10 Observations from Rams’ joint practice with Saints

Stu Jackson & Zach Edwards

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-rams-joint-practice-with-saints-matthew-stafford-davante-adams-terrance-ferguson-nate-landman-kobie-turner

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Rams held their second and final joint practice of the preseason Thursday, hosting the Saints. The chemistry between quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Davante Adams headlined the day for Los Angeles’ offense, followed by a strong practice for tight end Terrance Ferguson. On defense, the defensive line ruled the day with would-have-been sacks and tackles for loss in addition to a pair of batted down passes.

Senior staff writer Stu Jackson spent the morning watching the offense, while staff writer Zach Edwards watched the defense. Here are 10 things that stood out.

Shorter, faster practice: While Thursday’s joint practice ended earlier than scheduled – the listed end time was 12:30, and practice was over around 11:40 – the shorter, faster practice was by design.

“That was really because they (Saints) had just gotten a lot of work on that Tuesday (with the Cowboys),” McVay said post-practice. “They had some guys that were a little bit banged up. We were originally scheduled to be able to get like 48 plays in a team period in a two minute (drill) with our first group, so to able to say hey, we just turned off three plays that were kind of already structured, and then losing (the) two-minute, I was just grateful for the work and appreciated that (Saints head coach) Kellen (Moore) and his guys made it work.”

Puka Nacua does not participate: This wasn’t a surprise, though, given McVay previously said they expect the fourth-year wide receiver to return to practice next week.

Stafford-Adams connection remains sharp: The veteran quarterback and veteran receiver got plenty of work, and plenty of completions, despite the shorter joint session. The most impressive connection was the below deep ball from Stafford to Adams early in practice.

Ferguson looking confident: The second-year tight end had a pair of strong receptions over the middle on short passes from Stafford, remaining grounded through the catch point. It was two plays that reinforced the confidence and playmaking McVay has seen throughout camp.

“Just that,” McVay said, when asked what he’s seen from Ferguson in terms of confidence and making plays on the practice field. “And he’s so smart. I think what can’t be misunderstood or minimized is how smart this guy is. He plays every single skill position except for halfback for us. Some of the things we ask of him, he does some of the roles we ask of our backs, and so he’s done a great job. I think he’s got great leadership in that room with guys to be able to learn from with Scooter (tight ends coach Scott Huff), with (Tyler) Higbee, with Colby Parkinson. That repetition, when you’re conscientious like he is, and you’re able to be coached, and you’re secure enough to be accountable for where you can grow, and stay humble when things go well, he’s really had a nice camp. I’ve really been impressed, but not surprised, by what he’s done.”

Stetson Bennett IV and Ty Simpson split reps due to less reps overall for second-team offense in practice: The second team got 25 plays in during Thursday’s practice, with Bennett getting 13 of them and Simpson the other 12, according to McVay. That allocation of reps “was exclusively just because there were so many less reps,” McVay said. “(Associate coordinator/quarterbacks) Dave (Ragone) and I and the rest of the coaching staff will sit down and figure out how we want to approach the game once we’re able to look at the film. But it was really more of a reflection of kind of just less reps, and that’s what that entailed.”

Defensive line collapses pocket quick and often: There were a number of would-have-been sacks by the Rams’ defensive front as they made life uncomfortable for quarterback Tyler Shough, who operated the Saints first-team offense the entire practice. The most prominent would-have-been sack, however, came when Shough was forced out of the pocket and defensive end Braden Fiske tracked him down. Shough ended his day with a pair of touchdown passes late in practice on a day when wide receivers Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson didn’t play, both of which coming when the Saints’ offensive line afforded him enough time in the pocket.

Defensive line getting hands on passes: Defensive ends Poona Ford and Kobie Turner each ended practice with a pass defended as Ford batted down a check-down pass and Turner got one with an attempt over the middle.

Turner and Josaiah Stewart have tackles for loss in run game: Turner and outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart each had notable tackles for loss in the run game that prompted a quick celebration on their individual plays, respectively.

Nate Landman makes presence known in all phases: Whether it was the run game or the pass game, inside linebacker Nate Landman was all over the field making plays. If the running back made it to the second level, Landman there on multiple occasions a yard or two into the run. In the pass game, when there were multiple short completions that led to a receiving making the first guy miss, Landman was there to back him up.

Secondary limits scramble drill: Granted in a joint practice setting the defense isn’t allowed to touch the quarterback, denoted by wearing the red jersey, the Rams secondary was there on every occasion the defensive line forced him out of the pocket and upfield.

Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Davante Adams has caught a bunch of passes from Matthew Stafford at all depths during this joint practice with the Saints. Ty Simpson has been less accurate than the MVP.

The Rams and Saints just wrapped up their joint practice earlier than scheduled. Don’t know if it’s related but the Saints had at least 3-4 guys come off with apparent injuries.

