Jeff Fisher knew the question before he stepped to the podium on Sunday. Just as he knew it last week, last month – and every last second since the Los Angeles Rams selected Jared Goff No. 1 overall in the NFL draft. For months Fisher has endured it, like a parent tolerating a child in the backseat of the car.

Are we there yet?

No.

When will we get there?

We’ll get there when we get there.

Are we there yet?

Where it concerns the future of Jared Goff, the answer is no. Just as it has been for months. Fisher made that clear again, following Sunday’s 17-10 loss to the New York Giants in London. When it comes to Goff, the Rams aren’t there. And they won’t be there until … well … not until they get there. Whenever that is. Maybe after some contract extensions get signed. (Hang tight. We’ll get to that.)

Jared Goff is still waiting to take the reins as the No. 1 QB in Los Angeles. (AP) More

“We’re staying with Case [Keenum],” Fisher said Sunday, answering the question about his starting quarterback before it was posed to him. “… I’ll make changes at receiver before I make a change at QB.”

It was a declarative moment that solidified support for Keenum and directed some blame for offensive mistakes at the players around him. It was a solid tactic, shielding a starting quarterback who threw four interceptions on Sunday from mounting calls for a change.

This still prompted a chorus of “Why?” – all punctuated with some nuance of Keenum posing as the picture of mediocrity. Take your pick: an 8-to-11 touchdown to turnover ratio; a 3-4 record as starter; a 77.5 passer rating; a three-game losing streak. These are the numbers people use. They’re simply the wrong numbers. Here’s the digit that matters: One.

As in, one shot to insert Goff into the most advantageous circumstances possible. One shot to get it right with him. And most important of all, one last card to play in the deck this season.

To a coach and general manager who have an Everest-like climb to that new Inglewood stadium in 2019, a monumental amount of job security rides on Goff. And that is unequivocally what this is all about. If Keenum fails this season, it means nothing to the long-term prospects of the franchise. But if Goff fails, it means the Rams leveraged the future of their team on a flawed centerpiece. That’s why Keenum is starting right now. Goff isn’t ready – and in the interim, Fisher and general manager Les Snead can survive Keenum’s failure.

Face it, team owner Stan Kroenke isn’t going to trigger some seismic event in his coaching staff or front office over a failing Keenum. That won’t be done because a low-level NFL starter (whose contract expires in a few months) failed to live up to expectations. But Goff? He’s the canary diamond. He’s everything. If there are some significant cracks found in Goff’s game, someone is losing their job.

Or in the case of Fisher or Snead, it’s possible someone doesn’t have their contract extended.

That’s the interesting variable in all of this. The Rams were in talks to extend both men last February. Then it became a pressing issue again in the summer. By September, word in the NFL’s personnel community was that extensions were imminent. Now we’re headed toward November and there is still no word of new deals. There is a possibility that extensions are finally inked next week during the bye. But considering how long this has dragged on, nothing seems guaranteed anymore.

And that’s where Keenum vs. Goff continues to be a potential watershed debate.

It would also be naïve to dismiss Goff’s value as an emergency option this Rams season. Sitting at 3-4, this team is far from dire straits. The next four opponents – the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints – collectively carry an 8-18 record, meaning the Rams could feasibly enter December at .500 or better.

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