Case Keenum still in concussion protocol

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Quarterback Case Keenum remains in the NFL concussion protocol and had limited work in practice Wednesday as the Rams began preparations for Sunday's game against Arizona. Nick Foles would be the starter again if Keenum isn't cleared.

Head coach Jeff Fisher said, "He had good work Monday, yesterday. He was limited today. He feels good, but he's still yet to be cleared. As you observed, Nick got most of the reps today and we'll just kind of see how things go tomorrow."

Foles said, "I just keep working. As tough as it is through these times where you just want to keep playing well, you've just got to keep looking at the film, keep preparing, keep working in the weight room. You've got to just keep trying to do everything a little bit better. Keep fine-tuning everything."

As for the difference in practicing when it's known whether he will start or not, Foles said, "The one thing that's different, I'd say, is you get the reps and you for sure know. There is a little difference, but you prepare every week like you are the starter. I know that's a saying that a lot of us say, but you really try to do your best to prepare like you're the starter. Got a lot of reps today and we'll just see how the week goes. It's one day at a time. Just trying to get as much work as we can get in today and then get some rest tonight and come back and do it again."

--While it's rare that head coaches get a fifth season after four straight losing ones, Jeff Fisher remains focused on what head coaches usually are concentrating on: the next game.

When asked about concerns whether his team has shown enough progress to warrant keeping his job if this becomes another losing season, Fisher said, "I've been doing this for probably short of 20 years, and I've never gone into a game or into a season worried about my job security. That would be unfair to the organization and unfair to the players. So I'm not concerned about that.

"What I'm concerned about is this week. I know that's not the answer you guys want to hear, but I'm concerned about this week. We're 3-0 in the division. We've got the division leader coming to town, and we're going to get ready to play."

While acknowledging that the team hasn't been eliminated from the playoff race, Fisher said that talk is not the subject of his talks with the players.

"We're not going to put this live-or-die or win-or-lose situation on this game," he said. "We're going to have fun, we're going to work, we're going to prepare and we're going to get ready to play the Cardinals."

He said the message to the team is simple: "It's about avoiding distractions. It's about believing in yourself and working hard and finding ways to improve. It's especially difficult on them right now because of the lack of production on offense. But you look at the tape (against the Bengals) and there's potential for big plays in this game.

"It can show them that, 'Hey, this is an elite team that we played. This is a playoff team that's been there for years. They've got a Pro Bowl quarterback. Had a couple of things gone differently, the end of the game could've been different.' That's the perspective that you take. We've lost four in a row. (We're) not losers. Their effort is outstanding. They're doing the best they can. We just have to find a way to make some plays."

--Fisher said the hip flexor injury suffered by kicker Greg Zuerlein happened during practice the Friday before the game against Cincinnati.

Fisher said, "He went out to warm up and then as we were kicking field goals there outside on Friday, I noticed that he didn't look right. I went up to him, asked him how he felt. I asked him if he needed to kick anymore and he said, 'No, I think I'm done.' So I just shut it down. Often times you get tight. A kicker will get tight. Then he came in and we examined him. It was more of a concern well after practice, so we shut him down."

Asked if there was an issue before that, Fisher said, "It's reps, it's a combination of things. Sometimes, unfortunately, it happens to kickers because there's a lot of twisting and a lot of torqueing that goes on."

--Fisher believes there will be some tweaks to the league's game protocol for concussions after the situation involving quarterback Case Keenum late in the Week 10 game against Baltimore.

An official who is stationed behind the quarterback didn't notice what happened and was instead moving toward the other officials because there was a penalty called on the play.

Then, when head trainer Reggie Scott was on the field talking to Keenum, the official told him to leave the field. In addition, it appears the ATC spotter didn't see the replay that showed Keenum's head hitting the ground and Keenum briefly grabbing his helmet.

Had the spotter ordered Keenum off the field, the Rams would not have been charged a timeout. However, if Scott or the official had taken him off the field because of injury, it would have cost the Rams their final timeout in a game that was tied and 1:04 remaining.

Asked where the league is with its investigation, Fisher said, "It was well documented there was a discussion league wide with the trainers. The information was shared there as to what happened. The league's continuing to look into it and hopefully make some adjustments. I would suspect that those adjustments would involve the medical timeout and the ATC and the calls down to the referee."

Notes: Tackle Rob Havenstein (calf) practiced with full participation Wednesday and is on track to start at right tackle Sunday against Tampa Bay. If he able to play, Garrett Reynolds will move back to left guard. ... Defensive end Robert Quinn (back/hip) did not practice Wednesday but is "coming on," according to head coach Jeff Fisher. There is hope he will be able to get in some practice this week and be able to play Sunday against Arizona. ... Cornerback Trumaine Johnson (thigh/quad) did not practice Wednesday and might be questionable for Sunday's game against Arizona. ... Kicker Greg Zuerlein (right hip) did not practice Wednesday, but is on schedule to hopefully kick at the end of the week.