The preseason has more to do with the development of players and coaches with the learning of their team than with victory and loss. The Rams are certainly trying to look at it that way after losing their second straight preseason game, falling 17-16 to the Raiders on Saturday night.
However, there were plenty of outstanding players for the Rams, despite the loss. Bryce Perkins and Chris Garrett were two guys who really shone against the Raiders on either side of the ball, almost helping lift the Rams to victory dramatically.
These are our pros and cons of Saturday’s defeat at SoFi Stadium.
Garrett was an absolute monster against the Raiders. Only in a second quarter drive, he had a 6-yard attack to lose, a sloping pass to the line, split a sack with Jonah Williams and had a strip sack down the third. He also hit the quarterback a couple of records later, rushing him to throw badly. The Division II product had a great game at the perfect time, drawing the attention of the coaching staff as it struggled to secure a spot on the roster.
Perkins played the entire quarterback game against Duck Hodges, and he deserved it. He helped lead the Rams offense, especially at the end of the game, making key plays with his legs down. He also showed impressive accuracy and decision-making, going through his readings and allowing his receivers to play. His run in the fourth quarter in the red zone with less than two minutes to play was especially impressive, avoiding a sack and picking up the first. He then hit Jacob Harris for a touchdown with 14 seconds to play, but two-point attempts failed.
Reed simply finds football, especially in coverage. Only in the first half did he make an attack, break a pass and pick another. Reed is particularly good at man coverage when combined with narrow ends, forcing the quarterback to throw himself into narrow windows.
His interception was the result of Garrett decanting the pass to the line, but he made a great play on his other pass break, covering an exit route to the tight end.
It wasn’t a perfect night for the sophomore, but he looked good right before he got hurt in the third quarter. He was asked to use his hands illegally and hold, but Anchrum held up well against the tips of the Raiders. It’s unfortunate that he got hurt, as he was one of the Rams ’best offensive liners in this game.
Hughes looks so comfortable in high school. In the first unit, he broke a pass to the outside, almost intercepting it in third place after subduing the receiver. He then made a good red zone attack on Derek Carrier after the tight end got a catch on the floor, facing him with just a 2-yard gain.
Jones was all over the field in the first half, making five relatively quick attacks to lead the team at halftime. He made a good attack on the hole at first, and then went to the sideline on an outside exit from the Raiders. Jones doesn’t seem like the game is too fast for him as he moves from college to the NFL, which is a big sign for the rookie.
Funk has been the Rams ’best runner tonight. He started the game and showed a big blast through the hole, playing with good determination when it came to reading his blockers. He had runs of 12 yards, 14 yards and 19 yards throughout the game, totaling 56 yards per night. He was also solid as a pass guard, at one point he grabbed a bombardment to allow Perkins to shoot deep into Tutu Atwell on the left side.
For the first time since high school, Gay took care of the punting tasks after the Rams placed Johnny Hekker and Corey Bojorquez on the reserve list / COVID-19 before the game. He looked comfortable on paper, averaging 42 yards per point. He also scored a field goal, an extra point and snatched all three throws for touchbacks. In a difficult place, Gay stepped up. However, he had a blocked field goal.
Koski’s Bryce Perkins was the first to reach the corner kick, but his header was blocked by the keeper. He took eight passes for 61 yards, getting several first downs despite never breaking a big play. It’s hard to say he will form the team, but Koski is pushing, at the very least, to stay on the training squad.
Evans was called up to maintain what would have been a third-round conversion at the start of the game, seemed to be overtaken by the Raiders ’inside runners and allowed a free run in the third quarter after not blocking anyone in a key play of the third. It is becoming clear that the reason the Rams inserted Brian Allen into the center and moved Austin Corbett to protect is the play of Evans. He’s not ready to start yet, fighting the Raiders ’backups.
Calais did not have many opportunities to contribute to this, especially considering that he was injured in the third quarter in a screen pass that was recovered due to a penalty in Brycen Hopkins. Calais took it three times for 5 yards and turned off a kick, which he didn’t officially count due to a questionable penalty to the Raiders that didn’t hamper his ability to throw the kick.
Olumba struggled to get a list spot, but Saturday night was not helped. He made no play on the cover and Marcell Ateman beat him badly for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, biting for a double play. His chances of forming the team only diminished due to his performance against the Raiders.