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https://www.therams.com/news/seven-stats-rams-fall-to-ravens-33-7-in-preseason-week-1
Seven Stats: Rams Fall to Ravens 33-7 in Preseason Week 1
The Los Angeles Rams started off the 2018 preseason with a loss to the Ravens in Baltimore. The Rams, who rested nearly all starters on Thursday night, struggled to get much going on offense against the Ravens defense.
1. PLAGUED BY PENALTIES
The Rams racked up penalties on Thursday night. In an especially rough first half, the Rams were flagged nine times for 72 yards. Safeties Marqui Christian and Blake Countess committed consecutive unnecessary roughness penalties by leading with the helmet, a newly imposed rule in 2018. The pair of flags equated to 30 yards for the Ravens on a drive that ended with a 29-yard field goal by kicker Justin Tucker.
2. RAMS TAKE AN “L”
The Rams entered Thursday’s contest in Baltimore 4-0 all-time against the Ravens in the preseason. The 33-7 loss eliminates the Rams’ perfect preseason record against the Ravens. All five meetings have come since 2008.
3. ROOKIE LEADS RUSHERS
On a night where Los Angeles couldn’t find its offensive rhythm, rookie running back John Kelly exploded late in the third quarter for what was arguably the offensive play of the night. Kelly picked up 40 yards on a pitch from quarterback Brandon Allen, good for the the longest run of the night for L.A. Kelly finished leading all rushers with 77 yards on 13 carries.
4. WESTBROOKS’ MULTI-SACK GAME
Defensive end Ethan Westbrooks sacked Ravens’ rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson twice on Thursday night. Westbrooks’ two sacks in tonight’s preseason game matched his season totals from both 2015 (2.0) and 2016 (2.0). Westbrooks has eight career regular-season sacks.
5. ALLEN OUTPLAYS MANNION
Third-year quarterback Brandon Allen took the reins on offense from starter Sean Mannion to start the third quarter. Mannion was 3-of-13 for just 16 yards passing with one interception. Allen, who did not see the field at all last season, finished 10-for-15, 73 yards passing, and the only touchdown of the night. Allen connected late with receiver KhaDarel Hodge on an eight-yard touchdown pass.
6. HEKKER KEPT BUSY
Punter Johnny Hekker joined the list of Rams who didn’t seem himself Thursday night. The Pro-Bowl punter uncharacteristically shanked his third punt of the night, sending the ball only eight yards up the sideline. Last season, Hekker averaged 47.9-yards per punt. Hekker punted it away seven times in the preseason opener, with the Rams unable to keep their defensive second and third units off of the field.
7. THIRD DOWN WOES
Finally, the Rams struggled heavily on third downs. The offense was 4-for-15 moving the chains on third down, a conversion rate of about 26 percent. Last season, the Rams’ high-scoring offense converted 88-of-214 third down trys, good for a conversion rate of about 41 percent. Fortunately for Rams fans, the higher conversion rate came with starters like quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley on the field.
https://www.therams.com/news/five-takeaways-running-backs-impress-in-rams-preseason-opener-vs-ravens
Five Takeaways: Running Backs Impress in Rams Preseason Opener vs. Ravens
BALTIMORE — The Rams began their preseason slate on the East Coast, falling to the Ravens, 33-7.
But being that it’s preseason, the final score far from tells the whole story. With that in mind, here are five takeaways from the first exhibition matchup of 2018.
1) RAMS REST THEIR STARTERS
As expected, head coach Sean McVay elected to rest nearly all of Los Angeles’ starters for the first preseason contest. McVay had previously said on Tuesday that much of the work the Rams were able to get against the Ravens during practice could serve as a kind of substitute for game action.
The only starters who played were right guard Jamon Brown — who will be suspended for the first two games of the season — and second-year outside linebacker Samson Ebukam.
“It just kind of felt good to have that live mindset because all this time we’ve just been laying off on the [quarterback],” Ebukam said at halftime. “This felt good just to turn loose one time. It’s just the first preseason game. It’s like oiling ourselves right now. We’re just getting loose, getting ready for the season.”
Ebukam recorded a tackle in his first game action of the preseason. But he also rushed the passer effectively, forcing Baltimore’s quarterbacks off of their spots in ways that led to sacks.
2) WESTBROOKS GETS SACKS
While defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks is not currently listed as a starter, he’s been taking first-team reps throughout training camp at three-technique given the absence of defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Westbrooks showed the work is paying off, recording two sacks in the first half.
Both sacks came in the second quarter and on third down, helping to end Baltimore possessions. On the first, Westbrooks got to quarterback Lamar Jackson and brought him down before outside linebacker Justin Lawler could come in and clean it up. Then Westbrooks brought down Jackson again on 3rd-and-5 from the Baltimore 25, this time with inside linebacker Bryce Hager there to help.
Westbrooks is heading into his fifth NFL season after first signing with the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of West Texas A&M.
3) OFFENSE SPUTTERS IN FIRST HALF
There’s no way around it: Los Angeles’ offense did not perform well in the first half.
The unit recorded only three first downs on 25 plays, picking up 45 total yards in the game’s first 30 minutes. The club ended the first half 1-of-7 in third-down efficiency.
Quarterback Sean Mannion started the contest and finished just 3-of-13 for 16 yards with an interception. He was also sacked twice, losing 13 yards on the plays.
Los Angeles’ offense was undoubtedly vanilla when it comes to scheme, and the unit was missing nearly all of its starters. And it is the first preseason game after all. But it was a disappointing night for the offense when it comes to overall performance.
4) DAVIS, KELLY PROVIDE SPARKS
There’s been some thought that running backs Justin Davis and John Kelly may be competing for a roster spot as the club’s third RB. If that is the case, Davis and Kelly likely made the decision tougher with their performances.
Davis ran well in the first half, taking seven carries for 41 yards. His longest run began a second-quarter drive and went 17 yards. The second-year running back has had a solid training camp so far.
Kelly entered the game in the second half and provided the offensive highlight of the game — taking a carry 40 yards down the field. The play began with Kelly running to his right, but he made a nice cut and ended up running diagonally toward the left sideline. Rookie wide receiver Steven Mitchell also had a nice block on the play.
The 2018 sixth-round pick out of Tennessee continued his strong play in the fourth quarter, taking a carry 14 yards with a solid cut to move Los Angeles deep into Baltimore territory for the first time all game.
Kelly finished the game with 13 carries for 77 yards, also making a pair of receptions for 14 yards.
5) NATSON RETURNS WELL
Wide receiver JoJo Natson had a lot of opportunities for returns and made the most of them — both on kicks and punts.
Natson returned seven kickoffs, averaging 23 yards on each with a long of 27 yards. And he returned four punts averaging 14.3 yards per return. His longest punt return went 29 yards up the right sideline to start a touchdown drive, with defensive lineman Brian Womac posting a solid block to spring Natson.
Additionally, Natson had a key third-down reception for nine yards on Los Angeles’ first scoring drive in the fourth quarter.
