Notes, analysis and important items from Rams’ first scrimmage at SoFi Stadium

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/2016383/2020/08/23/notes-analysis-and-important-items-from-rams-first-scrimmage-at-sofi-stadium/?source=twittered

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — How could one tell that the Rams are hoping to get rookie receiver Van Jefferson into games early this season?

Near the end of Saturday’s scrimmage — the team’s first look at SoFi Stadium as a group — head coach Sean McVay and offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell threw Jefferson in at the “X” receiver spot for an entire series … against none other than star cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Quarterback Jared Goff looked Jefferson’s way twice during the series, once for a short gain and the other on a deeper pass that missed Jefferson and nearly went straight into Ramsey’s arms (he bobbled it, a rare sight that prompted friend and fellow corner Troy Hill to playfully scoop up the ball and chuck it at Ramsey in faux exasperation). We don’t know the call, so it was not clear whether the error was Goff’s or Jefferson’s, either the quarterback’s timing or the young receiver breaking the route too early.

But what we do know is the Rams are increasing Jefferson’s reps — he also had a slick, very spatially aware touchdown from backup quarterback John Wolford while playing with the second team, one of the offense’s few trips to the end zone — because they want him on the field. They worked him from a few different spots on the field and with a couple different quarterbacks.

“He’s a guy that has continued to show up,” McVay said of Jefferson after the scrimmage. “Want to be able to see him in a bunch of different capacities, inside/outside, and he is picking things up quickly. … He’s wired the right way and we are going to continue to evaluate him as we get closer to the games that count.”

Here are some other news and notes from the scrimmage:

• The Rams’ first-team offense looked discombobulated early in the scrimmage, and that continued through most of the first half. McVay said that issues were partly due to problems with the headsets (a great reason to have two rehearsals before games count), and Goff also indicated that the rotation between McVay and O’Connell calling plays was a little chaotic at times, adding to the headset issues. Because there is not a preseason this year, the Rams will work in practice the next two weeks (and in an Aug. 29 scrimmage) to hammer out those issues.

• In fact, the Rams’ first-team offense could not score against the second-team defense. Conversely, the game’s first touchdown came from the second-team offense against the first-team defense.

• Running back Darrell Henderson left the scrimmage after pulling up gingerly on a run in the first half. He limped off the field under his own power but did not return to the field or sideline. McVay did not offer any clarity on the injury, saying only that he knew it was soft-tissue in nature.

• Henderson’s injury meant an earlier push into first-team duties for rookie running back Cam Akers, who had some jitters to shake out. He learned about star defensive tackle Aaron Donald the hard way on one carry, when Donald stretched to rip the ball out of Akers’ arms. Safety John Johnson recovered the fumble and ran the ball back until the whistle blew. Johnson also had a pass breakup.

• Malcom Brown, the veteran in the running backs room, got the first carries of the night with the first team, followed by Henderson (before his injury). When Henderson left the game and Akers slid up, running backs Xavier Jones and John Kelly saw some time with the second and third teams.

• I am … THRILLED … to bring you the results of the first live-as-it-gets kicking competition, and things aren’t looking good for the Rams’ rookie draft pick, Sam Sloman. He missed a 38-yarder and a 50-yarder in five situationals. Former XFLer Austin MacGinnis missed one, a 43-yard attempt. CFL veteran kicker Lirim Hajrullahu was the lone kicker to make all five attempts, including a 50-yarder, and the kickers also rotated on kickoff duties.

• The Rams’ starting inside linebackers were Micah Kiser and Travin Howard, and the initial second-team rotation included Troy Reeder and Kenny Young.

• Rookie safety Jordan Fuller started alongside Johnson in place of Taylor Rapp, as Rapp continues to rehab a knee injury. Fuller saw substantial time throughout the scrimmage, and he has really excited coaches through training camp.

• Saturday’s starting outside linebackers were Samson Ebukam and Leonard Floyd, with a rotation that featured Terrell Lewis. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley rotated guys fast and often — which Ebukam described as keeping them “fresh” — and at a few points, Donald lined up on the outside. Which, like, that’s just not fair.

• Saturday night’s starting offensive line, from left to right, featured Andrew Whitworth, Joe Noteboom, Austin Blythe, Austin Corbett and Rob Havenstein. They had some issues against Donald and the Rams’ front, and they had some penalty issues. Goff often was throwing on the move or had a “sack” (no contact allowed) whistle the play dead. Noteboom and Havenstein both played their first as-live-as-it-gets minutes since significant injuries last season, so they will be a work in progress. Meanwhile, Goff did look sharp on a couple off-schedule throws (in chaos/pressure), including a 12-yard conversion to Jefferson while spinning away from pressure.

