Rams mailbag: Questions about Goff and Fisher’s future and another injury for Spruce

The Rams return from a bye week to play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at the Coliseum.

The Rams are 3-4 and in the midst of a three-game losing streak after defeats by the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and New York Giants.

The Panthers, the defending NFC champions, are 2-5 after ending a four-game losing streak with a victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Now, on to your questions. Keep them coming at @latimesklein or gary.klein@latimes.com.

You definitely are on to something.

Those are the two questions I am asked most often regarding the Rams. I was asked a variation of that question on the phone the other night.

I called my 82-year-old mother to invite her to Thanksgiving dinner. The second question she asked me was, “Can I bring anything?”

The first?

“What is going on with Jared Goff?”

Surprisingly, I received only one inquiry for the mailbag this week. Perhaps fans are fatigued. Or perhaps because Coach Jeff Fisher came out – before he was even asked – and said Case Keenum would remain the starter.

Goff looks much like he did during rookie camp, off-season workouts and training camp. He makes some great throws and there other times when he appears inconsistent. He got some developmental snaps with the first-team offense last week and he looked confident and performed efficiently.

But those are not game conditions, so we won’t know anything until he plays in a game.

As for when Goff might start: The bye week seemed like a natural time to prep him for an opportunity in front of a home crowd.

That didn’t happen. But if the Rams lose Sunday, and Keenum plays poorly….

That’s a good question.

Playing Goff, it would seem, comes with some benefits, not the least of which is him gaining experience that would pay immediate or future dividends.

If he plays well and the Rams win, the coach looks good. If Goff struggles, well, what do you expect from a rookie?

Obviously, though, Fisher has not taken that view. At least not yet.

The Rams’ trade with the Tennessee Titans enabled them to move up 14 spots to take Goff with the No. 1 pick.

They chose Goff over quarterback Carson Wentz, who has started every game and mostly played well for the Philadelphia Eagles.

General Manager Les Snead and Coach Jeff Fisher will not be judged on the trade – or their choice between quarterback prospects-- until Goff plays.

Jeff Fisher’s 30-40-1 record in four-plus seasons with the Rams certainly doesn’t make a strong case for retention.

The Rams, however, would probably view an otherwise mediocre 2016 season as something of a step forward because of all the logistical moves the franchise has made since January.

Fisher helped oversee the moves, so as long as the team does not completely nosedive, he will get credit for keeping it together during a disjointed season.

Just because a coach receives a new contract does not mean he is guaranteed to see it through. The 2017 season will be more critically evaluated.

Norv Turner resigned this week as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

My sense is there are a lot of offensive coordinators who would be interested in calling plays for a unit that includes Todd Gurley and, potentially, Goff.

Despite the hashtag in your tweet, Rob Boras does not seem to be in immediate danger of losing is job.

Rookie receiver Nelson Spruce was sidelined for the first seven games because of a knee injury suffered in the first exhibition against the Dallas Cowboys.

He apparently suffered what is listed as a calf injury during the bye week and he has been ruled out for Sunday’s game.

Spruce signed as an undrafted free agent after a record-setting career at Colorado. He showed flashes of his talent by catching six passes against the Cowboys, including one for a touchdown.

But in light of the latest injury, the waiting continues.

As someone who lost socks in the washer and dryer for years, I will refer you to a famous comedian who gave an entertaining take on the problem.

Hopefully, this provides you with some guidance.

gary.klein@latimes.com

Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @latimesklein