BipolarFuk
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LOS ANGELES – Two rookie quarterbacks had their opening acts under the bright lights.
Dak Prescott sizzled. Jared Goff fizzled.
What a first impression.
Goff was the one drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, and he pretty much lived up to some of the uninspiring reviews of his training camp practices.
After coming off the bench in the second quarter, Goff was rocked and picked – on his first series. It set the tone for his uneventful debut, because the big hit left him with the stiff left, non-throwing shoulder that prompted Rams coach Jeff Fisher to pull him at halftime.
Fisher and Goff both downplayed the seriousness of the injury, and the coach maintained that it shouldn’t cost any practice time. But it’s a hard knock nonetheless.
Just don’t blame the injury on faulty protection. Goff never saw linebacker Derek Akunne, who slipped inside on a blitz that wasn’t picked up. He’ll need to recognize that quicker if he is going to thrive, if not just simply survive in the NFL. He settled down on the next drive, but was set back by a crucial third-down drop.
Prescott, meanwhile, started for the Dallas Cowboys, who rested Tony Romo, and completed 10 of his 12 passes – and the two icompletions were drops – with two TDs and zero picks. His passer rating of 154.5 was nearly perfect. He led Dallas to three scoring drives in building a big halftime lead at the Coliseum.
He looked sharp and in control. Like he belonged.
While it is way too early to draw definitive conclusions – Prescott has had reps with the starters, while Goff is working with the twos – the contrasting experiences of the quarterbacks suggested much about how these guys are progressing.
That Prescott was a fourth-round pick was another head-scratcher.
He sure outplayed the Cal product who was taken at the top of the draft.
Interestingly, the dress rehearsals before an announced crowd of 89,140 fans were reminiscent of what I witnessed from the quarterbacks last week in glimpses of their practices.
Goff, whom the Rams maintain they won’t rush while rolling with Case Keenum, struck me as a bit timid in practice. He had the worst interception I’ve seen this summer with a short, soft, lazy-looking pass that was deflected into a pop-up over the middle.
Can he really press Keenum for the starting job? That may take a long time. Right now, just getting some reps with the first string would be a marker.
Prescott, out of Mississippi State, had a different presence in Dallas’ practices, where he has picked up extra reps with Romo’s typical weekly off-days and then with projected No. 2 quarterback Kellen Moore knocked out with a fractured ankle. He seemed decisive in team drills, and didn’t appear fazed by the environment.
With the Cowboys are still in a holding pattern for landing a veteran quarterback, coach Jason Garrett said last week that he won’t rule out the possibility that Prescott (or pro Jameill Showers, for that matter) can claim the No. 2 spot as Romo’s top backup.
On Saturday night, he had a good start, fortified by the poise he’s demonstrated on the practice field. And the Cowboys’ fast-tracked, aggressive approach in developing Prescott showed, too. He was drafted as a potential long-term successor to Romo, and showed why with his mobility – including a 14-yard scramble on third-and-26 that set up a field goal – and strong-armed passing.
Fisher had hoped to play Goff into the third quarter, but went with his gut as a precautionary measure. Sean Mannion, the third-stringer, played the entire second half and triggered the big rally that gave the Rams a feel-good opening win upon their return to LA.
Goff may eventually wind up as the face of the franchise, given that he was the first pick in the draft. On opening night, though, he was the second-best rookie quarterback on the field – and it wasn’t close.
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
Dak Prescott sizzled. Jared Goff fizzled.
What a first impression.
Goff was the one drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, and he pretty much lived up to some of the uninspiring reviews of his training camp practices.
After coming off the bench in the second quarter, Goff was rocked and picked – on his first series. It set the tone for his uneventful debut, because the big hit left him with the stiff left, non-throwing shoulder that prompted Rams coach Jeff Fisher to pull him at halftime.
Fisher and Goff both downplayed the seriousness of the injury, and the coach maintained that it shouldn’t cost any practice time. But it’s a hard knock nonetheless.
Just don’t blame the injury on faulty protection. Goff never saw linebacker Derek Akunne, who slipped inside on a blitz that wasn’t picked up. He’ll need to recognize that quicker if he is going to thrive, if not just simply survive in the NFL. He settled down on the next drive, but was set back by a crucial third-down drop.
Prescott, meanwhile, started for the Dallas Cowboys, who rested Tony Romo, and completed 10 of his 12 passes – and the two icompletions were drops – with two TDs and zero picks. His passer rating of 154.5 was nearly perfect. He led Dallas to three scoring drives in building a big halftime lead at the Coliseum.
He looked sharp and in control. Like he belonged.
While it is way too early to draw definitive conclusions – Prescott has had reps with the starters, while Goff is working with the twos – the contrasting experiences of the quarterbacks suggested much about how these guys are progressing.
That Prescott was a fourth-round pick was another head-scratcher.
He sure outplayed the Cal product who was taken at the top of the draft.
Interestingly, the dress rehearsals before an announced crowd of 89,140 fans were reminiscent of what I witnessed from the quarterbacks last week in glimpses of their practices.
Goff, whom the Rams maintain they won’t rush while rolling with Case Keenum, struck me as a bit timid in practice. He had the worst interception I’ve seen this summer with a short, soft, lazy-looking pass that was deflected into a pop-up over the middle.
Can he really press Keenum for the starting job? That may take a long time. Right now, just getting some reps with the first string would be a marker.
Prescott, out of Mississippi State, had a different presence in Dallas’ practices, where he has picked up extra reps with Romo’s typical weekly off-days and then with projected No. 2 quarterback Kellen Moore knocked out with a fractured ankle. He seemed decisive in team drills, and didn’t appear fazed by the environment.
With the Cowboys are still in a holding pattern for landing a veteran quarterback, coach Jason Garrett said last week that he won’t rule out the possibility that Prescott (or pro Jameill Showers, for that matter) can claim the No. 2 spot as Romo’s top backup.
On Saturday night, he had a good start, fortified by the poise he’s demonstrated on the practice field. And the Cowboys’ fast-tracked, aggressive approach in developing Prescott showed, too. He was drafted as a potential long-term successor to Romo, and showed why with his mobility – including a 14-yard scramble on third-and-26 that set up a field goal – and strong-armed passing.
Fisher had hoped to play Goff into the third quarter, but went with his gut as a precautionary measure. Sean Mannion, the third-stringer, played the entire second half and triggered the big rally that gave the Rams a feel-good opening win upon their return to LA.
Goff may eventually wind up as the face of the franchise, given that he was the first pick in the draft. On opening night, though, he was the second-best rookie quarterback on the field – and it wasn’t close.
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.