JARRETT BELL

Something has to give for Jeff Fisher, Rams on woeful offense

Jarrett Bell
USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher reacts during a NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Jeff Fisher was laid-back, typically California cool, during a brief visit at the Los Angeles Rams’ new headquarters this week. No worries. No sweat. At least as it appears.

“I’ve never looked over my shoulder,” Fisher told USA TODAY Sports.

Meet the Felix the Cat of NFL coaches. Fisher hasn’t coached a team to a winning record since 2008. Hasn’t won a playoff game since 2003. Ranks third on the all-time list for NFL career losses with 157.

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Yet he’s not flinching, even while working on the last year of his contract. Talk about nine lives. Most coaches – especially in places like Cleveland or Washington – would have been long gone by now.

In the case of Fisher, and general manager Les Snead, it has been widely reported that the Rams are expected to complete extensions that keep them in place.

This makes Fisher a very fortunate man, apparently in the right place at the right time, too, because Rams owner Stan Kroenke wants stability with his football operations amid the franchise’s relocation from St. Louis. And, well, Fisher’s been in that position before, having moved with the Tennessee Titans from Houston in 1997 as coach.

“No additional pressure,” Fisher added. “This has been a great opportunity. Stan and I have a great relationship. Everything’s fine.”

Fine is surely a subjective term here. The Rams (1-1) came through with a monster defensive showing against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday to make a splash in their grand opening event – the first NFL regular-season game in Los Angeles in 22 years – but after the 9-3 win will head into Sunday’s game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only team in the league yet to score a touchdown.

Whatever buzz was created with the selection of Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick overall in the NFL draft in April – the Rams traded a bundle, including next year’s first-round pick and two second-rounders this year, to move up from the 15th slot – has been doused by the quarterback’s inability to get on the playing field.

It’s not like Goff is trying to take Tom Brady’s job. Case Keenum, the Rams starter, matches up with the team’s zero TDs as statistically the worst quarterback in the NFL with a 57.8 pass efficiency rating.

Even worse, the quarterback the Rams didn’t choose with the top pick, Carson Wentz, is on fire for the Philadelphia Eagles as the first rookie since at least the merger in 1970 to win his first two starts without throwing an interception. And Wentz is rolling with a certain swagger that would play well in Tinsel Town.

Sure, it’s early.

Early enough for this to be a bad look for a team with the 32nd-ranked offense.

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The Rams drafted NFL rookies of the year the past two years in D-tackle Aaron Donald and running back Todd Gurley, chosen in the 13th and 10th slots, respectively, which reflects well on the personnel efforts headed by Snead. Yet after moving up to No. 1, it’s a safe bet the rookie-of-the-year streak will be snapped.

Fisher reiterated on Monday that he won’t rush Goff into the lineup. Patience is the plan.

With Fisher – whose well-respected agent, Marvin Demoff, is the father of Rams president Kevin Demoff, by the way – patience seems to be the ticket, too.

Yet clearly, regardless of a Fisher extension, Goff is the make-or-break player whose success or failure could be the most significant barometer of all for the franchise’s direction.

In a huge market where winning matters, the Rams – and their marketing efforts – need a hit in the worst way.

Makes me wonder: With Fisher expected to stay, does his offensive brain trust remain, too?

Maybe that’s what has to ultimately give, with Fisher, who comes from a defensive background, struggling to get coaching impact on offense. After ranking last in the NFL in offense last season, the Rams are in that spot again after two games. That reflects the heat that is on offensive coordinator Scott Boras, yet to succeed in that role on the NFL level. Chris Weinke is the quarterbacks coach entrusted as a hands-on developer of Goff. So much is riding on this working.

In today’s NFL, offense sells tickets – and wins games in a quarterback-driven game.

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Kroenke could not be reached for comment this week, but during the draft in April he told me that Fisher’s calm demeanor in handling adversity is one of the qualities that convinces him that he has the right coach.

“His teams are tough,” Kroenke told USA TODAY Sports last spring. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him. We’re close (to winning). We’ve been the youngest team (in the NFL) for several years running. Typically in pro sports, when you have young teams you do not win.”

Kroenke lauded Fisher’s reputation for getting his teams to play hard, and acknowledged the franchise’s setback when Sam Bradford, chosen No. 1 overall in 2010, suffered torn ACLs to wipe out back-to-back seasons.

But at some point, though, winning is the defining measure for coaches. Fisher knows it.

During training camp, Fisher was captured on the HBO reality show, Hard Knocks, declaring in a team meeting – using an expletive for emphasis – that he would not go 7-9 again … or 8-8 … or 9-7.

Time will tell. In the meantime, Donald, who quickly established himself as a leader, insists that the status of Fisher and Snead hasn’t reached the point where it is a locker room issue.

“I’m with those guys, 100%,” Donald told USA TODAY Sports. “I know they’ve brought in some good pieces for this puzzle. At the same time, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

Fisher doesn’t see himself as a lame duck coach, which is surely a good space in the NFL world.

“The players are expecting me to be here,” he said. “I know I’m going to be here. It’s not an issue.”

Maybe not now. But at some point, the Rams big investments must pay off – or else.

Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell

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