jet in 2014, a Jag in 2015 and a Buc in 2016.
Photo: AP (3)

The 53rd man—that’s Jeremiah George. A 2014 fifth-round pick from Iowa State, he bounced from the Jets to the Jaguars to the Bucs his first two years, building a reputation as a solid special teams player but a raw linebacker. He was good enough on special teams to keep finding work, but raw enough at linebacker that he was never really on steady ground.

Now, even after the Bucs had brought him back for another season, he was going through more change. A new regime. A new defensive coordinator, another defense to learn—his fourth in three years. And the Bucs were moving him to middle linebacker, which meant he had to know that defense inside and out, to make the calls on the field that the coaches wanted.

George made flashcards, diagrammed alignments on a whiteboard at home and had his sister quiz him on defensive calls using solo cups as props. He reviewed film with his camp roommate, starting middle linebacker Kwon Alexander. George cringed thinking about past camps, when he would make mental mistakes—and get yelled at for repeating them.

“That’s the one thing that’s absolutely not tolerated in the NFL,” George said after an early August practice, his voice firm. “Doing something that you’re not necessarily comfortable with, it’s challenging sometimes. Training camp is, what, two weeks? Preseason is four weeks? So, six weeks? It’s hard to learn and break habits you’ve been doing for four, five years.”

Mike Smith, the Bucs’ new defensive coordinator, sympathized with George, pointing out that various defensive coaches around the league use somewhere between three and five different sets of terminology. “There are some common words, but then there are words that are different,” Smith said. “It’s like trying to speak French and Portuguese and Spanish.”

This year, though, George had new hope. He recognized concepts from previous spots. Parts of Smith’s system sounded similar to what George learned at Iowa State, the defense he was most comfortable with. Even some of the play calls sounded similar. “If there was a defense for me,” he said, “it would be this one.” George read and reacted more, and, when he made an error now, he made sure to circle back with a coach and explain what he’d do next time.

“I’ve learned from the mistakes in the past that may have cost me a roster spot,” George said. “I want to stay with this team, man. I don’t want to end up on another team.”

* * *

October 2015

Hayes Pullard III was home watching the movie Troy, talking to his mother on the phone, when he received another call, from his agent. Pullard ignored it at first. A 2015 seventh-round pick from USC, he was wallowing on the Browns’ practice squad. What did his agent want anyway? Out of curiosity, he hung up with his mother and called his agent back.

“Pack your stuff. You’re going to Jacksonville.”

About seven weeks after the Buccaneers snagged Jeremiah George off waivers from the Jaguars, Jacksonville was looking for another young developmental linebacker, and Pullard fit the bill.

“Your flight leaves in two hours,” his agent said.

Pullard started scrambling. He called his best friend and dispatched him to tell the rest of the family the good news. They all blew up his phone, as he threw clothes into a bag. Underwear, socks, sweatpants—wait, it’s hot in Florida. No sweatpants. Shorts, tank tops.

In a preseason game against Cincy, Pullard caught a TD pass out of the backfield but was flagged for failing to report as eligible. He later redeemed himself with a pick-6.
Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

Pullard raced to the airport, where he called another friend, a college teammate who he had also known growing up, Marqise Lee. A second-round pick, Lee played receiver for the Jags. Pullard told Lee the news and asked if he could crash with him in Jacksonville. He ended up living with Lee the rest of the season. So goes the life of the 53rd man sometimes.

Pullard has the type of story producers would feature on “Hard Knocks.” Grew up in the notoriously rough Inglewood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The second-youngest of seven children. Had his father die unexpectedly while in high school. And this year he’s in a unique situation, fighting to make the Jags roster as a middle linebacker behind Paul Posluszny, a Pro Bowler, and Myles Jack, the gifted second-round pick who is projected to be a star. With those two ahead of him on the depth chart, Pullard is fighting just to see the field.

That is, except for special teams. Any coach will tell you: a fringe player mustcontribute on special teams and be a good locker room guy in order to make the team. “You look at the character,” Jags coach Gus Bradley says. “I mean that guy that gets up at six in the morning. Comes in and takes care of his body. Does things right. Studies film. Great teammate. Those traits.” Bradley pounds a fist into his other hand as he makes each point. “Because with those traits, when it gets tough, you know they’re going to come through. That 53rd man on the roster, that’s what he’s going to go through. He might not get as many reps. He might be up; he might be down. He’s really got to have that mindset to fight through those things.”

