The Los Angeles Rams held their second scrimmage of training camp at SoFi Stadium on Saturday afternoon, one week before final cuts and two weeks before the regular season begins. It featured fewer plays than the first scrimmage but was designed to be a competitive day, especially for the Rams’ younger players.
Reporters were in attendance for the game and shared some insight on Twitter during the scrimmage, including key plays and details from the depth chart.
Here are eight takeaways from reporters’ observations and Sean McVay’s comments afterwards.
Goff starts hot, throws two picks later
Jared Goff wasn’t as sharp as he would’ve liked in the first scrimmage, but he started the second scrimmage on fire. According to Eric Williams of SI, Goff completed 11 of his first 13 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. However, he only completed eight of his last 13 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions.
So in total, he was 19-for-26 for 183 yards, which is still a decent stat line.
Young starts in Howard’s place
Travin Howard missed the scrimmage with a knee injury, which he presumably suffered in the team’s last practice on Thursday. Sean McVay didn’t have much of an update, other than to say he’s being evaluated.
Kenny Young got the start next to Micah Kiser, so he’s the No. 3 linebacker on the depth chart. Clay Johnston and Troy Reeder were the second-team linebackers, indicating they’re behind Young in the pecking order.
Kicking battle remains close
It wasn’t a stellar day for any of the Rams’ three kickers. At one point in the scrimmage, they missed five straight field goal attempts combined from 48 yards until Austin MacGinnis made one.
The coaches tried to make things interesting by playing random sounds like Chewbacca’s yell and the Twilight Zone theme song while the kickers were kicking, attempting to simulate the distractions of a real game.
Lirim Hajrullahu came in as the most consistent kicker of the three, but Sam Sloman and MacGinnis seem to be in the hunt still.
One factor to consider with Saturday’s kicks is that Johnny Hekker, the usual holder, was not at the game as he was awaiting the birth of his child. And the backup holder, Cooper Kupp, was also limited – not by injury, McVay said – so the Rams were down to their third holder, John Wolford.
No clear RB1 yet
Malcolm Brown opened the scrimmage with the first-team offense, which seems notable. That could be how the Rams offense takes the field in the season opener, but there are still two more weeks to go before Sept. 13.
Cam Akers worked with the starters on the second drive and according to Kevin Modesti of the L.A. Daily News, Akers seemed to get the bulk of the carries.
The Rams are bringing him along quickly and giving him a lot of work in practice, and that figures to continue in the regular season with Akers getting a good chunk of the carries.
Jefferson opens with 2nd team, makes play of the day with 1st team
Van Jefferson has been the star of camp, but he didn’t open the scrimmage with the starters. Instead, he was running with the second-team offense, with Josh Reynolds working alongside Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods on the first-team. However, Jefferson once again got chances with the first-team and he made the most of them.
He made a spectacular catch with David Long Jr. draped over him in coverage, going for a 30-yard gain. It was the play of the day on a pass from Goff.
Rapp sits but expected back Monday
Taylor Rapp was still sidelined with a knee injury on Saturday, continuing his two-week absence from practice. However, Sean McVay shared some good news after the scrimmage. He said Rapp is expected back on the field Monday when the Rams practice, which is a positive development for the young safety.
Jordan Fuller got the start in his place and has earned those reps with a strong training camp, but Rapp is a standout player for L.A.
Kiser stands out
Micah Kiser appears to have locked up a starting job at linebacker and cemented that spot on Saturday. In what the Rams called the “Mamba Tourney” in honor of the late Kobe Bryant – a competitive period between the two sides – Kiser blitzed up the midle, tipped Goff’s pass and picked it off for a turnover.
Kiser is known for being a good run defender, but he’s had a strong camp and received positive reviews in coverage, too.
Floyd wreaks havoc
At one point in the scrimmage, Floyd dominated the right side of the Rams’ offensive line – including the tight ends. He had two would-be sacks against the first-team offensive line, presumably with Rob Havenstein blocking from the right tackle position.
That’s a great sign for the Rams, who need all the help they can get at outside linebacker.
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August 30, 2020 at 11:11AM
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8 takeaways from Rams' 2nd scrimmage at SoFi Stadium - Rams Wire
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