Steve Palazzolo@StevePalazzolo_
Week 2 not as clean for Ty Simpson

He’s been excellent on the move in the boot game, good decisions and accuracy both weeks.

Who led the @RamsNFL's loaded line in sacks last season?

That would be Byron Young. He can jump gaps, go around you, move inside your reach, or bull you right into Mr. Quarterback. The hidden force on Chris Shula's defense. pic.twitter.com/kMo2xYFF00

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) August 22, 2026

Wesley Bailey records sack and forced fumble for Rams in a day where Sean McVay ‘felt his presence all day’

Zach Edwards

https://www.therams.com/news/outside-linebacker-wesley-bailey-records-sack-and-forced-fumble-for-rams-in-a-day-where-head-coach-sean-mcvay-felt-his-presence-all-day-saints

Near the end of the first quarter, Rams outside linebacker Wesley Bailey rushed his way toward Saints quarterback Zach Wilson. Bailey muscled past the right tackle and wrapped up Wilson for the sack.

The sack was Bailey’s first in a Rams uniform, but it wasn’t the first time he ended that type of play with a celebration that includes him creating a heart with his hands and pointing it up to the sky.

Every time Bailey records a sack, he finishes the play the same way. He does so to honor his late mother who passed away when he was just 5 years old, as well as his three sisters. Now, he was able to do so on an NFL field.

“It definitely is a blessing,” Bailey said postgame. “I’ve been doing this since 2021, that’s when I got my first sack. So to be able to do it on the next stage is definitely a blessing. Definitely, just glad to be here.”

Bailey had multiple standout plays on defense and he’s an undrafted rookie out of Louisville looking to use the preseason as a chance to showcase what he’s able to do on the field in live play.

On Saturday against the Saints, Bailey’s first NFL sack wasn’t even his best play. The Saints marched their way down into the red zone, and for the second time on Saturday afternoon, the Rams came away with a red zone turnover. Bailey ran up behind the ball carrier and punched the ball out at about the 4-yard line and defensive lineman Payton Zdroik pounced on top of it.

“Just being able to get a red zone turnover is great,” Bailey said. “In that situation, they’re guaranteed three (points for them), and so for them to come out with nothing is definitely great. So great opportunity, for sure.”

Bailey didn’t even realize it was Zdroik who got on top of it until “10 minutes ago,” he said in the locker room after the game. The play was emblematic of the extra effort and presence Bailey has had on the field throughout the preseason so far.

“I thought you felt his presence all day,” McVay said. “He did a great job, played a bunch of snaps. He’s gotten a lot of reps, even just because of some of the injuries that we’ve had throughout a camp or guys being out where he’s taking reps with the ones, he’s playing a lot of reps in both of these preseason games. I thought his body of work today compared to last week was really (an) improvement, and he did some really good things last week. To force the fumble, I’ve mentioned it before, there’s certain guys you just feel on defense where you just know they’re making their presence felt, and that was how I felt about Wes Bailey all day today.”

Stringing together back-to-back games, Bailey improved from last week to this week. Against the Chiefs last weekend, Bailey recorded two tackles and generated pressure in the backfield on multiple occasions. On Saturday against the Saints, he had the sack and forced fumble and also added four quarterback hits and five tackles.

Bailey acknowledged that “it definitely is a jump from high school, college to NFL.” Although many of the plays he made came from individual effort getting to the quarterback or ball carrier, Bailey credits the culture and Rams organization as a whole for the success he’s had so far through the first two weeks of the preseason.

“It’s just being a part of this Rams organization,” Bailey said when asked what’s allowed him to play so free and make a big impact. “We have a great D-line coach, outside linebacker (coach), DC, head coach, and all throughout the staff. So I think it’s allowed me to play free and just keep balling and having great teammates to be there as well. I had opportunities, and I was able to take advantage of it.”

from https://ramblinfan.com/chris-shula-confirmed-everything-rams-fans-heard-josaiah-stewart

Los Angeles Rams fans have heard only positives about edge rusher Josaiah Stewart entering his second season. That buzz has hummed louder throughout training camp, and speaking to reporters this week, defensive coordinator Chris Shula confirmed that Stewart has been, well, a monster:

“He’s been showing up. I said to him, ever since we put the pads on, he decides to make a bunch of plays. He’s physical on the edge. I think he’s an every-down player, where he can go in the run game and play on a tight end, and he’s obviously a great pass rusher, a guy that can drop in coverage. He’s a guy that really can do it all, and do it at a high level,” Shula beamed.

