Rams fall to Raiders 14-3: Instant analysis, game notes from preseason opener

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By: Cameron DaSilva | 4 hours ago

The Los Angeles Rams could do very little offensively against the Oakland Raiders on Saturday night, falling 14-3 in the preseason opener. It’s hardly a concerning loss for the Rams, but it was also somewhat uninspiring.

Here are our notes and analysis from the preseason opener, which was started by Blake Bortles at QB and finished by John Wolford.


Play of the game
Kevin Peterson’s interception in the second quarter was one of the better plays of the night. It was a poor throw and decision by Mike Glennon, but it was a great read by Peterson, who was sitting back in a deep zone.

He jumped the route and made Glennon pay with the interception.


Number to know: 12
The Rams committed far too many penalties on Saturday, getting flagged 12 times. There were five others that the Raiders declined, too. Some were minor infractions like illegal formation, but others were more concerning – penalties such as an invalid fair catch, holding, fair catch interference.

Game notes
Blake Bortles didn’t look much better than he did last season. His throwing motion is still unorthodox and long, while his footwork still needs improvement. He made a few nice throws, two of which went to KhaDarel Hodge, but he also overthrew receivers and missed easy targets badly.

Bobby Evans and David Edwards had some bright spots, as well as a few lowlights. Edwards was called for false starts twice and one holding penalty, while Evans was beat badly by Arden Key for a sack. Jamil Demby was also called for holding twice, though they were both declined.

The run defense was shaky early on. Oakland made its first touchdown look easy, washing down the defensive front and opening up a big cutback lane for the running back. Micah Kiser and Sebastian Joseph-Day have to be better in spots like that during the regular season.

Travin Howard, not Bryce Hager, got the start at inside linebacker with Kiser. Howard is listed second on the depth chart, so perhaps the coaching staff is higher on him than some realize. He made four tackles on the night.

Taylor Rapp had a really nice showing in his first NFL action. He made two tackles and broke up a pass, retreating from a linebacker position down the seam to cause the incompletion. He lined up in a variety of different spots throughout the game.

The Rams had two interceptions, one by Peterson (see above) and the other by Steven Parker (see below). They were poor throws by Glennon, but also good reads by the defensive backs. David Long Jr. allowed a long completion when he didn’t get his head around to the ball, with the same going for Dont’e Deayon in coverage.

The ground game could get nothing going against the Raiders. The Rams finished with 57 yards rushing on 22 carries, which is not a good average, of course. Darrell Henderson had a nice 7-yard carry, and John Kelly broke free for 9 yards on one attempt, but those were really the only bright spots.


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/08/10/nfl-rams-raiders-analysis-notes-preseason/
 

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5 key takeaways from Rams' preseason opener

By: Cameron DaSilva | 3 hours ago

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Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The 2019 preseason is officially underway for the Los Angeles Rams, who played their first exhibition game on Saturday night against the Oakland Raiders. They fell 14-3, mustering only 190 yards of total offense.

It was a learning experience for the younger players as the veteran starters watched from the sideline, giving them the chance to prove they’re deserving of roster spots.

Here are five key takeaways from the game.

Offensive line is still a work in progress
The Rams are going to extreme measures to figure out the backup offensive line. The starting lineup consisted of David Edwards at left tackle, Jamil Demby at left guard, Aaron Neary at center, Jeremiah Kolone at right guard and Bobby Evans lining up at right tackle. The unit had its ups and downs, but early on, it worked well.

Throughout the game, Aaron Kromer and Sean McVay moved guys around, playing Evans at left tackle, as well as Edwards at left guard and right tackle. The coaches wanted to see a lot from the rookies, so they played the most of anyone.


Sean McVay is even resting himself during the preseason
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Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

McVay allowed Shane Waldron to call plays on offense, giving him some valuable experience with that aspect of coaching. Waldron received head coaching interest this offseason, and that interest is expected to grow in 2020. McVay is putting Waldron in a position to advance his career by getting acclimated with calling plays, preparing him to become either an offensive coordinator or head coach.