But like many star collegiate players, Pullard had little special teams experience when he came to the NFL. He was a four-year starter and two-year captain at USC, playing 100-plus snaps a game against uptempo Pac-12 offenses. Those types of players don’t typically play special teams. Plus, the Trojans played under scholarship restrictions from the Reggie Bush scandal the entire time Pullard was there. The Trojans couldn’t afford to risk him getting hurt.

Pullard admits when he arrived in Cleveland, he was also “too confident, too arrogant,” carrying his swagger over from college. Playing special teams shook that feeling quickly. On one kickoff early in his NFL career, Pullard says, he “went down [the field] and tried to blow somebody up and got blocked.” The next day he got chewed out during a special teams meeting. “Hayes, you’ve got to make them miss! We want you to make a tackle!”

The Browns put him on the practice squad, and that cut his ego down further. “God blesses those who are humble,” he says. “You’ll ride this bench until you become humble.”

Armed with a new perspective, Pullard sought advice from other special teams players on their approach. He studied special teams film, looked for tendencies, examined different coordinator’s styles. He learned how he fit into the larger scheme, to make a guy miss and make a play. “The NFL is no different from college,” Pullard says. “People hype it up like the players are bigger and faster. But the most important thing is what’s between your ears.”

Pullard gleans all the knowledge he can from the 10-year veteran Posluszny, willingly answers any questions from Jack and plays special teams all out, hoping it will lead to a starting role someday.

Pullard can still recall his first snap on defense after arriving with the Jags. They were playing the Falcons in Week 15, and Telvin Smith came off the field with an injury. Someone called Pullard’s number. Running onto the field, he thought to himself: First play, gotta do something spectacular. Devonta Freeman took the handoff on an outside zone play, and Pullard ran him down and stuck him, holding him to a short gain. Then Smith trotted back onto the field, healthy.

Pullard grimaces telling the story now. “I was just getting in my groove!”

* * *

April 2016

Scooby Wright III turned off his phone as the fourth round of the draft ended. About a dozen family and friends had gathered at his parents’ house in California to celebrate when he got picked. ESPN had a camera stationed there, waiting, too. This was embarrassing. He had been told he would go in the third. Maybe the second. Worst case scenario, the fourth.

Injury sidelined Wright, a Lombardi winner, in his final college season, pushing him down the draft board.
Photo: Tony Dejak/AP

Wright had won the Bednarik, Lombardi and Nagurski awards his sophomore year at Arizona. He missed all but three games his junior year due to a torn meniscus and a Lisfranc sprain, but he was healthy by the time he declared for the draft. He tallied 15 tackles in his final college game. As he put it, “What else did I have to prove? Win the Heisman?”

The fifth, sixth and seventh rounds marched on—and still, nothing. Wright turned his phone back on, and, as the final picks of the seventh round came in, he started hearing from teams who wanted to sign him as an undrafted free agent. About four showed interest. Wright warmed to the idea: He could pick which city to live in, which coach to play for, which scheme fit him best. Arizona’s Bruce Arians called and chatted for 10 minutes, recruiting him. Wright hung up, told his parents he would sign with the Cardinals, and was about to call Arians back … when a Berea, Ohio, number popped on his phone.

After the Bucs snagged Jeremiah George from the Jags last year, and the Jags poached Hayes Pullard from the Browns’ practice squad, the Browns wanted to take a late-round flier on a linebacker in this year’s draft. They made Wright the 250th pick, the seventh-to-last of the draft. Wright cried when he heard the news, and then he leapt into his parents’ swimming pool, going sideways over the four-foot perimeter fence, like a high jumper clearing a bar.

It might not have occurred to him then that he would be in a tough situation. The Browns’ new analytics-driven front office had decided to start its new era by hoarding draft picks. They acquired seven extra selections, giving them 14 in all, which tied the record for most picks since the draft went to a seven-round format in 1994. But, of course, that also meant not all of those 14 picks would be locks to make the roster. And Wright had been the Browns’ 14th pick.

Now, when the final cuts are made this week, teams will undoubtedly circle the Browns’ leftovers like sharks, hoping to pounce on any young talent Cleveland cannot keep—the 54th, 55th and 56th guys who were a split-decision away from being the Browns’ 53rd man.

Some teams in the Browns’ position have a tactic for countering such situations. Some GMs will try to hide a rookie they like by limiting his playing time in the preseason, as if to signal he doesn’t belong in the NFL. That way the player would theoretically slide through waivers unclaimed, and the original team could sign him to a cheaper contract and stash him on the 10-man practice squad. Other teams could still sign a practice-squad player to their active rosters, but they would also be less likely to do so if the player lacked any substantial amount of film.