• Another sharp quarterback on Saturday night: Wolford, the Rams’ backup. He even inspired a few “Taysom Hill” jokes up in the press box after ripping off a few runs, one of which was a 47-yard scamper that set up a slick touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to receiver Nsimba Webster. McVay went as far as to lightheartedly compare Wolford to Doug Flutie after the game.

• Speaking of Webster, he was everywhere and commands attention this preseason. He was a steady target for Wolford and also returned kicks. The former UDFA pickup is doing whatever he can to ensure his place on the roster for a second straight season.

• Rookie quarterback Bryce Perkins was the first of the two undrafted rookie signal callers to enter Saturday’s scrimmage, marking their first live action since camp started. Josh Love followed after a drive, and the two switched in the rotation in the second half. McVay mentioned this week that it’s a tough season to really develop a young quarterback, because so many snaps are required for first- and second-teamers without an adequate spring to onboard everybody. Still, though the quarterbacks’ live time was limited, McVay is looking toward the distant future by getting both into the action.

• SoFi Stadium was … mind-blowing, neck-craning, masterfully constructed, glamorous, futuristic and, in McVay’s words, “spectacular.” I’m including a few photos below and, believe me, they don’t do it justice.

Rams training camp, Day 4: SoFi Stadium takes center stage

https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/la-rams-make-sofi-debut-in-scrimmage

Inglewood, Calif. — A recap of Saturday’s practice at Rams training camp:

PLAYER OF THE DAY

This new SoFi Stadium is pretty ridiculous. The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers new palace has a lot of structural similarities to the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium if you’ve been there before, but the translucent roof and open air at the end zones gives it a breezy, L.A. feel.

I’m not usually a fan of artificial turf, but the field looks great, and most seats appear to have good sight lines. Rams and Chargers’ fans should not have to worry about getting sun baked at their seats anymore. Hopefully, fans can experience the stadium for themselves at some point this season.

And you can’t miss the Oculus video board. It’s a very comfortable place to watch a game.

PLAY OF THE DAY

Okay, let’s talk about the play on the field. Backup quarterback John Wolford had a day. His 40-yard scramble was the most impressive play in the scrimmage. Wolford also threw two touchdowns, a 3-yarder to Nsimba Webster and a 7-yarder on an out route to Van Jefferson.

The Wake Forest product showed good poise in leading his team, using his feet to escape trouble when he felt pressure.

Head coaches usually like backup quarterbacks with good movement skills because if they are in the game, it’s likely not an ideal circumstance because there have been injuries up front or other areas of the offense, or your starter has played poorly.

Wolford played solid, easing some concerns if Jared Goff should get hurt that he could come in and lead the team in a pinch.

“I’ll tell you what, John Wolford made a lot of plays today,” McVay said. “It’s always hard because you can’t tackle the quarterbacks, but you see him running around and he’s got some Doug Flutie-type stuff to him as far as being able to break contain and make some plays off schedule. I thought he had a really nice night.”

MATCHUP OF THE DAY

While the second team offense put two touchdowns on the board, the first team offense guided by Goff struggled to move the football, failing to get into the end zone. Goff also threw an interception to safety Nick Scott and was sacked on the last offensive play of the game.

Goff looked rusty early, then got into theflow of the game and made some solid throws on the final two drives. The Rams ran the football okay, but overall just never seemed to get into a rhythm.

McVay chalked up his team’s struggles on offense to a chaotic headset communication situation that needs to be resolved, along with a focus on situational football. McVay also said the plan was to work on short passing game and not push the ball down the field.

“I think we had a lot of drives that were good, and some that were not so good,” Goff said. “Frankly, it was just a lot of mental errors, a lot of stuff operationally that was not great. And ultimately, it starts with me, and we have got to get it fixed. And we will. We have a few weeks to get it fixed, and hopefully we do starting tomorrow.”

Aaron Donald did Aaron Donald things. He forced rookie Cam Akers to fumble, with safety John Johnson recovering. And he also forced his way to the quarterback for conservatively at least five sacks.

The Pittsburgh product even spent a decent amount of time at defensive end during the scrimmage, generating consistent pressure off the edge.

“It’ challenging to go against Aaron Donald in any capacity,” McVay said. “In the walk-throughs this guy show up. He is the best in the world at what he does, and he is continuing to get better.”

ROLL CALL

Running back Darrell Henderson Jr. suffered what appeared to be a leg injury early in the scrimmage, and had to limp off the field. That’s bad news for the Memphis product, who was limited due to injuries during his rookie season last year.

McVay said Henderson has a soft tissue injury, but offered nothing specific as to when he might be back on the field. McVay said that his team suffered no other injuries that he knows of.

In the kicking competition, CFL product Lirim Hajrullahu appeared to take the lead. He was good from 38 yards twice, 43 yards, 48 yards and 50 yards. Austin MaGinnis finished 4-of-5, missing from 43 yards. And rookie, seventh-round selection Samuel Sloman finished 3-of-5, missing wide left from 38 and 50 yards.

