When the relocation became official, the Los Angeles Rams were bringing back football to the city for the first time in over 21 seasons. Jeff Fisher brought forth a formidable defense, headlined by Pro Bowler Aaron Donald, and an offense that clearly needed someone calling the shots. The team obtained the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and selected quarterback Jared Goff, from the University of California, Berkley.
Goff was just the excitement the franchise needed, as the Rams fans believed in their first franchise quarterback since the organization selected Sam Bradford. However, Fisher immediately shattered a season opening performance by Goff by stating that the rookie was nowhere near ready to be on the NFL field.
The No. 1 overall pick had to prove himself during practices, to earn the trust of the franchise and the head coach. Quarterback Case Keenum earned the starting spot out of training camp, with his veteran shot-calling as the temporary solution. During nine starts, Keenum went 4-5, as two of those four victories came without the team recording a touchdown.
However, it seems as though the experiment is over and Fisher has agreed to the request the fans have long awaited for, via Chris Mortensen of ESPN:
Jared Goff will start Sunday for the @RamsNFL against @MiamiDolphins in front of a home crowd, per team sources. QBs were informed this am.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) November 15, 2016
Fisher met with the two quarterbacks Tuesday morning and informed them of the change in the depth chart, with Sean Mannion remaining third on the team. After getting reps with the first team during their bye week, team officials believed he was close to getting a starting opportunity.
While many called for Goff to start earlier this season, Fisher seemed to have made the right choice. A Week 10 start on the road against the New York Jets and their aggressive front seven would have been disastrous. With the ground game unable to get any momentum, Goff would have been pressured into making a lot of throws and potentially get knocked around.
The Jets also had a NFL debut themselves in Bryce Petty, with him being limited and being unsuccessful after one scoring drive in the first quarter on a hook-and-ladder play even at home. Goff now gets to prepare for a matchup at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins will enter Week 11 with the 20th ranked defense in the NFL, allowing 364.3 yards per game. Although they are ranked ninth in passing defense (235.6 YPG), they are ranked 30th in terms of rushing defense (128.8 YPG).
The offense hasn’t been ideal this season, especially with the dysfunction regarding Todd Gurley and the offensive line. There have been many miscues and miscommunication between the wide outs, with the unit needing to be in sync for Goff to have a chance at a successful debut.
While the Rams are technically still in playoff contention amongst their division, it allows Goff a chance to prove all the hype surrounding him and to execute with a strong receiving core.
After his contest against the Dolphins, Goff’s schedule doesn’t get much easier, with matchups against the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and more.
Upon a successful outing against the Dolphins, Goff will be the sixth rookie quarterback to start this season, joining Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott, Jacoby Brisett, Cody Kessler and Paxton Lynch.
