The Los Angeles Rams won in dramatic fashion on Saturday night, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, 23-22 in the final seconds. Stetson Bennett pulled off his best Matthew Stafford impression with a fourth-quarter comeback and game-winning drive. With Aubrey Pleasant serving as the head coach, the defense also made plays when needed. Let’s jump into this week’s takeaways.
1. What will we learn about Matthew Stafford?
Prior to the game against the Chargers, a Rams spokesperson was asked to confirm whether quarterback Matthew Stafford worked out
as scheduled. That person declined to comment and said that McVay would address the situation on Monday. Acting as head coach, Aubrey Pleasant was asked about Stafford after the game. Pleasant declined to comment and deferred all questions to McVay on Monday.
It’s easy to jump to conclusions one way or the other in the situation. However, if there was nothing to hide, the Rams would likely just say that Stafford worked out as planned. There seems to be something more here, and it’s something we may learn on Monday as McVay addresses the media. Still, one week after having confidence that Stafford would be back at practice, there is much more uncertainty heading into this week.
2. Rams impress against Chargers ‘ones’
The Chargers came out on Saturday playing many of their starters. Justin Herbert got the first drive on offense. Had it not been for a perfectly placed throw against Charles Woods in coverage, the Chargers would have been forced to punt. Still, the Rams defense held the Chargers to a field goal. On offense, Stetson Bennett led the Rams 60 yards for an opening drive touchdown that was capped off by a throw off of play action to Konata Mumpfield. Blake Corum also had a few nice runs on the opening drive.
While Herbert only had the one drive, KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Tre Harris remained in the game for a while. For the most part, the Rams defensive backs held up nicely. Simply put, it was nice to see the Rams depth players hold their own against another team’s starting unit even if the scheme was vanilla and only for a limited time. It speaks to the overall depth of this Rams team.
3. Stetson Bennett not perfect, but gets it done
Coming into Saturday, it was important to see the same comfort level and confidence from Stetson Bennett that he showed in the opener. For the most part, that’s how Bennett looked to start the game. On the opening drive, he went 3-for-3 for 31 yards and a touchdown. While he had several nice throws throughout the game, the decision-making problem reared its ugly head. Bennett easily could have had three interceptions. He had a defensive back drop a pick six early in the game and then another dropped interception late. Bennett misplaced a ball outside the numbers that was nearly jumped and then finally threw an interception to a defensive lineman.
Bennett has yet to play a preseason game in his career in which he didn’t throw an interception. Following the turnover, he seemed tentative on the next drive. However, he eventually put it behind him and made the necessary throws to complete the game-winning drive. The Rams speak a lot about PACE (Performance After Critical Error). Bennett displayed PACE following the interception to get the win.
4. Running Back Rotation Takes Shape
It’s very clear right now that Blake Corum is the second running back behind Kyren Williams. However, we also may have gotten some clarity on the rotation and how each running back will get used. We finally saw the elusiveness and speed Hunter showed at Auburn. Hunter forced six missed tackles in the game and had a nice 11-yard run to the outside on a toss play. On the same drive, Hunter was stuffed twice for no gain at the three-yard line and has struggled in short-yardage situations during the preseason.
Essentially, Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are the top two players in the running back room with both players excelling in short-yardage and red zone situations. Conversely, Hunter seems to excel more in space and between the 20s. We’ll see how this shakes out during the season, but the pecking order as well as the strengths of each player is taking shape during the preseason.
5. Brennan Jackson shines with two sacks
The Rams need an edge rusher behind Jared Verse and Byron Young to step up this season. That player will likely come from the trio of Josaiah Stewart, Nick Hampton, and Brennan Jackson. Last week, it was Stewart who made his case. On Saturday, it was Jackson’s turn. He became one of five players across the NFL to record two sacks in a single game. The last Rams player with two sacks in a preseason game was in 2019.
We’ll have to see what this performance means for Jackson, but at the very least, it’s positive to see. He had two pressures and got to the quarterback on both of them. One came on third down in the red zone to force a field goal. Still, this is a step in the right direction for Jackson and shows that he can be a good depth piece.
6. Defensive line continues to show depth
Much like last week, the depth on the Rams defensive line was on full display. While Jackson impressed, it was Desjuan Johnson that really made a case for the 53-man roster. Johnson had five pressures, two of which led to Jackson’s sacks. Keir Thomas and Larrell Murchison also showed out.
Earlier in the week, the Rams defensive line was applauded for how they performed against the Saints. This is a group that has consistently dominated opposing offensive lines when they’ve gotten the opportunity this offseason. It’s unclear what the Rams will do with Johnson, but the defensive line is one of several positions in which there will be difficult decisions.
7. WR Brennan Presley has big day
Heading into the game against the Chargers, Presley was a player that I had as someone to keep an eye on. The Rams undrafted free agent wide receiver had six receptions for 102 yards. His 4th-and-10 catch on a heave from Bennett saved the game for the Rams.
Presley likely won’t make the 53-man roster, but he’s certainly a top candidate for the practice squad. Over the past few years, the Rams have done a good job finding late-round and undrafted gems at wide receiver. Presley could be the latest and will be someone worth stashing to develop.
8. Young secondary flashed
The young Rams secondary made several plays against the Cowboys and that continued against the Chargers. While the Chargers did come up with some big plays, they also played more of their talent. Harris and Lambert-Smith played into the second half. That made the success the secondary did have that much more impressive.
Derion Kendrick had a pass breakup on third down which was nice to see after his injury last summer. He may not make the roster, but it’s good to see him making an impact again. Charles Woods and AJ Green had some positive moments as well. That’s not to mention the safety group. Tanner Ingle had a big hit in the red zone to keep the Chargers out of the end zone. He had another big hit over the middle to force an incompletion.
9. Dolac picks up where he left off
It’s going to be interesting to see what the Rams do with Shaun Dolac. In most years, the Rams have only kept at most four linebackers. The favorites right now would seem to be Omar Speights, Nate Landman, Troy Reeder, and Chris Paul Jr. Keeping Dolac would mean carrying a fifth. While Dolac could end up on the practice squad, he is the type of player that a team may try to claim.
Dolac picked up where he left off last week. When he was on the field, he was always near the ball and led the team in tackles. He had the fifth-highest tackling grade among linebackers according to PFF. Dolac is making a serious case for the 53 and the Rams may just have to find a way to make it work.
10. Difficult decisions at several spots incoming
This might be one of the most competitive Rams rosters in recent memory. It can sometimes be easy to overrate what we see during the preseason. That makes sense since it’s the only time many fans see these players in action. With that said, there are several edge-of-the-roster players standing out. While the Rams would be able to sign those players on the practice squad in most years, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them lose a player or two during waiver claims and the roster cutdown process.
The Rams currently have solid competition at running back, wide receiver, the offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, cornerback, and safety. Unfortunately, there are probably only a handful of roster spots actually available. The hope will be to sign those players that miss out onto the practice squad, but that won’t be a guarantee.
