The Los Angeles Rams started the preseason with a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, riding their backups and reserves to a 20-12 win. Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson led the offense, while the second- and third-team defense kept the Chiefs out of the end zone for all 60 minutes.
It was a quality performance all around, but a handful of players stood out with particularly strong performances on the road.
QB Ty Simpson
How could Simpson not be considered a standout? He had the best stat line of any rookie quarterback in the preseason so far, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdown passes were short, and one was on a screen to the running back, but the throws he made throughout the game were on time and with good accuracy.
We may not fully know what the Rams have in Simpson until he takes the reins from Matthew Stafford, but it was a great start in his NFL debut on Saturday.
TE Max Klare
Klare was Simpson’s safety valve against the Chiefs, catching seven of eight targets for 37 yards. He caught a lot of short, quick passes in the flat, showing reliable hands at the catch point. He also blocked well in the run game, which will make him a player who could carve out a role for himself in the next two years.
The second-round rookie is fifth on the depth chart at tight end but with how often the Rams cycle their players, he’ll get some opportunities this year.
WR/PR Xavier Smith
Smith played into the fourth quarter, which was a little bit surprising given his experience. But he took advantage of the extra opportunities, both on offense and special teams. He caught all four of his targets for 26 yards, and better yet, he returned three punts for 52 yards – including a 40-yarder down the left sideline in the second half.
RB Dean Connors
The Rams have plenty of running back depth but Connors will be a good player to keep on the practice squad. The undrafted rookie had 22 yards rushing and 29 yards receiving, catching two touchdown passes from Simpson in the fourth quarter. He ran hard and broke tackles, emerging as a guy to watch the rest of the preseason.
S Nick Andersen
It was a whole bunch of unproven, undrafted players on defense for the Rams. They allowed zero touchdowns to the Chiefs, helped by two quality plays made by Andersen in coverage. He helped prevent a deep completion to Jason Brownlee down the field by diving to disrupt the receiver, also breaking up another pass later on near the right sideline.
He had eight tackles, three more than everyone else on the Rams, to go with two pass breakups and a TFL.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 5 standouts from Rams’ preseason opener
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