The offense was vanilla, as usual in the preseason, but there were two-tight-end sets and a fair number of rollouts called for the quarterbacks. It’s unclear if this will be the approach moving forward, allowing Waldron to call all of the plays or just some of them.


Backup defensive front is shaky
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(Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)


The Rams’ first sack of the night didn’t come until the fourth quarter when Josh Carraway finally got home and took Nathan Peterman down. That wasn’t the first time Los Angeles pressured the quarterback, but there weren’t many instances where the Raiders’ passers felt uncomfortable in the pocket.

The Rams pass rush was almost nonexistent for most of the night, which is a huge concern. Samson Ebukam and Obgonnia Okoronkwo weren’t out there as they continue to nurse injuries, but the guys who did play are expected to be second- and third-stringers. Trevon Young didn’t show much, nor did John Franklin-Myers or Morgan Fox.

Los Angeles has to hope its starters stay healthy because the backups can’t exactly be counted on.


Blake Bortles looks like he always has
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Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports


His stat line was ugly, going just 3-for-8 with 50 yards passing. The passes he did complete were nice throws, but too often he was inaccurate and didn’t put the ball where it needed to be. Granted, three drops didn’t help his cause, but it was a shaky outing nonetheless. He overthrew receivers, led them too far and his mechanics are still off.

His throwing motion, in particular, still needs work. It’s elongated, and on one throw, it almost caused him to get stripped from behind. He must work on that release to get the ball out more quickly, which has always been an issue throughout his career.


Penalties must be cleaned up
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Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports


Most of the players on the field Saturday night were inexperienced young players or rookies. It was the first taste of NFL action for many of them, so there was expected to be a learning curve. That learning curve came in the form of penalties, of which the Rams committed 12 – excluding the five that were declined.

They were called for holding, illegal formations, an invalid fair catch and several other penalties. They set the offense back significantly, causing the unit to struggle to get anything going.


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/08/11/5-key-takeaways-from-rams-preseason-opener/
 

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Best photos from Rams vs. Raiders in preseason Week 1

By: Cameron DaSilva | 4 hours ago

The Los Angeles Rams opened their preseason slate with a loss to the Oakland Raiders on Saturday night, falling 14-3. It was the first chance for rookies to suit up for an NFL game, giving them a taste of what Sundays this fall will feel like.

Here are the best photos from Saturday’s game at the RingCentral Coliseum.


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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stands on the…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) stands on the…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Darrell Henderson (27) before the…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive back David Long (41) warms up…

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: DeAndre Washington #33 of the Oakland Raiders rushes for a touchdown…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive back Steven Parker (38) returns an…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Darrell Henderson (27) runs with…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Brandon Allen (8) runs the ball…

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: Blake Bortles #5 of the Los Angeles Rams looks to hand…

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: John Kelly #42 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes with the…

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: Nathan Peterman #3 of the Oakland Raiders is tackled by Troy…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Ryan Grant (19) reacts after making…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge (11) is unable…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver J.J. Nelson (15) catches the football…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Michael Thomas (88) holds onto…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Blake Bortles (5) passes the football…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Blake Bortles (5) looks towards the…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Blake Bortles (5) hands the ball…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Nathan Peterman (3) is tackled by Los…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback Nevin Lawson (26) is called for a…

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: De'Mornay Pierson-El #9 of the Oakland Raiders rushes with the ball…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Alex Bachman (15) attempt to…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El (9) is tackled by…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Nsimba Webster (14) runs with…

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: De'Mornay Pierson-El #9 of the Oakland Raiders is tackled by Jake…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; after the catch Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Alex Bachman…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback John Wolford (9) prepares to throw…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback John Wolford (9) runs the ball…

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Aug 10, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/gallery/nfl-rams-raiders-photos-preseason-week-1/
 

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Seven Stats: Bortles gets the start, Parker's interception + more from first preseason game

The Los Angeles Rams kickoff off the 2019 preseason with a 14-3 loss to the Raiders in Oakland. The Rams, who rested nearly all starters on Saturday night, had a hard time getting anything going offensively against the Raiders’ defense besides a late rally led by reserve quarterback John Wolford.