Zach Edwards@zachedwards04
So far at Rams/Saints joint practice, Kobie Turner and Poona Ford have each batted down a pass, Braden Fiske has a would-have-been sack and there’s been a mixed bag of TFLs in the run game and some nice runs by the Saints running backs.

The first-team Saints offense passing game came alive towards the end with a pair of TD passes from Tyler Shough. Rams front 7 still generating pressure and forcing him outside the pocket but both TDs came with him in the pocket – contained the running game well in final stretch.

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Terrance Ferguson has had a couple nice catches over the middle on short passes from Stafford

Reporter notes Ferguson is playing with a lot of confidence on the practice field and making a lot of plays, and asks McVay what he’s seen from the second-year TE.

“Just that,” McVay said. “I think what can’t be misunderstood or minimized is how smart this guy is.”

Jackson Durham@JDurham_FBall
Ferguson had a bunch of catches at Cowboys joint practice as well

Increasingly clear that his role will be much larger this season

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Adams has had catches at all depths/levels of the field

Sean McVay pleased with the Stafford-Adams connection today.

“I think today was a really good day for those guys, being able to connect against tight and sticky coverage,” McVay said.

Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
You can win games without drafting well if your top end talent is elite which the 49ers have. The question is whether I buy 49ers stock in the future and the answer is no because they’ve drafted poorly.

The 49ers start three players on offense (depends on the depth chart and reports) that have been drafted in the last 5 drafts. A few of those are 7th round picks.

It’s better on defense with 6 guys and half are guys they drafted in 2025.

There’s just no argument they’ve drafted well.

Some more thoughts on Ferguson. I don’t think anyone is saying he’s a Kelce, Gronkowsi, or Winslow etc. It’s that the 13 personnel packages give someone like Ferguson an opportunity. He becomes the deep threat in a 13 personnel package the defense must defend as a whole. He has enough raw talent to do that much, if he is developing into a solid pro.

Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
The Rams will practice against the Saints on Thursday 👀

InvaderRam wrote:

i didn’t see much, but i’m hanging my hopes on the idea that he was overwhelmed learning a very difficult position. and the fact that his physical traits just stand out.

and also just reading and hearing about him in training camp players and coaches and reporters all seem to be saying positive things about him.

Plus he’s the obvious deep threat in 3-TE sets. The point of those sets is that more often than not it forces defenses to play base D, which keeps the bigger defenders on the field. A defense has to watch the run with 3-TE sets which means that throwing a downfield pass on play action to a TE defenders can’t match up with could pay dividends. So if they do that and it works we’ll see TF catching deliberately high passes over the heads of slower bigger defenders.

Plus unlike last summer, this time Ferguson can work with Stafford in training camp. They can get their timing down.

…

RB guide:

27 = Hunter
32 = Jordan Waters
33 = Connors

The Rams had some impressive explosives from the RB group during the first preseason contest. In an already loaded depth chart, the Rams may end up having a tough decision to make.

As Ronnie Rivers value – It would be most important for one of these backs show they can pass pro pic.twitter.com/WzzDjtEVl6

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) August 18, 2026

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Sean McVay told reporters today that rookie Keagen Trost will probably miss a few weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered in the first quarter on Saturday. Tough blow for him and the Rams.

NFL Stats@NFL_Stats
Most pass attempts on play action plays last season:

#Rams – 212
#Bears – 190
#Lions – 159
#Bills – 146
#Cardinals – 141
#Packers – 141

5 observations from Rams practice on Tuesday

Brock Vierra

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/08/18/5-observations-from-rams-practice-on-tuesday/91359231007/?taid=6a84dabe2f77dd0001a58e1f&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Los Angeles Rams got back to work on Tuesday as they prepare for the New Orleans Saints and the final stretch of preseason. This week will feature a joint practice and a preseason game that could serve as the deciding factor for several position battles.

Here are five observations from practice.

The Rams have linebacker depth

The Rams have more than enough talent at outside linebacker, but there was a concern that their interior could be exposed. That concern is non-existent because Grant Stuard will be a valuable depth piece for L.A. Stuard jumped a quick pass from Stetson Bennett, taking the ball the distance. It was a tough day for Bennett, with another pick made by Alex Johnson, but Stuard was all over the field.

He could have the same growth that Nate Landman had last year. He looks comfortable.

Stafford is at his peak

The reigning MVP looked in peak form and without Puka Nacua on the field, Stafford was distributing the ball to a variety of targets. His decisions were quick; he was sharp; he was reading the defense with ease (as one would expect), and his throws to the outside were precise.

Stafford was able to push the ball downfield as well. Long story short, he’s ready to roll.

Whittington’s making a push

There’s a good chance that Rams fans will see a lot of Jordan Whittington this season, especially if he can get hot early. His connection with Stafford was on the money, and he looked like a seamless replacement for Nacua. Konata Mumpfield also had a good day, but Whittington was moving, and his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands should see more things drawn up for him as the year progresses.

