The Rams took down the Chargers in their preseason opener on Saturday night, winning 29-22 at SoFi Stadium. It was a game between the backups as both Sean McVay and Brandon Staley played it safe with their starters, but that doesn’t mean the battle in L.A. was lacking excitement.
Lance McCutcheon and Bryce Perkins led the way for the Rams, with Perkins getting every snap as the team’s quarterback. Matthew Stafford and John Wolford got the night off, as did several other starters such as Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson.
So when looking at the snap counts from the Rams’ win, there are a lot of names that won’t necessarily be on the list when the regular season begins. Here’s a breakdown of the playing time from the preseason opener.
Offense
Lance McCutcheon and Landen Akers got most of the work at wide receiver, but McCutcheon was the only one who contributed in the passing game with five receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Akers was targeted only once but finished the game with no receptions.
The offensive line was shuffled a bunch, with Tremayne Anchrum, Logan Bruss, Alaric Jackson, Jeremiah Kolone and Bobby Evans getting the start. Evans was the only one from that bunch that played less than half the snaps, as he was replaced in the second half.
J.J. Koski played 70% of the snaps but like Akers, he didn’t have a reception in the game. Austin Trammell made the most of his opportunities with three catches for 27 yards on four targets, though he did drop one pass.
At running back, Raymond Calais, A.J. Rose, Jake Funk and Trey Ragas were the running backs in this one, and Calais got 10 more snaps than any other running back. He and Rose each got eight carries, and they turned them into a total of 44 yards rushing.
Defense
Jake Hummel is squarely on the roster bubble and will need to really stand out in the preseason to have any shot of making the team. He played more than any other non-quarterback, earning 91% of the defensive snaps and 73% of the special teams plays. He and Jake Gervase got most of the snaps at linebacker, with Anthony Hines chipping in 15 plays.
In the secondary, Grant Haley got the most playing time – five more snaps than the next-closest DB, T.J. Carter. Caesar Dancy-Williams, Dan Isom and Tyler Hall all played about 50% of the defensive snaps.
It was surprising to see Terrell Burgess play as much as he did, getting more snaps than even rookie cornerbacks Decobie Durant and Derion Kendrick. That may not be a good sign for his current position on the defensive depth chart.
Bobby Brown III played 47% of the snaps before injuring his ankle and leaving the game.
The defensive line rotation was deep, though the group was led by second-round player Earnest Brown IV (61%). Jonah Williams was the next-closest at 53%.
Notable DNPs
- QB Luis Perez: Maybe the Rams wanted to get an extra-long look at Bryce Perkins without sacrificing snaps to see how Perez might play.
- WR Tutu Atwell: Sean McVay said after the game that Atwell’s absence was planned and it’s a good sign for his role within the offense.
- RB Kyren Williams: The Rams might be taking it slow with the rookie running back, who broke his foot in OTAs.
- LB Christian Rozeboom: Already thin at linebacker, Rozeboom’s lack of snaps was surprising. Maybe he’s already locked up a roster spot as a backup.
- G Coleman Shelton: The fact that he didn’t play is a clear sign that he’ll be the starting right guard.
- OT Max Pircher: Pircher is an international practice squad player who needs a lot of development.
- DT Marquise Copeland: Copeland doesn’t have any known injuries right now, but he might be ahead of the rest of the young, unproven defensive linemen.