“He has a great feel for angles, for space, he’s physical, and he’s had, I think it’s been three or four days in a row, where he’s shown up a lot. So he’s had a great camp.”

Hopes for Stewart have been high from the get-go following a solid rookie season. From the sound of it, those lofty expectations are justified. Fans might not see much of Stewart in the preseason, when the Rams focus almost exclusively on rookies and fringe players, but Shula’s high praise should be enough to hold us over.

Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Wesley Bailey has been the Rams’ best player so far this preseason.

Underdog NFL@UnderdogNFL
Jarquez Hunter so far today:

12 carries
68 rushing yards
1 TD

…

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/08/22/rams-saints-preseason-win-standouts-best-players/91425805007/?taid=6a8a31242f77dd0001a5bb11&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

RT Austin Blaske

Keagen Trost is injured right now but Blaske has been a bright spot at right tackle. He played well against the Saints, both in pass protection and the run game, making a case to stick on the practice squad if he does get cut next weekend.

The Rams didn’t allow a single sack and gained 5 yards per carry on the ground, a testament to the play of the entire offensive line.

ALEX COOK GOES THE LENGTH OF THE FIELD 🤯

He ran a total distance of 118.38 yards on this pick-6, per @NextGenStats 💨

Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/zk3JGARYiq

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) August 22, 2026

Watch: Rams S Alex Cook returns interception 100 yards for pick-six

📸 Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect https://t.co/rvJ4xf9tj2 pic.twitter.com/EKdGxpMC93

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) August 22, 2026

Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Big LB Wesley Bailey is really popping on the Rams’ defense today. He has 4 tackles, a sack, 2 QB hits, and he’s currently getting serious push on the Saints’ right-side OL during this 2-minute drive.

And now Wesley Bailey forces a goal-line fumble and the Rams recover. He is having about as big of an impact as it’s possible to have in the 2nd preseason game.

…

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
5 total tackles (1 for loss), 3 QB hits, 1 sack and now 1 forced fumble for OLB Wesley Bailey, recovered by DL Payton Zdroik.

Bailey’s had a great game today.

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-angeles-rams-news/146643/rams-nathan-scheelhaase-sean-mcvay-coaching-greatness?utm_campaign=dhtwitter&utm_content=%3Cmedia_url%3E&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

It’s nearly a given that as McVay’s offensive coordinator, Scheelhaase will be a head coach soon. It’s a matter of when, not if. That’s a reflection of the sheer talent the Rams have had on the offensive coaching staff, but also the culture McVay has built for his team.

“I’ve been super fortunate, obviously, to learn from coach McVay,” Scheelhaase said in an interview with Andscape this week. coming here three years and being able to see what it looks like, what it feels like, as I transition into this new role.”

“He does take it to that next level, where he takes time and invests in his assistants,” Scheelhaase said. “We take a lot of time behind the scenes, long before we even get into the football, of just what it looks like to build a culture, to coach, to teach, how to communicate at the highest level we possibly can. So I’m definitely a beneficiary of that from him.”

Rams mailbag: Answering questions from Saints joint practice

Brock Vierra

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/08/21/rams-saints-practice-questions-mailbag/91407311007/?taid=6a88a6456510a600012ff283&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

How has Josaiah Stewart been looking?

VIERRA: Like a future Pro Bowler. I wrote about Stewart in my review, but I’ll dive into what I saw on Thursday. Stewart was calm and focused throughout the whole practice, but when it was time to make a play, he was smoking offensive players. Fast, strong, balanced. It’s clear that having an offseason away from football, the draft, college summer workouts – all the things that were part of his schedule for the last few years – allowed him to make that transition from promising to dominant.

