From the Desk of Eagles Outsider Barry Bowe

NICK FOLES BENCHED

The problem with the Rams was addressed last Sunday – or was it?

Jeff Fisher benched Nick Foles for last Sunday’s Rams-Ravens match-up. Case Keenum started instead.

Keenum – a four-year pro – started 10 games in his two years as a backup with the Houston Texans in 2013 and 2014. He won exactly two of those starts and completed 58% of his passes. This was his first start with the Rams.

Because I’m a devout Nick Foles fan, I record every Rams game and watch it at least twice. As a devout Nick Foles fan, I wondered why his numbers looked so bad this season

It took me three games to figure it out:

• Jeff Fisher plays a field-position game.
• Fisher relies on a strong defense.
• Fisher leans on running back Todd Gurley to control the ball and eat clock.
• Fisher’s play-calling is weak – Foles rarely threw the ball downfield. Many plays called for passes behind the line of scrimmage. In fact, the Rams haven’t passed for more than 200 yards in a game since Week 1 – a 34-31 upset of the Seahawks with Foles passing for 297 yards and one TD.
• Fisher continually placed Foles in disadvantageous down-and-distance situations.

This is nothing new for Fisher. His did the same thing when Steve McNair was his quarterback and Eddie George his running back with the Oilers/Tians. His three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust tends to ham-strings his quarterbacks.

KEENUM IN

So with Nick Foles out and Case Keenum in, I wanted to see a couple things:

• Would Fisher alter his game plan to make the change look good?
• Would he put Keenum in advantageous down-and-distance situations?

But Fisher did nothing to help Keenum – and I mean nothing.

Keenum found himself in disadvantageous down-and-distance situations all day. Unable to move the ball, the Rams punted eight times.

Keenum went 12-for-26 (46%) for 136 yards. He threw for one TD without an interception. His fumble late in the fourth quarter was tragic for the Rams – but it was a fumble that never should’ve happened. Watch the video below and see for yourself.

Sitting at home and watching on TV, it was easy to see Case Keenum’s head bounce off the turf several times after getting sacked. A teammate hoisted a limp Keenum back onto his feet. Keenum staggered as he regained his footing and lacked equilibrium as he stumbled back to the huddle. Holding his head in pain.

Nick Foles started warming up – but Jeff Fisher never sent Foles into the game. According to Fisher, he never noticed what happened to his quarterback.

“I saw Case go down, but I didn’t see anything else take place. I didn’t see him struggle to get up. I didn’t see anything from my vantage point on the sideline as far as Case’s recovery.” – Jeff Fisher

Fisher was busy deciding the next play.

Case Keenum remained in the game:

• On the next play, Wes Welker ran open on a sideline pattern, but Keenum air-mailed the pass out of bounds.
• On the second play, Keenum stood as motionless as a wooden Indian and was sacked.
• He fumbled and the Ravens recovered.
• Just 54 seconds later, Justin Tucker kicked the game-ending field goal.

STRING OF QUARTERBACKS

During his stint in St. Louis that began in 2012, Jeff Fisher has used Kellen Clemens, Sam Bradford, Shaun Hill, Austin Davis, Nick Foles, and Case Keenum as his starting quarterback. No matter who started, the results have been pretty much the same – an ineffective offense with more losses than wins. The common element is, of course, Jeff Fisher.

Jeff Fisher is the problem with the Rams – not Nick Foles.

But Nick Foles will not be the solution as long as Fisher is the coach. Remember, Fisher’s record with the Rams is 24-33-1.

I don’t see him ever reaching the .500 mark.

FINGER-POINTING

Meanwhile, fingers are pointing. How – in this NFL world now so overly-aggressive about the prevention and detection of head injuries – how could this possibly happen with millions watching and nobody doing anything?

In addition to being the official Eagles Outsider for BlameMyFather.com, Barry Bowe is also the author of:

• Born to Be Wild
• 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
• 12 Best Eagles QBs
• Birth of the Birds
• Soon-to-be-published sexy, police procedural Caribbean Queen
• Soon-to-be-published novel Stosh Wadzinski
• Soon-to-be-published novel Polish Widow