1. PETERSON’S PROUD INTERCEPTION

Cornerback Kevin Peterson spent the entire 2018 season on injured reserve after suffering a torn ACL in last year’s preseason opener against the Ravens. Just over one year later, he intercepted Raiders quarterback Mike Glennon and returned the pick 11 yards to the Oakland 39.

Peterson previously had two interceptions in his last regular season game with the Rams, which was December 31, 2017 against the San Francisco 49ers.

2. PICKS APLENTY

Not wanting to let Peterson have all the fun, safety Steven Parker collected an interception of his own in Saturday’s 2019 preseason opener.

The Oklahoma product’s 39-yard return helped set up the Rams’ only points of the contest, a 36-yard field goal by kicker Greg Zuerlein. Parker added five solo tackles and one pass breakup to his stat line as well.

Los Angeles’ two interceptions against Oakland are one shy of matching its 2018 preseason total.

3. BORTLES GETS START

Sticking with the original plan, Rams head coach Sean McVay started backup Blake Bortles at quarterback and gave him two series against the Raiders’ defense. The five-year NFL veteran and former Jacksonville Jaguar completed 3 of 8 pass attempts for 50 yards in the limited action.

Although neither drive went more than 28 yards, it wasn’t all on Bortles. Los Angeles began its first drive from its own 16, then a holding penalty on 1st and 10 from its own 42 stalled progress into Raider territory.

Bortles’ longest completion went for 23 yards to wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge. He was replaced by fourth-year quarterback Brandon Allen with 48 seconds left in the first quarter.

4. MILLER TIME

Playing in his first organized football game since 2013, punter Brock Miller made his long-awaited NFL debut by launching the second half-opening kickoff into the endzone for a touchback.

Miller, who was signed earlier this week, was lauded by McVay for his versality which would afford the Rams the ability to keep both Zuerlein and starting punter Johnny Hekker’s legs fresh during the preseason. Miller averaged 48.8 yards per punt across four punts against Oakland.

5. RAPP ACTIVE

Safety Taylor Rapp posted two tackles and one pass breakup in his NFL debut.

The Rams’ first selection in this year’s draft got the start alongside Marqui Christian in L.A.’s preseason opener.

6. NO SNAPS FOR NOTEBOOM OR ALLEN

The pair of second-year offensive linemen are slated to start at left guard and center, respectively, based on L.A.’s unofficial depth chart.

While it wouldn’t have been surprising to see them get some reps in order to gel with the rest of the offensive line, the decision to rest them fell in line with McVay’s decision to rest several of the Rams’ starters on both sides of the ball.

7. THIRD DOWN TROUBLES

Los Angeles struggled most of the night with moving the chains.

Its offense converted 3 of 14 third down attempts, or 21.4 percent, compared to Oakland’s 6 of 14 (42.9 percent).

While that's a far-cry from the 45 percent conversion rate that shared fifth-best in the league with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, it should be noted that was achieved with many of the starters who rested tonight.
 

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DaSilva, as usual, has myopia or simply doesn't know what he's seeing. The dropped passes, receivers not open, moving the release point because he's playing behind an oline that they know will be suspect. Had he simply opened his eyes he would have seen an offense that didn't in any way resemble McVay's. No movement, predictable playcalling which is SOP for most teams in the preseason because they are more interested in how players play than the game itself. Bortles has been with the team only a few months, they aren't going to make changes to his mechanics until they have preseason film to review. I guess DaSilva liked Mannion. Changing a throwing motion isn't something you do right at the start of the season. It's something that is done in the offseason because it takes intensive work, and the team has no time for it. They might tweak some things if they can but not the overhaul DaSilva is talking about.