I asked Byron Young last year about Stewart, and he mentioned that he had a veteran mindset as a rookie. That was reinforced when Stewart recovered from an injury, catching up in his development within one season. He’s special, and if he’s used in the Michael Hoecht role, I think his floor is five sacks, with his ceiling being 12.

If an offensive line has to defend against Myles Garrett, Young, and others, who’s stopping Stewart? I mean, he’s been unstoppable so far…and Garrett wasn’t even at practice.

Did Byron Young practice? Any news on Myles Garrett?

VIERRA: The Rams are being cautious with Garrett, just making sure he doesn’t do anything to jeopardize his health before the season opener. He doesn’t need live reps, so they held him out. Didn’t observe Young too much. He did practice. Nothing critical to report on either. Both are ready to roll.

How’d our tackles look considering the possible suspensions and injuries?

VIERRA: Keagen Trost needs to be healthy for Week 1 if Alaric Jackson is suspended. I wouldn’t be surprised if David Quessenberry got the start over Trost, but it’s tough to feel confident about the offense if Trost isn’t good to go, and Jackson is suspended. Quessenberry didn’t get the start over D.J. Humphries in Atlanta when Jackson was injured. We all saw how that went, and Quessenberry is a year older. If there’s no Jackson and Trost, it’s concerning but manageable. If Puka Nacua isn’t on the field, which he wasn’t on Thursday, the Rams could be in serious danger.

I was surprised by Beaux Limmer. He’s a player I’ll keep an eye on. However, if there’s a scenario where Warren McClendon Jr. goes down, and Jackson or Trost isn’t available, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rams get creative. It’s been alluded to in the past by Sean McVay that he would be willing to move McClendon inside if something happened to Kevin Dotson.

What if the inverse is true as well? Dotson to tackle, Justin Dedich or Limmer to guard, and have a tight end to help? That’s the type of creative thinking the Rams are going to have to pull out in the event they lose three tackles, and they’re in a spot where, if something goes wrong, they could enter Week 1 already down two.

Also, Dedich is still trying to come back from injury, so there’s that.

How is Ferguson being used? How often? How does he look? Chances he becomes the 3rd option?

VIERRA: Any way and every way. Literally, there isn’t a non-QB skill position Ferguson can’t make a play from, and maybe he’s decent at quarterback too. I would not be surprised to see Ferguson end the season as the team’s second-best pass catcher, and his floor should be fourth.

Stafford and Ferguson’s connection is growing at an exciting rate, as is Ferguson’s development. He’s put on some weight and he’s throwing it around. Really loved how he complements every personnel package on the offense, and the way he plays with Colby Parkinson.

As the season progresses, I believe he will become that third option, splitting responsibilities with Parkinson. I also see the Rams building offensive packages around him. If Davante Adams is getting double-teamed in the red zone, Ferguson has the tools and build to mimic the things Adams did last season.

who looked good in Oline? Is there ANY indication that Alaric Jackson or Puka will be suspended?

VIERRA: I’m going to use this question to dive into Limmer. He has the frame, the tools, and the road to have a breakout season in 2026. We don’t know where Dedich is at in his recovery, and Limmer’s pass blocking has greatly improved. It’s clear that the influence of Coleman Shelton and coach Ryan Wendell has paid off as Limmer looked comfortable, and I don’t think we have ever said that about him.

He’s only in his third year. He’s intriguing.

Nothing more has come out regarding potential suspensions.

More work for Ty? How’d he look?

VIERRA: He didn’t look great. I caution to say that he panicked on some throws because defenders were closing in on him, but there were times that in a desperate attempt to make a play, he made poor, rushed decisions. He also deserves some grace because he took chances he probably wouldn’t in an actual game.

The biggest issue is his deep ball. It’s not there. At least not yet. If he can develop his understanding of the way different receivers peel off defensive backs at the NFL level, he’ll be able to float more passes into space instead of trying to pinpoint receivers.

