The Los Angeles Rams held possession of the ball late in the fourth quarter, with the ball in their hands and the game on the line. Against the Detroit Lions, quarterback Case Keenum and the offense had one opportunity to win the game and failed to do so.
The 31-28 loss to the Lions was a tough pill to swallow. Although it was their first 10:00 A.M. PST start time this season, head coach Jeff Fisher had the team prepared and ready to battle.
The team spent the entire week adjusting to the time change, with coach Fisher implementing earlier start times for meetings and practices. The team was well adjusted to the time change, with proper preparation and added sleep to their schedule.
However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the high-scoring contest on Sunday, which was a game of comebacks. Keenum was visibly upset after the contest, stating a frustrating outlook when attempting to overcome a loss, via TheRams.com:
“I think it’s never fun not winning. Seems like food doesn’t taste as good or music doesn’t sound as good sometimes,” Keenum said. “We’re still going to go and like you said, it’s a business trip, we’re going to take care of business.”
Although the team fell to 3-3 on the season, Keenum did have a lot of positive takeaways from the game. The 28-year-old quarterback credited the offensive line for keeping him upright. Keenum was sacked once for the game, which he credited to a trip amongst the line.
He also instilled confidence into his counterpart on offense, running back Todd Gurley, for battling through the circumstances involving the stacked line.
Keenum’s receiving core also had a phenomenal day, posting strong stats to move forward with. Aside from check downs to the running backs, Brian Quick, Tavon Austin and Kenny Stills combined for 221 receiving yards. The fifth-year quarterback noticed the exquisite route running, on top of some difficult catches.
The offensive coordinator set up quick strikes and successful drives for the offense, which resulted in four touchdowns. This initial transition season for the Rams has been filled with publicity and controversy.
Playing in Los Angeles requires a certain reputation or amount of success, which the Rams have yet to establish. Keenum commented on the pressure of playing in Los Angeles, stating it reveals their true character:
“Anytime there is stress put on you, or adversity I guess you could say. The season as a whole, being a starter, there is a lot of things happen. It kind of reveals some things about your character and you learn about yourself under stressful situations when pressure is put on you.”
In sight of their Week 7 matchup against the New York Giants at Twickenham Stadium in London, the team remains second in the NFC West.
