The St. Louis Rams quarterback situation is a complete disaster. Last offseason, they finally get rid of injury-prone Sam Bradford in a trade that brought thought-to-be-savior Nick Foles. Foles had had some brief success with the Philadelphia Eagles before suffering an injury in 2014. But all through training camp, we heard nothing but positive things from Rams camp about Nick Foles and how he was such a leader, a pleasant guy, and how the offense was flowing in practice.
The Nick Foles hype train was all aboard to the Dome in downtown St. Louis. It came opening day and Foles threw for nearly 300 yards and had two total touchdowns in his debut which resulted in a win against the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. This excited Rams fans, thinking it could only go up from there.
And boy were they wrong. Foles has played in nine games and failed to throw for at least 200 yards in seven of those games. Foles is indecisive and struggles to hit open receivers. Hence why he was benched in favor of Case Keenum when the Rams took on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Keenum didn’t perform well either in his first start. Keenum went 12/26 for 136 yards and a touchdown. Keenum also fumbled twice. The Rams fell 16-13 to a less than intimidating Ravens team. At 4-6 with a tough remaining schedule and seemingly out of the playoff race, the Rams have nothing to lose. It’s time to give Sean Mannion a chance.
The Rams drafted Mannion 89th overall in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Before the draft, NFL.com’s profile on Mannion stated Mannion’s strengths as “Four-year starter who owns 18 passing records at Oregon State. Tall quarterback who sees over the offensive line. Throws with high release point. Plays with desired footwork. Can sit down and shift weight properly to drive the intermediate throws. Played in pro-style offense and is comfortable with 3-, 5- and 7-step drops from under center. When protected, shows confidence to stand and deliver with accuracy to all areas of the field. Trusted by head coach Mike Riley to make pre-snap reads and audible. Played in multiple-read offense and shows patience in allowing routes to develop. Good feel for pro-style play-action passing attack and can throw with above-average accuracy and ball placement.”
They also stated Mannion’s weaknesses as “Tempo of his play is a concern. Slow in takeaway from center and set-up and slow getting through progressions. Carries ball low in the pocket, allowing defenders to swipe at it. Finished career with 30 fumbles and 54 interceptions. Poise and mobility in pocket are below average. Not considered a play-extender outside of pocket. Drops eyes and misses throwing windows when he senses pressure around him. Decision making greatly influenced by level of pressure around him. Fails to throw with adequate zip when feet aren't under him and he doesn't step strongly into throw. Takes too long to get rid of throws on out routes.”
The Rams have nothing to lose by starting Mannion for a game or two. They drafted him high in the third round so why not give him a chance?Are the Rams saying they’d get more of a performance out of Nick Foles or Case Keenum? They drafted Mannion high for a reason. It’s time to see what he can do. Unleash Sean Mannion.