His ability to run is something to keep in mind. There’s more to Simpson than we think, and he might surprise, especially when he has a point to prove. He did prove a point last week.

My overall takeaway is that he’s growing into being an NFL player, and once he makes that switch and gets that confidence and experience, everything else will fall into place. I like where he’s at, and schematically, there are a lot of things a coach can do with him.

wv wrote:

Puka, Adams, Higby, Ferguson, Klare, Parkinson, Kyren, Corum, Whittington, Mumpfield, CJ, X-Smith.

Is it enough?

w
v

It’s more than they had when they won super bowl 56 after Beckham went out.

Mykell Mathieu@MykellthePG
🔥 RAMS JOINT PRACTICE RECAP! 🔥

The Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints went head-to-head in today’s joint practice, and I’m breaking down everything that stood out!

🏈 Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams continue to build what could be a special connection
💪 Terrence Ferguson continues to make his presence felt
🔥 The Rams’ pass rush is STILL SHINING and making life difficult
👑 And overall, the Rams looked like the superior team throughout the day.

Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams’ chemistry on display in Rams’ joint practice with Saints

Nate Atkins

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7527614/2026/08/20/rams-matthew-stafford-davante-adams-saints-practice/?unlocked_article_code=1.61A.rA1I.yNWM-OKqziql&source=emp_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford dropped back against the New Orleans Saints’ starting defense and again went looking for No. 17. With how this practice was going, he just knew Davante Adams would find a way to get open.

And Adams did, cutting sharp on a deep post route to a spot around the left hashmarks, where he settled in and waited for a laser, as he’s come to expect in this growing relationship with the reigning MVP. Stafford split two defenders with the throw — a cornerback giving chase, a deep safety crashing down — and Adams leaped and snared the ball before landing and sprinting into the end zone.

Stafford and Adams excelled against the Saints’ defense in a joint practice Thursday at the Rams’ facility in Woodland Hills. They connected for two touchdowns, including a trademark Stafford fade ball that Adams ran comfortably under along the right sideline for an easy score. They connected on crossers into the flats and slants across the middle.

With Puka Nacua not practicing due to a psoas injury he continues to manage, no one was left wondering who the go-to receiver on the Rams would be. Adams and Stafford have shown off a smooth and adjustable connection all training camp, and though Adams had a few drops in earlier practices, the precision has shown two vital pieces to the Rams’ offense this season: Stafford and Adams still have it, even at the ages of 38 and 33, respectively.

And now, they have chemistry outside of the red zone.

“No matter how great you are, you’ve got two great players. You’ve got to be able to get those reps, and repetition is the mother of learning,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “They’ve got a great feel. I think today was a really good day for those guys being able to connect against tight, sticky coverage. It’s been awesome, but they’re two outstanding people, outstanding players, and it’s really fun to watch them take some ownership and even just be a fly on the wall and listen to their dialogue and what they’re thinking. I love what I’ve seen from those guys.”

A year ago, none of this was possible. Adams was the new piece after he signed a free-agent deal to replace Cooper Kupp, and Stafford wasn’t practicing at all with a back issue that was threatening the start of his 17th season. Their reps in training camp were nearly nonexistent, and the two didn’t play in the preseason, leaving real games with results on the line as the time to build the timing, feel and connection that live reps are designed to create.

That led to an unsurprisingly clunky start to Adams’ 12th season. Through his first six games, he was averaging just 4.3 receptions per game on a career-worst 47.3 percent catch rate. Nacua was prolific enough to make up for it, but Adams and Stafford knew they needed to build something more to help the offense reach its full potential.

They drilled down in a week in Baltimore with Nacua hurt and rolled out a new role for Adams against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, where he played as the single wide receiver with three tight ends on the field and scored three touchdowns. Then he scored eight more times to finish with a league-best 14 receiving touchdowns as the Rams led the NFL in scoring and Stafford was named league MVP.