Yes they played Travin Howard because they didn't play Littleton. Howard is an undersized LB who has safety type speed a la Mark Barron. That said he doesn't have the burst or agility to play in the secondary. It makes sense to see if he could provide depth there because he's simply too small to play OLB and SS was his primary position coming out of college. The problem is that Howard like Barron has shown marginal coverage skills. He's a bubble sitter so he needs to find a role. Travin is on the "unofficial depth Chart" behind Littleton while Hager is listed behind Kiser. They are two different positions so it wasn't a matter of Travin playing instead of Hager. Geez DaSiva, you're a beat writer and don't know that?

But yes both Kiser and SJD played poorly. SJD got zero penetration and got off of zero blocks. This is exactly what I saw at the joint practices, and is disappointing because it's obvious he hasn't really improved despite the media reports to the contrary. That was his problem last year and why he was inactive every game day. It's also why the team felt they needed to draft Gaines. For his part Gaines had an up and down day but at least he was getting penetration. Kiser just got washed out of plays and was slow or simply didn't read the play.

The INT's had more to do with bad throws than good coverage. Depth at CB remains an issue. Long's play improved as the game progressed which is good.

When you are playing a hodge poge of backup linemen, you aren't going to get a run game. These guys were just thrown together and constantly shifted around all game, so what does anyone expect? They haven't played as a unit muchless at the same spot all TC. Pretty hard to play as cohesive unit when you do that. So false starts and holding calls are to be expected especially in the first game.

DaSilva has become just another talking head.
 

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Winners and losers from Rams' 14-3 loss to Raiders
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By: Cameron DaSilva | 2 hours ago

The Los Angeles Rams started slow and didn’t pick up any steam in Saturday’s 14-3 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 1 of the preseason, beginning the four-game stretch in underwhelming fashion.

While the offense struggled and the defense had its own issues at times, there were some strong performances by individuals. On the flip side, there were also poor ones, which we lay out on our list of winners and losers.


Winners

Taylor Rapp
Rapp didn’t get a ton of playing time against Oakland, which is actually a good sign for how the coaches view him. The more snaps a player gets in Week 1 of the preseason, the closer he is to the roster bubble and a reserve role. Rapp made two nice tackles and broke up a pass after carrying a receiver up the seam, completing a solid performance from the rookie.

Kevin Peterson

Aside from a penalty for impeding a punt returner, Peterson had a good night. He picked off Mike Glennon two plays after making a tackle for loss (which was canceled out by offensive holding), playing like the Rams’ best cornerback in the game. He needs to stack good performances in order to make the team, so this was a strong start.

Greg Gaines
Gaines didn’t start and received minimal playing time early on, but he flashed late. It’s worth mentioning that he played against Oakland’s reserves, but he generated the most pressure of anyone on the interior Saturday night. He got good push up front and even drew a holding penalty, showing what he can do as a true nose tackle in the Rams’ 3-4 front.

Landis Durham
Durham made the most of his starting opportunity, stuffing the stat sheet like few other players did. He had six tackles, one sack, a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss, also making a tackle on special teams. He was one of the few bright spots for the Rams in this one as he makes a push to land on the 53-man roster.

Josh Carraway
Carraway did a nice job setting the edge on two runs and also recorded the Rams’ first sack of the night – which came in the fourth quarter. The Rams need someone to emerge from the group of backup pass rushers currently on the roster, and Carraway has a chance to do just that. He has a great opportunity with Justin Lawler out and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo dealing with an injury of his own.


Losers

JoJo Natson

Natson came in with high expectations after impressing during practice against the Chargers and Raiders. He did anything but impress on Saturday, though. He caught one pass for 4 yards and had a drop on a screen pass, which were the only two targets that came his way. He went backwards 1 yard on his only punt return, getting very few opportunities in this one.

Backup offensive linemen
We’ll group all the backup offensive linemen together here because there were a lot of shaky performances. David Edwards was called for penalties twice, Bobby Evans allowed a sack at left tackle and pressure at right tackle, and Jamil Demby had a poor snap from center and two holding penalties of his own. The Rams don’t have much experience on the second-team offensive line, which is somewhat of a concern.

