The Los Angeles Rams open their preseason schedule on Saturday night against the Oakland Raiders. It’s the first of four exhibition games for Sean McVay’s squad, of which none of the top starters are expected to play.
Instead, it’ll be all about the young and unproven as they battle for starting jobs and roster spots. Here are seven things to watch in the preseason opener, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.
How the run defense performs
The Rams’ run defense was abysmal last season. It ranked 32nd in rushing yards per carry allowed and had no success stopping the Patriots’ ground game in Super Bowl LIII. This is one aspect of the team that must improve in 2019 and while most of the starters won’t be on the field Saturday night, a few will.
Sebastian Joseph-Day and Greg Gaines will get playing time with one of them being the Week 1 starter at nose tackle. The same goes for Miach Kiser and Bryce Hager, who are battling for the inside linebacker spot next to Cory Littleton.
If those players defend the run well, it’ll be a good sign for the upcoming season.
Darrell Henderson
A lot of eyes will be on No. 27 tonight as he fills in for Todd Gurley, who won’t see the field. Malcolm Brown, Justin Davis and John Kelly will also get playing time, but there’s a lot of hype surrounding Henderson. He’s a big-play threat every time he touches the ball and while he’s received high praise in practice, it’ll be exciting to see him in game action.
Expect him to break at least one long run or catch against the Raiders, moving one step closer to becoming a big part of the offense. He may not pass Malcolm Brown on the depth chart, but Henderson will be used in creative ways this season.
JoJo Natson’s role
Natson initially looked like he might be on the roster bubble, but after hearing about the way he’s impressed in practice, that may not be the case. He’s been elusive and difficult to get a finger on, making plays in the open field. He should get some work on punt and kick returns against the Raiders, but it’ll be worth keeping an eye on whether he gets playing time at wide receiver, too.
He could be a gadget-type player for the Rams if he proves to be reliable on offense. His speed and elusiveness could be valuable during the regular season.
New wrinkles in Sean McVay’s offense
The Rams offense was shut down by the Patriots and Bears last year and McVay admitted that he didn’t make the proper in-game adjustments to win those contests. There won’t be many adjustments to make against the Raiders’ vanilla defense Saturday, but keep an eye on whether McVay has added any wrinkles to the offense.
Whether it’s two running backs on the field together or more two-tight end sets, McVay might have some new things planned on that side of the ball this year. Granted, it is the preseason so he’s not going to tip his hand too much, but those elements are worth watching.
Rookie defensive backs
The Rams added three defensive backs in the draft this year: Taylor Rapp, David Long Jr. and Nick Scott. Rapp and Long are roster locks, but Scott needs to impress on special teams to make the cut. All three are expected to play against the Raiders and it’ll be fun to finally watch them in a game rather than highlights in practice.
Rapp should see time at safety and possibly linebacker, whereas Long will be on the field a lot with the Rams resting their starters. Not much has been made about Long thus far, but this will be his time to impress fans and coaches.
Scott has the speed and athleticism to play safety in the NFL and Saturday will be his first chance to show that to everyone.
Where young offensive linemen play
The second-team offensive line has a lot of moving pieces right now. Joseph Noteboom is the backup left tackle, while Jamil Demby has stepped in when Andrew Whitworth has sat out practices. Demby also plays guard with the second unit, along with Aaron Neary at center and Jeremiah Kolone. Bobby Evans and David Edwards are the right and left tackles, respectively.
Saturday will give us a look at exactly how the backup offensive line will take shape. Noteboom and Brian Allen might play a couple series, which would likely put Demby at left tackle. Beyond that, there are several different options the Rams can go with. The second-string offensive line is filled with inexperienced youngsters, so this is a big game for them.
Pass-rush rotation
Assuming Samson Ebukam doesn’t play, there will be a ton of competition at outside linebacker. John Franklin-Myers could see time there, as well as defensive end. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has been “banged up,” according to McVay, and it’s unknown if he’ll suit up for the preseason opener. Josh Carraway, Trevon Young and Landis Durham will see ample reps, and with undrafted rookie Natrez Patrick listed at OLB on the depth chart, he could get into the mix, too.
The Rams need as much depth at edge rusher as they can get because Clay Matthews will play inside at times and there isn’t a lot of proven talent beyond the top three (Matthews, Dante Fowler Jr. and Ebukam).