But Adams’ season felt a bit inconsistent and less whole than normal, as he finished with 60 catches for 789 yards, his lowest totals in any season since 2015. With Adams turning 34 in December and in a contract year, the Rams explored the idea this offseason of trading him for a younger receiver in A.J. Brown. But they decided against it once McVay dove into Adams’ film and saw more to tap into, hoping his connection with Stafford would continue to grow with training camp reps.

It might require Adams to say healthier than he did last year, when he missed three games and battled lower-body injuries all season long. That’s the challenge for a 33-year-old in a speed-based role in a collision sport. But Thursday’s practice was a glimpse of what remains in the tank.

Terrance Ferguson, CJ Daniels get their run

With Nacua out, the door opened for younger receivers to see targets and to make their cases to be reliable weapons in an offense that needs one to emerge beyond Nacua and Adams.

The busiest of them was Ferguson. He scored two touchdowns in the red zone, including one where he caught the ball in the flat on the left side and outran the defense.

He executed mostly short routes, a departure from the late-season breakout that helped him finish his rookie season with an average of 21 yards on 11 receptions. The Rams are expanding Ferguson’s route tree now that he’s more comfortable in a playbook that’s committing to the three-tight end approach the Rams largely devised at midseason last year, and he’s spent this offseason trimming body fat to increase that wiggle out of breaks.

By getting the ball to Ferguson more quickly, the Rams can exploit a mismatch with his 6-foot-5, 252-pound frame against linebackers rather than safeties, hoping those safeties are busy enough watching for Stafford’s deep connections with Adams and Nacua on opposite perimeters.

“Coming in (last year), I never expected to play the positions I’m playing,” Ferguson said. “Being able to play F, Z, Y and X, all of them together, it’s definitely been a big jump. … They ask me to do a lot of things down the field but then also be reliable on the line of scrimmage. It’s about finding that happy medium.”

Daniels also saw chances with the first team as he rotated reps with Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington. He didn’t have as active a day catching the ball, but it was a step up from the second-team usage he’s primarily seen this camp.

Stetson Bennett, Ty Simpson trade QB2 reps

As the Rams continue to try to solidify the backup quarterback role that Jimmy Garoppolo no longer holds, they have once more leaned into giving even chances to Simpson and Bennett. They ran 25 plays with the second team, with Bennett taking 13 snaps and Simpson 12. It continues a recent shift from earlier in camp, when Bennett worked almost exclusively as the next quarterback up after Stafford.

Both had mixed days. Bennett struggled again with his deep ball but kept it out of harm’s way. Simpson threw two interceptions, including one where he didn’t see a safety playing center field and the ball fluttered out of his hands. Simpson and Bennett both threw touchdowns in the red zone period.

Bennett enjoyed a strong start to camp, with high completion rates and strong plays out of structure but also with the occasional turnover. He hasn’t looked as comfortable over the past week, which could be related in part to not getting into a flow when splitting reps with Simpson, who has come a long way in his command of a complex playbook.

Simpson completed 84 percent of his passes in his NFL debut — and he wasn’t the only Rams rookie to impress.
Both quarterbacks face a challenge in the protection they’re trying to play behind with the second unit. The Rams are down two of their backup offensive linemen, as top backup guard Justin Dedich worked out off to the side again with the hand injury he’s had since early July and third-round rookie tackle Keagen Trost was out with the hamstring he hurt in Saturday’s preseason opener.

McVay said the hope is to get Trost back for the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. If he isn’t back, David Quessenberry will serve as the swing tackle. He’s been working primarily as the backup left tackle to Alaric Jackson, who could face a second suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy. Quessenberry last started a game in 2023 and will turn 36 on Monday.

The Rams have begun rotating offensive linemen with the first team to get more advanced looks at the second team. But McVay continues to express confidence in the plan and operation.

“I really felt good with the depth we had at tackle,” McVay said. “Obviously, you get a little bit thinned out when you felt good about those four guys, if you include Keagen into it. But we’ve got some other guys that we’re going to continue to evaluate. … We’ll just take it a day at a time.”