Case Keenum holding off Jared Goff in Rams QB competition

Case Keenum holding off Jared Goff in Rams quarterback competition

By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER

[www.ocregister.com]

IRVINE – After the first week of training camp, the Rams’ quarterback battle is, well ...

“Put in number 17,” a fan yelled after Jared Goff kneeled to avoid a “sack” in Friday’s no-contact practice at UC Irvine. Not long after, number 17, Case Keenum, entered and threw a touchdown pass.

There’s a long way to go before the Rams open their season on Sept. 12 in San Francisco, including four preseason games and a dozens of hours of practice, but at least for one week, Keenum has held off Goff.

Through the first week of training camp, Keenum has been steadier and made fewer mistakes than Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Coach Jeff Fisher said Keenum will start the Rams’ first preseason game, Aug. 13 against Dallas, but that Goff will play as much as a full half in that game.

“I’m not looking as far forward as that,” Keenum said Friday. “As far as that determining my confidence level, I don’t think it will. I’ve got a job to do, and that’s to lead the offense when I’m out there.”

Not surprisingly, Goff, a 21-year-old rookie, has been less consistent than Keenum, who is 28 and in his fifth NFL training camp. Goff threw two interceptions in practice Friday but, in the final drill, threw red-zone touchdown passes to Tyler Higbee and Brian Quick.

Keenum, anointed the starter by Fisher at the end of last season, hasn’t necessarily been dynamic but rarely has made errors. Keenum, undrafted in 2012 and on the Rams’ practice squad as recently as Dec. 2014, said he enjoyed his first-ever week as a training-camp starter.

“I’m getting a lot more reps,” Keenum said. “My wife came the other day to watch, and usually I’d get three or four passes and she would have 5-10 minutes between reps. She’s like, ‘I can’t even go to the bathroom now. I have to keep watching.’ So it’s fun, and I feel like I’m getting better.”

It would have been shocking to see Goff, who mostly has taken second-team reps thus far in camp, start next weekend against the Cowboys. That job belongs to Keenum for now, but Fisher said he had yet to determine exactly how many series each quarterback would play.

“At some point we’ll discuss it next week,” Fisher said. “It’s nothing unusual. You know what you want to do. You play your starting quarterback with your starters and then you start subbing and then Jared comes in. He will get to play, probably quite a bit. He will probably play a half, but we’ll discuss that.”

WELCOME ‘HOME’

Players and coaches will get a first look at their home venue for the next three seasons when the Rams hold an open practice at the Coliseum on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

The full practice, which the Rams are calling “Family Day,” is free to the public (other than a $20 parking fee) and essentially will be a regular session with some fan-friendly events.

The practice purpose, though, is to give the team a chance to get acclimated to its new home. Players will get situated in the locker room (usually used by USC) and coaches will navigate the elevators and press box and adjust to any possible technological glitches.

“It’s a dress rehearsal in every way,” said Bruce Warwick, the Rams’ director of operations.

NEW RULES

NFL referee John Hussey attended practice Friday to help instruct players on rule changes for this season. After practice, Hussey planned to show players a 10-minute video and answer questions.

The rule changes, approved in March, mostly involve player safety. All chop blocks are now illegal, as is taking down an opponent by the back of the jersey in a “horse collar” fashion. Officials also will put a stronger emphasis on some rules, such as hitting below the knee or with the crown of the helmet.

NOTES

The Rams announced that J.B. Long will be their radio play-by-play broadcaster, with former UCLA and NFL standout Maurice Jones-Drew as analyst and former Rams defensive lineman D’Marco Farr as sideline analyst. Long most recently worked as a play-by-play announcer for Pac-12 Network. … Cornerback E.J. Gaines missed practice with a hamstring injury, but receiver Pharoh Cooper, who had been out with a quadriceps injury, returned. … Lakers coach Luke Walton watched practice from the field and talked with Fisher when it ended.