This may or may not be the case with the Browns and Wright.

During an interview, Wright, for one, sounded upset about his lack of preseason playing time. His snap count diminished significantly over the Browns’ first three preseason games, according to the count of an SB Nation fan blog. In the first game, he played 44 snaps, the most among Browns middle linebackers. Then he saw just 16 snaps in the second game and 10 in the third. Over three games and 70 snaps, he has only been credited with four tackles.

“This is nothing new to me,” Wright said. He was a two-star recruit coming out of high school and has since adopted the nickname Two Star Scoob, making it hisTwitter handle. “I’ve always been the underdog. If you don’t think I’m good enough, I’ll go out there and show you. I can tell people how good I am, and this and that. But I need to go out there and play.”

What’s more, Wright felt he needed reps to prove he was mastering the Browns’ 3-4 defense. There was “a big learning curve,” he admitted. At Arizona he played in a 3-3-5 and was mostly asked to blitz and attack the ball carrier. Now the Browns were asking him to drop in coverage, mind specific gaps in the run game and stay disciplined doing both.

Johnny Holland, the Browns’ inside linebackers coach, said he was pleased with Wright’s development, despite his lack of game snaps. “When you’re building a team, young guys don’t understand you’re looking at a lot of scenarios,” Holland said. “Every snap you get—special teams snaps, practice snaps, game snaps—you have to make the most of them.”

Wright sounded confident anyway. The league hadn’t humbled him yet, as it had Jeremiah George and Hayes Pullard. When asked what they would do if they left football, those two seemed to have given the question some thought. Pullard would use his USC connections to get into real estate; George would get into public relations, possibly coaching.

When Wright was posed the question, he paused for a moment. He said he had never really thought about it. “I’m only 21 years old,” he said. “I’ve got a little bit of time to figure it out. … I’m trying to stay positive. If [the Browns] don’t like me, someone else will.”

* * *

Late August 2016

Jeremiah George lay stomach-down on a table as a Bucs’ staffer massaged his lower back and hamstrings. It was a little before 9:30 a.m. on the Bucs’ off day. Their final preseason game was a few days away, and George wanted to ensure he would be healthy.

In the Bucs’ first three preseason games, George had been getting regular snaps on special teams, but he hadn’t played many downs on defense, where he was trying to pick up his fourth different scheme in three years. He was certainly getting fewer snaps than Luke Rhodes, a rookie undrafted free agent linebacker whom the new coaching staff had handpicked. This last game, though, George would get a shot. He was sure. After the massage, he would study film.

He checked his phone. He had a few missed calls, a voicemail and a text message from the same number. The message asked if he could come meet with Jason Licht, the Bucs’ general manager. George knew what that meant. He ended his massage and left the room.

George was one of 13 players cut that day, during the second-to-last round.

George met briefly with Licht and head coach Dirk Koetter, and then more at length with the special teams coach and his position coach. They loved his energy. They even said they wanted to bring him back if someone got hurt. “But they were looking to go another way schematically,” George said the day after, in a phone interview. “I won’t elaborate on exactly what they said. They just didn’t think I fit their system on defense.”

He didn’t sound down or defeated. He stated this dryly, as if he were talking about someone else. “They loved my special teams work, but you can find those kind of [special teams] guys around the league and whatnot, so…”

His voice trailed off, and he left that sentence unfinished, because perhaps that meant he, too, was dispensable.

Later that day, the Bucs called George again. They were placing two injured players on the PUP list and wanted to bring him back for the final preseason game against Washington, which had been moved up from Thursday to Wednesday because of an approaching storm. Another chance, or just a fill-in? During the third quarter, George committed an offside penalty on special teams that gave Washington a first down, and made two tackles on defense in the waning minutes of the game.

Then George was left to wait again, like dozens of other players over these final few days, for another phone call that may or may not come.

Kings fan here, and while I'm sure many of you are Blues fans we're going to have Quick in goal for us during the World Cup. And of course as active duty I gotta say I'm diggin the style, enjoy!

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NFL writers Ryan Kartje and Jack Wang discuss, in detail, the choice to keep Case Keenum as the Rams’ Week 1 starter at quarterback, wonder whether Tavon Austin is worth his $42 million extension, and debate Rams on the roster bubble for next week’s cuts.

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