Top pick Jared Goff promoted to No. 2 QB for RamsAlden Gonzalez
[
www.espn.com]
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff received a small promotion Friday, proclaimed the backup quarterback for the highly anticipated Week 2 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
And yes, that qualifies as news around here.
Goff entered the regular season as the Los Angeles Rams' third-string quarterback and was inactive in the opener against the San Francisco 49ers, an eventual 28-0 loss on Monday Night Football. But Rams coach Jeff Fisher indicated beforehand that he would look to potentially rotate Goff and Sean Mannion as the backup to Case Keenum for Week 2, the home opener at Los Angeles Coliseum.
"He's really excited about it," Fisher said of Goff. "He's ready to play if anything happens. It's exciting for him, just knowing that he's a snap away from going in the game."
Fisher is undecided on whether he will continue to alternate Mannion and Goff as his backup in the coming weeks.
The Rams moved up 14 spots to take Goff with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, then watched him struggle through four preseason games, going 22-of-49 with four turnovers and 4.7 yards per attempt. The 21-year-old took a handful of snaps with the first-team offense during Friday's practice at Cal Lutheran University.
"It's just prepare the same way every week," Goff said. "It can happen any time. Obviously I support Case, but anything can happen."
Keenum, undrafted despite a record-breaking collegiate career at Houston, struggled mightily at Levi's Stadium on Monday, going 17-for-35 for 130 yards and two interceptions while leading an offense that went 3-for-15 on third downs. Goff watched from the sideline in warm-ups that night and came away thinking the game moves "faster in the regular season, but it's still football."
Fisher has no plans to change his starting quarterback at the moment, so Goff will have to settle for the backup role.
It's an improvement nonetheless.
"I've been preparing the same way every week," Goff said, "like I'm going to play."
