Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Nelson Spruce, left, scores a touchdown as he is tackled by Dallas Cowboys defensive back Jeremiah McKinnon in the second half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)

SHARE Los Angeles Rams running back Aaron Green, right, dives into the end zone ahead of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Henoc Muamba to score a touchdown in the second half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)

By Joe Curley of the Ventura County Star

Everyone from quarterbacks Case Keenum and Jared Goff to veterans like Rodger Saffold and Trumaine Johnson to head coach Jeff Fisher and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff praised Nelson Spruce for his performance Saturday night at the Coliseum.

But the former Westlake High receiver received a setback in his bid to make the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

The undrafted rookie out of Colorado will "probably miss a week or two" after being diagnosed with a left knee sprain, said Fisher.

"We're still doing more tests," Fisher said. "But from what I understand, surgery is not going to be necessary. So it's just a matter of him healing up and getting back on the field."

Spruce's prognosis was brighter than the one given to rookie safety Brian Randolph, who will miss the season with a torn ACL suffered Saturday, Fisher said.

"It's very unfortunate for him," Fisher said. "We'll tuck him away and give him an opportunity to compete next year."

Spruce caught a team-high six passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in the come-from-behind 28-24 preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys.

"He's a baller," Goff said. "He played really well and I'm very happy for him. … Everyone started doing the 'Spruuuce' (chant). It was cool."

Asked if a young player had impressed him, Johnson picked out Spruce, saying "he made some tremendous catches on third and fourth down."

"I'm a believer in Spruce," Saffold said.

Keenum said Spruce's performance was no different than what his teammates have been seeing in practice.

"As a quarterback, you like knowing where guys are going to be receiver-wise, and he's a guy you know where he is going to be," Keenum said. "He's going to be in the right place at the right time and he made some really good plays tonight."

TO THE RESCUE

Some compared the interest in the Rams' first preseason game back in Los Angeles to a Super Bowl.

With a paid attendance of 89,140, it was a rare preseason game with some significance to the result.

So by outscoring the Cowboys 21-0 in a dramatic comeback, the bottom half of the roster picked up the starters, who fell behind 21-7 inside 17 minutes.

"I just feel like we've got to come out faster, knock out some of the mental errors," said running back Benny Cunningham, whose 14-yard run in the first quarter was the Rams' lone touchdown in the first half. "It's most definitely a good start for us, to come out with a victory. But I feel like the first groups most definitely have to play better."

INAUSPICOUS DEBUT

Allowing Lucky Whitehead's 101-yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff was a memorable way to open the Rams' second tenure in Los Angeles.

In reviewing the tape, Rams coaches spotted two blocks in the back and two holds that weren't flagged on the Cowboys.

"And that's OK," Fisher said. "That's part of preseason. So, we tell our players run faster, don't get blocked in the back and separate blocks and don't get held. There's a lot of learning from that. And that's pretty much how the game went."

CONTRACT YEAR

Fisher deflected reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Rams are "trying and expecting" to re-sign Fisher and general manager Les Snead to contract extensions before the beginning of the regular season.

"I don't know where those reports came from and I've never gone into the details regarding my own personal situation," Fisher said. "I haven't talked to Adam Schefter or anybody, so we'll see what happens."

Both Fisher and Snead are in the final year of five-year contracts signed in St. Louis in 2012.