Pro football returned to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first time in 22 years Saturday, but Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott stole the show. But neither made enough of an impression to instill much confidence this team can improve its mark as the 23rd ranked pass defense from last season that allowed a completion rate of 66.8 percent. They had 35 pass plays of 20 or more yards, which is little more than two per game, and that was dead last among the NFL’s 32. So the sky isn’t falling in Los Angeles.
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Jared Goff’s National Football League debut was cut a bit short Saturday night when head coach Jeff Fisher sat him after only two series.
Even an opening kickoff return for a touchdown by the Dallas Cowboys’ Lucky Whitehead in Saturday’s preseason opener for both teams couldn’t kill the mood, and many late-arriving L.A. fans missed that anyway.
Jarrett Bell of USA Today Sports noted that Dak Prescott looked like the first overall pick compared to the Rams’ Jared Goff, who played badly in his first preseason game. His second attempt was an interception. The night belonged to third stringer Sean Mannion however, as he had the best day out of the three quarterbacks.
Fisher said Goff has a sore non-throwing shoulder after the hit he took on the second-quarter interception, but that Goff is fine. “I just basically want to do what I’ve been doing at practice”, Prescott said.
“I did all right”, Prescott said.
Goff made his pro debut with 9:45 remaining in the second quarter, and although head coach Jeff Fisher had indicated he would play into the second half, Mannion replaced Goff to start the third quarter.
Another potential starting cornerback, E.J. Gaines, did not play because of a hamstring injury, and the Rams chose not to play defensive end Robert Quinn (who is in the final stages of recovery from a back injury) and Gurley.
Dallas’ Dez Bryant had two receptions for 28 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass.
Running backs Alfred Morris and Darius Jackson played significant minutes and played well, especially the rookie Jackson. Mannion completed 18 out of his 25 passes, threw for 147 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception per nfl.com.
Prescott state line: Prescott went 10 of 12, with one of his incompletions a awful drop, for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That was particularly true early on when rookie Dak Prescott held a passer rating of 154.5, completing 10-of-12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. “Really big play making the play with his feet to get us back into field goal range to give us a scoring opportunity there”.
Despite his struggles off the field, Jones still heaped praise on Manziel for how he plays the game recently. “He got hit and the ball floated”, Fisher said.
Talking points. We’ve got em. We’re not close to being regular-season ready. They absolute must lockdown the run defense, though.
DT Tyrone Crawford is expected to sit out the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
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Yes, it was technically a preseason game, but the 89,140 rowdy Rams fans that packed the Coliseum weren’t treating it like one as every L.A. fan got a taste of what it’s like to have Jared Goff under center on Saturday against the Cowboys.
