Rams, Jared Goff end exhibition season on a down note in loss to VikingsBy RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER
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MINNEAPOLIS – The preseason is over. The Jared Goff revolution never materialized, but the Rams remained mostly injury-free and displayed some good depth on defense. All in all, call it a draw.
That’s how it will go down officially, as the Rams won twice and lost twice, and ended the warm-up portion of their schedule with a 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday at the new U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Rams led 7-0 after the first drive, then bumbled on offense and special teams – they allowed a 106-yard kickoff return for a touchdown – which negated a good showing by their defense. The Vikings turned four Rams turnovers into two touchdowns and two field goals and led 27-10 in the fourth quarter.
But if the preseason was meant to be a referendum on Goff, then it’s difficult to declare it a success. All along, though, the Rams insisted they would take a slow-go approach with their rookie quarterback, and against the Vikings, Goff showed why an immediate anointing probably wasn’t a good idea.
In fact, Coach Jeff Fisher indicated after the game that he will “probably” list Sean Mannion as his season-opening No. 2 quarterback, behind starter Case Keenum, with Goff as the third-stringer.
“You know, I think it’s going to take a little bit more time,” Fisher said of Goff’s potential to back up. “That’s not to say he can’t be a two or start, but if we were starting right now, I’d probably have Sean as the two. Because it’s all about being patient with him. He’s not frustrated or anything.”
Goff, who took the reins early Thursday as Keenum rested to prevent injury, looked great as he led the Rams on a seven-play, 62-yard touchdown drive to start the game.
Goff ended that drive with a nicely timed 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kenny Britt, and that proved to be the last great moment for Goff and the Rams’ offense, which slumbered throughout the game.
By the end of the first half, Goff had misfired on several attempts, and also fumbled and thrown an interception on consecutive plays deep in his own territory. That helped the Vikings take a 13-7 halftime lead, even though the Rams’ strong defense held Minnesota to 125 yards in the first half.
Goff played the first half and finished 6 of 16 for 67 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In four preseason games, Goff was 22 of 49 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
“I felt like I made good strides and made a lot of progress,” Goff said. “I feel like I’ve come a long way, through OTAs and summer and camp. I feel good about where I’m at.”
Thursday’s game had little else to analyze. The Rams played six starters: Britt, offensive linemen Jamon Brown, Rob Havenstein and Rodger Saffold, linebacker Akeem Ayers and safety Maurice Alexander.
The Rams gave major playing time to young players, with the knowledge that within the next two days, they must reduce their roster from 75 players to the league-maximum 53.
Perhaps a few players gave Fisher and General Manager Les Snead some tougher decisions to make Friday, but for the most part, the Rams didn’t change much from their first three games.
The Rams showed great depth among their defensive front seven. They recorded nine hits on the first 22 drop-back attempts by Minnesota starting quarterback Joel Stave and the game was a (late) coming-out party for lineman Morgan Fox, who had been quiet throughout the preseason but recorded three sacks.
The Vikings got a lot of help because of turnovers. Their four scoring drives started, respectively, at the Rams’ 19-, 9-, 28- and 6-yard lines, and resulted in two touchdowns and two field goals.
Minnesota’s Jhurell Pressley returned a kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, and the Rams muffed one punt and had another deflect off the leg of receiver Duke Williams for a turnover.
Goff figured heavily in two of the Rams’ miscues. He fumbled a shotgun snap late in the second quarter, which turned into a field goal that cut the Rams’ lead to 7-6. On Goff’s next play, he threw an interception, and the Vikings scored a touchdown on their next play to take the lead for good at 13-7.
