Rams' head coach Jeff Fisher wants to stick with Case Keenum despite 3-4 record

ByALDEN GONZALEZ
October 23, 2016, 2:07 PM

— -- Case Keenum threw four interceptions in the Los Angeles Rams' third straight loss on Sunday, a 17-10 defeat at the hands of the New York Giants, but head coach Jeff Fisher said he is not ready to start No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff.

"Quarterback is not the reason we lost," Fisher said from London, after falling to 3-4 heading into his team's bye week. "We're staying with Case."

Keenum began the game 5-of-6 for 74 yards and a touchdown, but finished it completing only 27 of 47 passes and throwing four picks.

The first went right through the hands of Tavon Austin, turning into a 44-yard touchdown return by Landon Collins. The last came in the end zone, after miscommunication with Brian Quick on an audible at the line of scrimmage, resulting in an easy interception by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

"Take a look at the tape," Fisher said, "see who's responsible for the interceptions."

Fisher was intimating that the fault of the interceptions fell on his receivers, saying: "We'll make changes at receiver before I make changes at quarterback."

But the middle two were all on Keenum, who made poor throws to Austin that were picked off in an ugly last three quarters for the offense. No. 2 was another tipped ball that fell into Collins' hands, and No. 3 was thrown into double coverage in the end zone for the first of two by Rodgers-Cromartie.

Over the last two weeks, Keenum ranked second in the NFL in completion percentage and fifth in passing yards. But he failed to convert on final drives that could've tied or won the game each time and still entered the Week 7 matchup with the second-worst Total QBR among qualified quarterbacks.

Then he played poorly, prompting speculation about whether it's time to go with the future face of the franchise. Still, Fisher said: "Jared's going to play when we feel Jared's ready. We didn't lose this game because of quarterback play."

Last year, though, Fisher said immediately after a Week 9 loss that he wasn't ready to make a change from Nick Foles to Keenum, then went from Foles to Keenum the very next day.