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Five Takeaways: Rams Finish 2018 Preseason 2-2

Myles Simmons

https://www.therams.com/news/five-takeaways-rams-finish-2018-preseason-2-2

NEW ORLEANS — The Rams finished their preseason with a long trip to meet a former division rival, and fell to the Saints 28-0.
As it is for all preseason games, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story. With that in mind, here are five takeaways as the preseason comes to an end.
1) Holley runs it
Running back Nick Holley got the offense going early with a few nice runs on Los Angeles’ first offensive possession.
Holley rushed five times for 28 yards on that first drive, including a 16-yard run down the left side. On 3rd-and-1 from the New Orleans 34, Holley bounced a handoff outside the end of the line, darting down the field for the big gain.
Los Angeles, however, was unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunity, as quarterback Brandon Allen threw an interception to New Orleans linebacker Alex Anzalone.

2) Key stops
New Orleans seemed to be playing with a bit of a “YOLO” mentality in the first half, and it worked out in the Rams favor.
First the Saints elected to go for two after scoring their first touchdown, but with good coverage on the right side quarterback Taysom Hill’s pass was high and incomplete.
The New Orleans decided to go for it on 4th-and-1 at the Los Angeles 20 with a fullback dive. The Rams were there to stuff the play for no gain, however, causing a turnover on downs. Linebackers Trevon Young and Micah Kiser were credited for making the play.
On 4th-and-5 from the Los Angeles 37 midway through the second quarter, New Orleans elected to go for it again. But this time, the Saints got it with Hill scrambling up the middle for an 18-yard gain.
The Saints would score a touchdown to cap that drive, but the Rams once again stopped a two-point conversion attempt by tackling ball carrier Jonathan Williams in the backfield for a loss.
3) Parker gets a pick
Among the many players trying to make a final positive impression in Thursday’s contest was defensive back Steven Parker.
The undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma did just that with a third quarter interception.
Midway through the period on 3rd-and-3, Parker picked off quarterback J.T. Barrett on a deep pass down the middle of the field. Parker made an athletic play, first tipping the ball away from the intended receiver and then reeling the ball in before he hit the ground.
Los Angeles could not capitalize on the takeaway, however, as wide receiver Fred Brown fumbled after a third-down reception on the ensuing possession.
4) Perez gets in
Quarterback Luis Perez entered the contest midway through the third quarter for his first action of the preseason.
His outing was up and down, with an early completion to wide receiver JoJo Natson that went for a first down. And while a holding penalty moved L.A. back a few plays later, Perez had consecutive completions to Brown and tight end John Mundt.
In the fourth quarter, however, Perez threw an interception. Facing pressure, the Texas A&M—Commerce product fired a pass over the middle but Saints linebacker Nate Stupar was right in the path of the ball and caught it. Fortunately for the Rams, Stupar fumbled when wide receiver Steven Mitchell punched the ball out and L.A. recovered it. But the throw was not the best from Perez.
Perez finished the game 8-of-15 passing for 43 yards with the pick.
5) Now, the wins and losses count
Preseason is good for acclimating and evaluating, but it seems like everyone is ready for the regular season to start.
Los Angeles finished the preseason 2-2, winning both games at the Coliseum but losing the two contests on the road.
There is plenty of business to attend to, not only with the pending roster reduction but also with the club nearing an agreement on a contract extension with defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
But all along the way, head coach Sean McVay has stressed the importance of getting ready for that Sept. 10 date when the Rams will square off against the Raiders. And now the next time we see Los Angeles’ players in uniform, they’ll be taking the field in Oakland going for their first ‘W’ of 2018.
For real.

Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
Luis Perez was 8 of 15 for 43 yards and an interception. Brandon Allen was 7 of 13 for 57 yards and an interception. Larry Rose ran 12 times for 43 yards. Rams had just 151 total yards and 10 first downs tonight.

Sean McVay on Luis Perez’s night: “Luis got in there. To be in the position to even be competing in games like this is a great story, it’s a great credit to him. Really impressive person. Unbelievable guy. I’ve enjoyed being around him.”

“We feel good about where we’re at as a team in terms of the health that we’ve talked about, doing everything that we can to take steps to be at our best on that Sept. 10 date against a great Oakland Raiders team.” – Sean McVay

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Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
#Rams HC Sean McVay on Kiser: “You’ve seen him show up time in and time out throughout this preseason. Very smart cerebral player, understands the game. He’s just a good solid football player. That’s where you throw the measurables out and you just trust what you see on tape.”

#Rams rookie LB Micah Kiser said he’ll sleep well tonight knowing he did everything he could and played as hard as he could this preseason to show #Rams he belongs. “This is a really really good team and I want to be part of it. I want to be here. I want to be a L.A. Ram.”

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Andrew Siciliano@AndrewSiciliano
Goodnight, @NFL preseason. Nice knowing you. See you Monday @nflnetwork when it counts for real.

Player of the Game: Rams LB Micah Kiser racks up 12 tackles vs. Saints

Cameron DaSilva

Player of the Game: Rams LB Micah Kiser racks up 12 tackles vs. Saints

There weren’t many standout performances from the Los Angeles Rams’ 28-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, but one rookie in particular caught our attention. No, it wasn’t Luis Perez, who made his NFL debut, but a guy on the other side of the ball.

Rookie linebacker Micah Kiser lived up to the hype against New Orleans, continuing his ways of wrapping up ball carriers and racking up the tackles. He finished with a game-high 12 tackles, four of which were solo stops. He played the majority of the game and didn’t look the slightest bit out of his element.

Although he wasn’t tested much in coverage, his run-stopping ability was on full display. Whether it was a tackle outside the hashmarks or filling the lane up the middle, Kiser could do it all.

That sort of tackling ability is much-needed on a Rams defense that ranked 28th against the run last season. And even though Kiser won’t start in Week 1, he’ll definitely carve out a role on defense in sub-packages and heavy formations with three inside linebackers, if Wade Phillips goes that route on occasion.

Kiser has certainly earned a spot on the roster, and not just because he was the team’s fifth-round pick. He’s been a force in the middle of the defense, running alongside Tegray Scales and Travin Howard, as well as Bryce Hager.

Again, he hasn’t been tested much in coverage – his biggest weakness at Virginia – but Kiser looks stout against the run, which the Rams knew when they drafted him. This was his best performance of the preseason

PFF: https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/refocused-nfl-preseason-week-4-saints-28-rams-0

from Refocused, NFL Preseason Week 4: New Orleans Saints 28, Los Angeles Rams 0

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The Rams offense was held in check all night long. Though they moved the ball well on their first drive, they were ultimately shut out and the backups showed very few signs of life. Fortunately for Rams fans, the regular season is coming soon. Los Angeles was sloppy both offensively and on special teams. They fumbled the ball three times, losing two, to go along with two interceptions. They also gave up a blocked punt that resulted in a special teams touchdown for the Saints.

Clearly, the Rams mailed this game in just as they have the entire preseason, resting all their defensive starters, they did little to slow down the Saints. Dominated in the trenches all night, the Rams clearly had one goal in mind: keep each starter healthy and prepare for the regular season.

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