Jared Goff will make his first NFL start at quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams?in front of a home crowd on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, the team announced Tuesday.Rams coach Jeff Fisher informed Goff and Case Keenum of the switch when he met with the quarterbacks on Tuesday morning, sources told ESPN. Keenum, who started the teams first nine games, will be the backup, and second-year quarterback?Sean Mannion will remain No. 3, for now.I think its time, Goff said after Tuesdays practice. Im ready to move forward and play. Im just going to work hard and hopefully win.Goff was the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft, but he made steady progress in practice during the first half of the season. Sources said the Rams staff believed the rookie from Cal was close to stepping in as the starter within the past two weeks, but Keenum remained the quarterback for Sundays 9-6 road win against the?New York Jets?at MetLife Stadium.It was the third game in which the Rams offense failed to score a touchdown, which prompted Fisher to joke Monday that his team was an offensive juggernaut and 2-1 in games when the Rams had not produced a TD.The Rams confidence in Goff is evident, as the 4-5 team remains in contention for a playoff spot. He has been getting limited reps with the first-team offense the past few weeks, including all the first-team reps during the Rams bye in Week 8.Hes ready, hes preparing and doing well, Fisher said of Goff on Monday. Hes anxious and confident.Fisher has maintained that Goff would be the starter when hes ready. Goff was inactive for Week 1, with Mannion serving as Keenums backup; but Goff has been the No. 2 quarterback since Week 2.It wasnt a spontaneous decision, Fisher said. It was a progression. Its a gut feel. Its not an easy thing. It takes time, and we gave it time, and it was the right decision. Were looking forward to watching him play.Hes going to have some moments, like all young quarterbacks do, but hes going to do well.Even though Goff was the first overall pick, five other rookie quarterbacks have started at least one NFL game this season, in part due to unforeseen circumstances: Carson Wentz (Eagles), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Jacoby Brissett (Patriots), Cody Kessler (Browns) and Paxton Lynch (Broncos). Wentz and Prescott have started all of their teams games.There is not necessarily a belief that Goff alone will solve the Rams anemic offense, a source said. Rams running back Todd Gurley has yet to get untracked, and the offensive line play has been spotty at times. The Rams rank second worst in the league in total offense and have scored the fewest points (139) in the NFL.Nevertheless, with Goff now fully indoctrinated into the offense after exclusively running a no-huddle spread attack during four seasons at Cal, team sources said there is hope he will energize the team and a home fan base that was hostile during the teams most recent game at the Coliseum -- a 13-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers?on Nov. 6. That was the Rams fourth consecutive loss after a 3-1 start.Fisher said he has finally seen enough on the field -- and from Goff in practice -- to warrant the inevitable change.It feels like a long time since Ive got out there and played, Goff said. Im excited to get back out there. ... I saw a lot of stuff from the sidelines, as much as you can see during games, and learned from a lot of the things Case did -- good and bad. Its been a long process, I guess, trying to pick up everything and get ready for it. I think I have, and I think Ive been ready for a little while. I feel good, and I feel excited.This Sunday, Goff will face a Dolphins defensive front seven that overwhelmed the Chargers offensive line and frustrated veteran quarterback?Philip Rivers into throwing four interceptions in Sundays 31-24 victory at San Diego. Miami is on a four-game winning streak.The rest of the Rams schedule after the game against the Dolphins also would present its challenges for Goff. The Rams play early games at New Orleans (Nov. 27) and at New England (Dec. 4), then host Atlanta (Dec. 11) and visit Seattle (Dec. 15, a Thursday night) before finishing with home games against San Francisco (Dec. 24) and Arizona (Jan. 1).Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Cheap Adidas Stan Smith . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Wholesale Stan Smith . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. http://www.cheapstansmithshoes.com/ . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Cheap Stan Smith Shoes China . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Discount Stan Smith Shoes .