St. Louis Rams QB Case Keenum Suffered Concussion After Injury During Ravens Game

The NFL will be closely examining the tape of St. Louis Rams Quarterback Case Keenum’s injury after he was slammed to the ground during their game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, after it was determined that the injury was a concussion.

Keenum was tackled down by the Ravens’ Courtney Upshaw during the Rams’ final drive. Keenum fumbled and Ravens defensive end Lawrence Guy recovered, and the Ravens secured a 16-13 victory at their own M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. After his head hit the turf hard, Keenum immediately grabbed it and stayed on his knees, unable to stand up even after a teammate tried to help him up.

Following a brief hold up on the game due to a penalty on the Ravens, Keenum quickly returned to the field, although he did not finish off the game strong. He threw two straight incomplete passes, and then lost a fumble that cost the Rams the game.

The NFL instituted a new rule in 2015 in which an “ATC spotter” employed at each game has the ability to stop the game if he or she sees any player struggling with a potential concussion. According to Rams coach Jeff Fisher, the spotter did not press the issue because Keenum had spoken with Rams trainer Reggie Scott and was cleared to stay on the field. However, Fisher also stated that the game officials were hurrying Scott off the field because the next play was about to start.

Fisher stated: “Reggie went out there to check on our quarterback and then Case said he felt that he was ok and Reggie was told to leave the field. That’s what happened. We have some things to work out and we’re communicating with the league, Players Association … and everybody else, so that we ensure that this doesn’t happen again….You can not under these circumstances place blame on anybody.”

In a statement released Monday, the league said, “Promptly after the conclusion of yesterday’s game, we began a review to determine the facts of the injury to St. Louis quarterback Case Keenum and why he was not removed from the game for the necessary evaluation by a team physician or the unaffiliated neuro-trauma consultant as required by our concussion protocols.”

The Rams announced Keenum’s concussion diagnosis after Fisher’s news conference, about 30 minutes after the game ended.

This is proving to be a decisive week for Coach Fisher himself. The Post-Dispatch debated Fisher’s job security on Monday morning, and Bernie Miklasz of ESPN101 asked if he could possibly be fined. The Rams’ most recent loss was a difficult one, as Keenum completed less than half his passes for 136 yards, and the team lost a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Ravens (3-7), who had only secured two wins so far this season. The Rams, meanwhile, are now 4-6 and third in the NFC Western Division.

PHOTO: BALTIMORE, MD – NOVEMBER 22: Quarterback Case Keenum #17 of the St. Louis Rams holds his head after taking a hit against the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 22, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore Ravens won, 16-13. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)