Brandon Allen
Allen may have gotten passed by John Wolford after putting together an uninspiring performance. He completed 6 of 12 passes for a measly 34 yards and struggled with both his accuracy and decision making. Wolford looked decisive and had some zip on his passes, coming in in relief of Allen. None of the Rams’ quarterbacks really stood out, but Allen was the worst of the bunch.


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/08/11/nfl-rams-raiders-preseason-winners-losers-stock/
 

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Sean McVay using preseason to groom Shane Waldron for future coaching jobs
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By: Cameron DaSilva | August 9, 2019 10:28 am ET


Sean McVay has quickly proved he’s one of the best coaches in the NFL, but he wouldn’t have gotten where he is today if those he worked with previously didn’t open some doors for him. This isn’t meant as a slight to his talent or intelligence as a coach, it’s something he openly admits himself.

After seeing how much coaches such as Jon Gruden, Mike Shanahan and Jay Gruden helped him, he’s hoping to do the same for his assistants. McVay has already helped Matt LaFleur and Zac Taylor land head coaching gigs, as well as Greg Olson becoming the Raiders’ offensive coordinator last season, but the Rams coach isn’t going to stop there.

He’s doing what he can to set pass game coordinator Shane Waldron up for success. During the preseason, McVay is going to give Waldron some play-calling duties, allowing him to get comfortable with that aspect of coaching.

“It’s really good for the new guys to kind of feel what the normal rhythm of a flow of a game is. And then, in a lot of instances, it gives you a chance – especially for some of our coaches on offense – a guy like Shane to call some plays and get some experience,” McVay said Thursday. “I was so fortunate to have Jay Gruden give me those opportunities when I was in a similar role. I couldn’t be more thankful for him and what I learned in terms of empowering your assistants is one of the best things I would take away from Jay and I think these preseason games represent a great opportunity for players and coaches to both grow and for us to get a feel for kind of our rhythm during the game.”

It’s not something McVay has to do, and it’s probably not something every coach does during the preseason. But giving Waldron the chance to call plays and gain experience in exhibition games can go a long way when it comes time for him to interview for other coaching jobs.

As recently as this offseason, Waldron interviewed for the Bengals’ head coaching gig, so there seems to be interest in him already.

McVay deservedly gets a lot of praise for being an excellent coach, but it’s the way that he treats players and his peers that sets him apart, too.


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...m_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=pos2headline
 

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I was at the game, we looked sloppy and confused most of the game ( missed the first few mins) ! -- the Fatboy
 

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Good thing the Rams still have their first next season. Obviously, they are going to go 0-16 this season after this preseason game with virtually no starters playing.

Seriously, it's a lot harder for backups to look decent if there are no starters or almost no starters next to them. They'll be fine with a tad more experience around them.
 

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Backup offensive linemen
We’ll group all the backup offensive linemen together here because there were a lot of shaky performances. David Edwards was called for penalties twice, Bobby Evans allowed a sack at left tackle and pressure at right tackle, and Jamil Demby had a poor snap from center and two holding penalties of his own. The Rams don’t have much experience on the second-team offensive line, which is somewhat of a concern
Disagree (offensive line shaky performances) David Edwards flashed athletic - Technical skills.
 

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Biggest disappointment was the running game on both sides of the ball. Couldn't run it or stop the run like the Raiders did.
Rapp was very active last night. He looked like a natural out there. Flashed a little everything, coverage, physicality and sound tackling. Also kept noticing Natrez Patrick around the ball. Besides that there wasn't much pressure on the QB either. Just gonna chalk it up to back ups, no real scheming and the Raiders playing to impress.
Offensive line didn't look very good in any aspect to me. That made it hard to judge the skill players because they couldn't sustain any drives for most of the game. The players I liked on Offense were Nsimba Webster and John Wolford. Webster can take Natson's job with a couple of strong games to finish preseason IMO. He looks very quick and tougher to bring down than you think. I want to see him earlier the next game, he's got some juice.
Wolford throws a pretty ball and it looks like he has enough arm talent to operate the entire offense. He threw a nice out route to Webster that had the perfect touch on the ball. Also liked the effort on the 4th down run that came up a bit short. He reminds me of Austin Davis with a better arm.
Onto Hawaii.
 