He looked like a true WR3 at minimum. Now, let’s see what he looks like against an opponent.

Ferguson’s development is ahead of schedule

Ferguson’s skills as a pass catcher were evident last season, but his blocking has improved a lot. He’s throwing his body around and making plays in the run game. Considering how important run blocking is, especially within the McVay offense, Ferguson could be positioned in a way to move defensive backs without issue, as he’s throwing weight against linebackers and defensive linemen.

He still has some work to do, but Ferguson is stronger while being just as agile as he was in 2025. Scary.

Major questions on the offensive line

The players who practiced were fine. It’s about the players who didn’t. With Justin Dedich and Keagan Trost working their way back from injury, the biggest question on the line is who covers for them, and are those players good enough?

We’ll have to wait for that answer, but it’s something to ponder for how the Rams manage their line for the rest of the preseason.

wv wrote:

Well, did you see Ferguson flash any traits last year? I just didnt see anything that really popped. Just seemed like ‘a guy’ to me. What did you see?

w
v

You didn’t ask me, but he plays like a big receiver. He ran a lot of vertical routes and in fact caught 6 25+ yarders, which is more than any Rams rookie going back decades. He didn’t catch many passes in general, just 11, which means more than 1/2 of his catches were explosive plays. He averaged 21 yards a reception, which was 2nd in the league (1st in the NFL was a WR with 21.3), and way higher then the next highest TE, which was GB’s Tucker Kraft with 15.3.

He has good hands, long arms, and a great catch radius. And at 6’5, 250 lbs, him being able to run deeper routes like that makes him an absolute match-up nightmare.

Granted he was a rookie in 2025, and tight ends are notoriously slow learners in the NFL. They say college TEs are either blockers or receiving TEs, then they get to the NFL and have to be both. Ferguson was clearly behind when it came to NFL blocking, but also as a rookie I noticed a few times where his timing was off, so I saw a few throws that went to where he was supposed to be and he wasn’t quite at that spot yet. But if he can iron that out, what Ferguson gives them is a tall, big deep threat with good hands.

If the Rams hadn’t traded down in 2025, Ferguson would have been their 1st round pick. But he was there when they picked in round 2.

So if he develops? (And the buzz is good on that.) Then they have a 6’5 250 deep threat with a huge catch radius, and no one in the NFL can cover that. Plus he’s an obvious redzone threat.

to Daniels.

Big, big time throw https://t.co/bla2ZC2w1r pic.twitter.com/W3fcHJJXPk

— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) August 18, 2026

“They’re in love with him.” 👏@ChaseDaniel discusses Ty Simpson’s impressive preseason debut and his future with the Rams.

(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/gPSeRUUhsh

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 17, 2026

from PFF, NFL Preseason Week 1: Rookie Team of the Week — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-preseason-week-1-rookie-team-of-the-week

Offensive Tackle: Austin Blaske, Rams (80.9)

The Rams already boast one of the league’s most well-rounded offensive lines, but Austin Blaske’s preseason is effectively an audition for a larger role next season, when several of Los Angeles’ offensive linemen are scheduled to hit free agency. Blaske split time between left tackle and left guard, allowing one pressure at tackle but otherwise looking comfortable at both spots.

…

from posts put up around draft time

…
1.

North Carolina OL Austin Blaske
Allowed just 1 sack in his college career

Blaske played 843 pass-blocking snaps in his career at North Carolina and Georgia, and he allowed just one total sack across five seasons, which came against Clemson last year.

2.

Austin Blaske, OL, UNC
Blaske has experience as a center and left tackle, proving versatility. He allowed five pressures all season and excels in the run game. Blaske lacks some strength, but brings a lot of upside. It will be tough for him to make the roster, but he’ll be a good developmental option on the practice squad. He ranked inside the top 15 in pass protection via PFF in 2024

3.

OL Austin Blaske – North Carolina | The former Tar Heel is one of the few offensive linemen who has experience at all five positions. His versatility is absolutely what intrigued the team to sign him up.

“He was poised. I was impressed”@colincowherd & @3andout_pod react to Ty Simpson’s debut with Rams pic.twitter.com/SIec9VSoov

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) August 17, 2026

zn wrote:

In the final drive they did basically a 2 minute offense, with increased tempo and taking longer shots. There was only 1 play action. It was all passing, with Simpson in shotgun for all but 2 plays. In other words, they turned him loose on that drive. The drive went 87 yards for a TD in 8 plays. On that drive Simpson was 6 of 8 with 4 passes of 13+ yards (including a 22 and a 23). Though one of those was a short pass + RAC, but that wasn’t a 20 yarder.

Here’s that entire drive.

Ty Simpson looked very comfortable on that TD drive pic.twitter.com/9fVITHNvCB

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 15, 2026