KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There were a whole bunch of raised eyebrows when the Los Angeles Rams drafted Ty Simpson in the first round in April.
Maybe there shouldn't have been.
The surprising pick of the Super Bowl contenders shined in his preseason debut against Kansas City on Saturday, going 21 of 25 for 190 yards with a pair of touchdown passes to Dean Connors. And while most of the work came against third- and fourth-stringers, the former Alabama
standout showed plenty of poise in rallying the Rams to victory.
“I definitely felt more comfortable than I ever had coming into a game, but I also didn't know what to expect,” said Simpson, the second QB taken in the draft. “The guys did a great job. So happy for our team. And on to next week.”
Stetson Bennett is expected to back up Rams starter Matthew Stafford. He was 4 of 6 for 36 yards in his lone quarter.
Then it was Simpson's chance. He played more than two quarters in an extended first taste of the NFL.
“I thought he took what the defense gave him. I thought he read the plays out, read with his feet. I thought he did a really good job overall,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I thought he kept the ball in play. That's the biggest thing, keeping the ball in play.”
Justin Fields completed all four of his passes in his first quarter as the backup to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whose only time on the field Saturday was for the coin toss. Fields was signed in part because Kansas City was uncertain whether the two-time MVP will be ready for Week 1 after knee surgery, but Mahomes has been ahead of schedule throughout his rehab.
Seventh-round pick Garrett Nussmeier played most of the way for Kansas City, going 13 of 19 for 98 yards, while fifth-round draft pick Emmett Johnson ran 12 times for 59 yards and was perhaps the biggest bright spot for the Chiefs offense.
“A lot of learning lessons,” Johnson said. “A lot of things to get better from.”
There were some intriguing — or at least, funny — moments in a game played almost entirely by backups.
Take the Chiefs' three-time All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who said quite pointedly earlier this week: “I don't want to play in the preseason.” Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo responded by making him play a single snap: the first.
McVay had no interest in playing his starters even that much. His initial group on defense was made up not of first- or second-teamers but third-teamers trying to play their way onto the roster, and the same went for the high-powered Los Angeles offense.
As for Chiefs coach Andy Reid, he at least took the game seriously enough to challenge an incompletion call. Reid won, too, when the replay showed that tight end Jared Wiley had made a spectacular toe-tapping grab along Rams sideline.
One thing sure to irk Big Red: penalties. The Chiefs were flagged 12 times for 83 yards, the biggest culprit being the backup offensive line. That scuttled a few promising drives that Nussmeier and Co. were able to put together.
It also left the Chiefs fearful of their return to practice Monday, and the wrath of demanding offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
“It's going to be hell, for sure,” Chiefs running back Brashard Smith said. “We have to clean those up.”
The Chiefs' home was back to its usual configuration after lower rows on the visiting side and an upper section of seats on the home side were removed for the World Cup. The stadium hosted six matches over the summer, including a quarterfinal.
The stadium also returned to its old name — Arrowhead Stadium — after it had been known as GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Rams offensive tackle Keagen Trost, their third-round pick out of nearby Missouri, hurt his hamstring in the first quarter. He's listed as the backup to right tackle Warren McClendon Jr. on the two-deep, but started against the Chiefs.
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Rams: Host New Orleans next Saturday.
Chiefs: Visit Tampa Bay next Saturday night.
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