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I woulda loved see the offense a lot sharper. But I get it. McVay is only gonna play vanilla with backups and guys who won't be on the roster come September. The emphasis wasn't on winning. Its on evaluating the back end of the roster. He let Shane Waldron call plays too.

We shouldn't be surprised with the poor showing. Although Bortles was a disappointment. I woulda expected a veteran to be a little sharper. His past problems were his mechanics and accuracy. I didn't see anything that made me think he was improving under McVay's tutelage.
 

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Good thing the Rams still have their first next season. Obviously, they are going to go 0-16 this season after this preseason game with virtually no starters playing.

Seriously, it's a lot harder for backups to look decent if there are no starters or almost no starters next to them. They'll be fine with a tad more experience around them.

Yeah, thats what I'm thinking. Put Donald, Matthews and Fowler out there and the other guys will have more opportunities with all the focus on the vets.
 

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What i'd like to see in our next pre-season game against Dallas :

Narrow the focus of our OLine, ... meaning restrict Demby to LG, RG & some center, forget OT for now. Have Edwards stick to LT & LG duties and Evans to RG & RT. Get Noteboom & Allen work on at least the first 2 possessions of the game.

More John Wolford, less Brandon Allen.
More Nsimba Webster, less JoJo Natson & Austin Proehl, ... at both WR & PR/KR.

More Greg Gaines at NT, more Sebastian Joseph-Day at 3Tech.
Get Troy Hill involved, more Kevin Peterson & David long Jr., less Dom Hatfield & Dont'e Deayon.
Less Taylor Rapp (He's already proven himself, don't risk injury), more Steven Parker.

With Ebukam taking it easy and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo & Justin lawler out, great opportunities for Josh Carraway & Landis Durham to continue shining.

While generally I appreciate the pre-season mix for checking out & testing the newer young players, i'd really like to see a bit more focus on guys that performed better in game 1. And lets get Noteboom, B.Allen & Troy Hill some snaps, they need it. jmo.
 

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Not a lot I can add here as everyone has covered it pretty well.

But I must say, I really am a fan of Peterson. The dude has a knack for interceptions.

I would like to see Peterson get extended time the rest of the preseason, he has huge upside.

Petersons pick was on a bad pass, but not every DB will come down with that pick or show the instincts to adjust and break on the ball like that. Same dude who did it against the Niners in the finale of 2017 before his injury sat him out last year.

SJD - I never buy the "He's in great shape and is a new player" line. Either you can play or you can't and he is probably not going to be a starter for us from what I can tell. Gaines showed some flashes last night but I'm thinking this will be our one glaring weak spot on defense all year unless Les gets someone in here as a stop gap. Maybe some older player that gets cut will be out there.
 

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my take one yesterdays game:

No injuries. Coaches got game tape for review and have a better idea of who they like as backups.

Rams win.
 

Ram65

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Joined
Apr 30, 2015
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9,597
I look for the Rams to flip flop some of the playing time. Guys that came in later in the game this week will be moved up and play earlier. Guys like Gaines, Webster, Wolford, Peterson, Caraway and Long should play earlier against better players. Rapp should play again. Let's see him play in different packages. I know there is the injury factor but, he gives the 2's some needed help and he can use the reps. Kiser and Hager didn't stand out at all. Reeder should get a longer earlier look too.

IDK about the offensive line. It's a learning process for them. It was disappointing that they couldn't push the line to open some holes for the RBs. Kromer seems to have a plan. He'll be coaching these guys up this week after looking at the game tape. Expect they improve at least some in week 2.

No time to panic. Concerns at IBLer and NT but, it's still early.