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Taylor Formico was determined to beat her three brothers, two older and one younger, in any sport growing up.She threw fastball after fastball in her backyard batting cage trying to match their speed. She went toe-to toe with them in weekly soccer games and sprinting races. She even tried to bounce the highest on the familys trampoline, competing for the best backflips and front flips.When she was 5, she watched her brothers climb a 10-foot tetherball post in the backyard. Formico huffed and puffed, falling short each time. But she kept climbing.I stayed up all night until 3 a.m., until I climbed to the top, Formico said. I screamed for my mom in the middle of the night. She was angry I was out there, but I had to have proof.Formico, now a 5-foot-7 senior libero for No. 9 UCLA (9-1 overall), doesnt know any other gear than overdrive. Shes usually the one screaming, high-fiving and jumping up and down for her teammates or flying around the volleyball court for an epic dig.She is the absolute heart of our team, senior outside hitter Jordan Anderson said.Just ask Formicos cousin, three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings: Shes just relentless, Walsh Jennings said. Shell run through fire or a brick wall to get a ball up for her team.Not even a torn labrum in her hip could keep Formico, the 2015 Pac-12 Libero of the Year and an American Volleyball Coaches Association third-team All-America selection, off the court.Playing hurt for the past three seasons, she didnt miss a game, a weight-lifting session, a conditioning session or a team meeting -- even when she had to Uber to campus because it was too painful to walk, even when she had to punch her hip in practice to push through a practice drill, even when her leg went numb during games.Formico, whose 554 digs (sixth most in Bruins history) led UCLA to the Sweet 16 last season, kept the injury a secret. She didnt want anyone to feel sorry for her.For her, it wasnt even an issue. It wasnt even worth talking about, UCLA coach Michael Sealy said. For her it was, Dont even show me compassion with this thing. This is just the way it is, and were going.Its always been that way for Formico.Inspired by Walsh Jennings, Formico dreamed of playing at the highest levels of the game. But few colleges recruited the Saratoga, California, native, partially because of her size, Formico said, and because shed have to transition from her natural position at setter to libero, and she didnt have any experience playing the latter.Her whole career, because of her size, shes had to struggle to get people to recognize how good she really was. It drove her, said her father, Mike. Shes constantly proving herself, even today.Former UC Santa Barbara coach Kathy Gregory offered her a spot. Formico accepted before looking at any other schools.[Gregory] helped me embrace my passion, Formico said. Sometimes its like, Youre too crazy, or, Youre too fiery, but she really embraced and loved my passion and my fight. Shes all about heart.Formico made a seamless transition to libero for the Gauchos in 2012, leading the nation with 792 digs (5.87 per set) en route to AVCA West Region Freshman of the Year honors.She puulled it off because she trained harder than anyone, Gregory said.dddddddddddd Practice would be over and shed still want more reps. She came in on weekends. If she could train 10 hours a day, she would.Gregory ended her 38-year tenure at UCSB after Formicos rookie season. Formico was devastated -- Gregory was the one who believed in her, who took a chance on her.Formico wasnt sure if she wanted to keep playing.The more she thought about it, the more she realized she wanted to challenge herself and play at a higher level. Transferring to UCLA would fill that craving; she had always dreamed of playing in the Pac-12.But she was nervous, even intimidated, during her first few practices at UCLA in 2014. She was surrounded by women who were former top-10, blue-chip recruits, women who had been recruited straight out of high school. Formico knew her path was different, and she knew she could play -- but did she belong there?She battled the incumbent libero, Karly Drolson, for the starting spot. The first one to arrive to practice and the last to leave, Formico eventually earned the starting nod.She wanted to prove to everyone and even herself that she could play at this level, Drolson said. That girl will never give up. She just worked her butt off.Formico flourished, leading the Bruins in digs per set (3.90) and ranking third in aces (16), posting double-figure digs in 27 matches in 2014.Upping her game even more the next season, when she was recognized as the Pac-12s best libero in 2015, Formico became the 23rd Bruin to reach 1,000 career digs. She posted a career-high 35 digs against Arizona.Her ability to keep the ball in play and keep it up, to take so much passing and defensive responsibility, coaches in the Pac-12, they have a game plan for her, Sealy said. They dont do that too often with back-row players.She not only makes the steady, consistent play, but she makes the wow plays, too, Sealy said. Someone will make an amazing hit and she comes flying in to dig, and it really sucks the life out of the sail of the other team.Formico is off to a fast start for the Bruins, who have suffered just one loss this season, against San Diego. Posting double-figure digs in each of the teams 10 matches, Formico notched a season-high 28 digs against Pepperdine on Sept. 13.Formico enters Wednesdays match against crosstown rival USC, ranked 21st, with 1,193 digs as a Bruin, which is now ninth all time. She is 21 away from eighth.Formico now has amassed 1,985 digs for her career, including her time at UCSB, and likely will pass surpass 2,000 against the Trojans.But if you ask Formico, shell probably tell you she has much more to work on to elevate her game. She pulls up game film on her cell phone almost immediately after games are over, dissecting each set, each play and each mistake she made with a focus that is almost obsessive.She was somebody that wasnt even on most peoples radars, Gregory said. Its not always the superstars that make it. Its someone that wanted it more than someone else, and had something to prove. ' ' '
