Sean McVay isn’t the first head coach to sit every starter and important reserve during the preseason, but the L.A. Rams may have perfected the practice. While every key player sat during the preseason, as has been the case since McVay’s second year on the job in 2018, the Rams were still praised for the performances of their two quarterbacks and added Aaron Donald.
The Rams have even so far avoided suspension news for Puka Nacua and A.J. Jackson. They’re not out of the woods, but Nacua did return
to practice on Sunday after missing a couple of weeks from a joint practice injury against the Cowboys.
Although McVay sat over 40 players during the preseason because they were destined to make the final roster, rookie Ty Simpson was praised by the media for his efficient stat line and a high-level touchdown throw in the preseason finale. Compare that to Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders first overall pick who in all likelihood would have been named the Las Vegas starter if he had produced as well as Simpson.
It doesn’t matter if one quarterback has a better preseason than another quarterback. It just does not matter. But don’t tell that to Klint Kubiak and Mendoza. They would love to trade Mendoza’s first three games for Simpson’s right now.
With a supporting cast that featured almost no players who made the final roster, save for C.J. Daniels, Max Klare, and a couple backup offensive linemen, plus not always having his plays called by McVay, Simpson avoided the rookie yips and the cries of “bust!” that typically come with first appearances. Of course, the Rams didn’t lose in the preseason either (also doesn’t matter) and didn’t turn it over or get sacked.
The L.A. Rams succeeded in the preseason, avoided major injuries, got to see their first-round pick have a good first month of game action, kept Matthew Stafford upright, and are even happy with Stetson Bennett. On top of everything else, a future Hall of Famer was willing to reset his eligibility for the Hall of Fame by coming out of retirement.
Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports cites the Rams as the biggest winners of the preseason:
What more is there to say? After the Rams added one of the best defensive players of all time (Myles Garrett) and two cornerbacks (Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson) to address their biggest need, Aaron Donald officially un-retired on a one-year deal. Donald is now 35, but if he is even 70% of his peak self, he’s still a star. Los Angeles can work him in slowly if they need to. A pass rush with Garrett, Donald, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Braden Fiske and others is nightmare fuel for opponents.
Furthermore, unlike last year, Matthew Stafford has seemingly no back concerns entering the year. And if he should miss time, both Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett flashed in preseason action.
The Rams are even heavier favorites to win the Super Bowl after the preseason than they were before training camp, and they were already heavy favorites.
Now comes the proof.
The Rams still start the season with a series of difficult tests, including traveling across the world to face the 49ers, coming home to face the Giants (a slight reprieve), then going on the road in back-to-back weeks to face the Broncos and Eagles, prior to returning to SoFi Stadium to host the Buffalo Bills.
Under most circumstances, any team would love to be 3-2 after that. Can the Rams accept less than 5-0?
Sure. 3-2 actually would be good. The Rams have often started worse than that. But with as strong as their offseason has been, there’s no telling how good their actual season could be.
