The Rams are looking ahead to Week 1 after getting shut out by the Broncos in the preseason finale on Saturday night, 41-0. It was by far their worst showing of the summer, even if they didn’t play their starters; Denver didn’t either.
The performance as a whole was poor, but there were a few players who stood out in a positive way. Rookie Desjuan Johnson was among our studs from this game, but Stetson Bennett was on the other side as a dud.
Here’s the full list of studs and duds from Week 3 of the preseason for the Los Angeles Rams.
Stud: Desjuan Johnson
Johnson came into this game looking like a practice squad candidate but he made a strong final push for the 53-man roster on Saturday night. Johnson had his best game of the preseason, generating pressure a couple of times and disrupting things in the backfield by flushing Jarrett Stidham out of the pocket.
Stud: Ronnie Rivers
Rivers has been one of the only bright spots on offense this preseason for the Rams. He stood out again on Saturday night and should be one of the 53 players the Rams keep on their initial roster this season. He carried it six times for 32 yards and seemed to gain 5-plus yards on all of his carries. He’s not the biggest or strongest running back but he’s elusive and plays with better strength than you’d expect from a player his size.
Stud: Marquise Copeland
Copeland played deep into this game but he made it count in what might’ve been one last audition for the 53-man roster. He had three tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits in the loss, making his way into the backfield more than a couple of times. The Rams need someone to step up at defensive end and they hope Copeland can be that guy – assuming he makes the initial roster.
Stud: Quindell Johnson
Johnson got his most snaps this preseason and he capitalized with a solid performance. He led the team with eight tackles, he broke up a pass to prevent a touchdown and he also recorded a sack, which came right at the line of scrimmage. Johnson is another player who’s unlikely to make the 53-man roster but this was a good audition to make the practice squad.
Dud: Stetson Bennett
It was a disastrous night for the rookie quarterback. Bennett threw two first-half interceptions, both of which were terrible decisions after staring down his targets. The underneath defender jumped in front of each pass and picked it off, which shows Bennett didn’t see them lurking – a concerning trend for the Rams quarterback. He’s still penciled in as the No. 2 quarterback but this was a troubling performance by Bennett to close out the preseason. He went 4-for-9 for 14 yards with the two picks.
Dud: Tre Tomlinson
It was a poor way for Tomlinson to end the preseason Saturday night. On the Broncos’ first drive of the night, Tomlinson dragged Marvin Mims Jr. to the ground by his facemask on what was a very dangerous play, resulting in not only a penalty, but an ejection, too. Tomlinson has likely already secured a spot on the roster but it was a poor decision by him to make a tackle in that fashion. It was no surprise that he got ejected for that play.
Dud: Robert Rochell
Rochell is expected to make the Rams’ roster but after Saturday night, his stock is on the decline. In the first quarter alone, Rochell was hurdled on a poor tackle attempt and then allowed a 50-yard completion to Mims on a deep shot where he didn’t play the ball and was called for pass interference – though the receiver made the catch anyway. Rochell may not be on stable ground entering his third NFL season.
.@Jarrett_Stidham, my oh my. 😱 On the first play of the drive, a 50-yard pass for the @Broncos QB.
📺: #LARvsDEN on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/624TrfDUF6 pic.twitter.com/2r88q7BwFe— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2023
Dud: Tanner Brown
Brown got a rare opportunity to kick a field goal and he didn’t take advantage of a very makeable kick. He missed a 39-yarder in the second half, pulling wide left – which is exactly how he missed the 46-yarder in the preseason opener. He only attempted four field goals this preseason so he didn’t get much work in before Week 1.
