LOS ANGELES_Jeff Fisher is not making predictions.
Not publicly at least.
The Rams have not had a winning season since 2003, have not made the playoffs since 2004 and are coming off a 7-9 record in 2015, the fourth of four losing seasons under Fisher.
Will it be different in the Rams' return to Los Angeles?
Fans might get some hints on Saturday night when the Rams play the Dallas Cowboys in an exhibition opener at the Coliseum.
It won't be a complete picture, of course, as starters probably will play only a few series. But it is an opportunity for the Rams to show if they have made progress during training camp.
Fisher on Thursday addressed his comments about the Rams' potential record that were captured in Tuesday night's debut episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks."
Fisher and quarterback Jared Goff, who were featured prominently, were not scheduled to address reporters after Wednesday's special teams workout. So Thursday was their first opportunity to discuss appearances that drew widespread reaction in print, television, radio and social media.
During a team meeting that followed the release of receiver Deon Long for violating a team rule about having visitors in dorm rooms, cameras captured Fisher using a few expletives while explaining why "little things" were important.
Fisher said that he was not going "7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7, OK? Or 10-6 for that matter. This team's too talented. I am not going to settle for that, OK? I know what I am doing."
On Thursday, Fisher was asked where he was going with the numbers.
"People can read into whatever they want but that was me talking to the team as if the cameras weren't there," he said, adding, "I stopped at that point. I could have gone on.
"You don't know that I didn't go on because there's an edit guy there, so there's a lot of stuff that took place that was edited."
Did he go on?
"May have," he said.
Fisher said he heard from his mother regarding his language. He said he knew something was wrong when she called him Jeffrey.
"I said, 'Sorry, Mom. That's our world. I'll try to do better,' " he said.
Goff, the top pick in the NFL draft, said he was ready for his first preseason game.
Case Keenum will start, but Fisher has said Goff would probably play about a half.
"I'm going to try to go out there and treat it like every other game I've played in my life," Goff said. "Have fun and execute and enjoy my time and do the best I can."
That seems to be the attitude he has adopted regarding "Hard Knocks." Goff got roasted in social media for struggling with a question regarding sunrise and sunset. The cameras also captured him in other scenes.
"I don't really care what they do," he said. "I know it's a TV show and they're trying to make a story line, and whatever that may be _ it doesn't bother me.
"It's funny. I think it's cool and something I can probably watch for years to come."