YOU DON’T SAY

“This is something spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it. I thought it was really special, just watching the players’ reactions to how magnificent this is when we got here. They could envision themselves playing here on Sunday, Sept. 13 against the Cowboys. It’s going to be pretty special. It’s a real credit to Mr. Kroenke, when you look at the amount of time and the vision that he had, the passion. This is something that is truly reflective of an unbelievable deal you feel fortunate to be a part of.”” – McVay on playing at SoFi Stadium for the first time.

10 Observations from the Rams’ first scrimmage at SoFi Stadium

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-first-scrimmage-sofi-stadium

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Los Angeles Rams held their first of two scrimmages at SoFi Stadium Saturday night, aiming to create competitive situations to help evaluate key position battles and get used to the new stadium. Here are staff writer Stu Jackson shares 10 observations from the session.

1) Statistically, Lirim Hajrullahu had the best night of the kickers. He did not miss from 38, 43, 48 or 50 yards and converted his extra point attempt. Behind the CFL product was XFL product Austin MacGinnis, who missed from 43 but converted from 38, 48 and 50 yards out and also made his extra point attempt.

2) It didn’t take long for rookie wide receiver Van Jefferson to get first team reps during the scrimmage. After recording a 17-yard grab and a 7-yard touchdown catch against the second team defense on one of the drives in the first half, he saw several opportunities against the first team defense, including lining up against cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the final series of the night.

3) A pair of John Wolford touchdown passes notwithstanding, the defense had a good night overall. However, some of the offense’s miscues were a result of technical difficulties. Regarding the first team offense specifically, Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters after the scrimmage that the coaches were dealing with headset issues that made things “chaotic.” Goff also pointed to getting used to rotating play calls between McVay and offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. “But I thought they handled it really well, as well as they can,” Goff said. “And it’s good to get these kinks worked out now and not September 13.”

4) The offensive line had some procedural penalties it will be need to cleanup, but Goff was complimentary of the group’s cohesiveness Saturday night, telling reporters afterward that he “thought they did a really good job and are starting to gel and starting to really feel like a unit.” The first team offensive line was consistent with what has been observed at training camp during the week – Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, Joe Noteboom at left guard, Austin Blythe at center, Austin Corbett at right guard and Rob Havenstein at right tackle.

5) Wolford had a strong night and showed why O’Connell is so confident in and comfortable with him despite his lack of experience. Wolford completed a drive against the first team defense with a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nsimba Webster, then led another scoring drive later with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson in the back right corner of the endzone.

6) McVay said he would allocate some scrimmage reps to the rookie quarterbacks and delivered on that promise, giving Bryce Perkins and Josh Love opportunities in competitive situations. Perkins had a 14-yard scramble and an 11-yard completion to rookie wide receiver J.J. Koski on one series. Love connected with rookie tight end Brycen Hopkins for four yards and rookie running back Xavier Jones for five yards on one series.

7) Defensive tackle Aaron Donald was doing Aaron Donald things. He notched a couple of sacks and routinely brought pressure on the quarterback and had a forced fumble on running back Cam Akers. It was a good test for the interior of the offensive line.

8) The scrimmage was a learning experience for Akers, who continued to show the patience, vision and tempo that McVay praised after practice this week but also coughed up a fumble in the redzone (Donald’s forced fumble). Goff said that while Akers is still learning, he is picking things up “fairly quickly.”

9) There was a good variety to the situational work. McVay mixed things up by having the offense starting deep in its own territory, at the 25, at midfield and in the redzone on different drives. And it wasn’t exclusively first team offense vs. first team defense, second team offense vs. second team defense, etc.

10) Running back Darrell Henderson left the first half of the scrimmage with a soft tissue injury, according to McVay. There were no other injuries from the scrimmage that McVay immediately knew of afterward. That afforded Akers more opportunities.

Eric Williams@eric_d_williams
Second-team O-line for Rams: Bobby Evans at LT, Tremayne Anchrum at LG, Jeremiah Kolone at C, David Edwards at RG and Jamil Demby at RT.

—

Toe drag swag ✅
Touchdown ✅

Wolford to @VanJefferson12 for six! pic.twitter.com/b7DMUufqER

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 23, 2020

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
After the Rams’ 1st team offense is forced to punt against the 2nd team defense, the 2nd team offense scores on the 1st team defense. Drive capped off by a John Wolford 3-yard TD pass to Nsimba Webster

1st team offense vs 1st team defense ends with each of the three kickers attempting a 38-yard field goal. Austin MacGinnis and Lirim Hajrullahu converted, Sam Sloman missed.

Wolford finds Van Jefferson for a 7-yard touchdown pass. Each of the three kickers get an extra point attempt, and all of them convert.

The second drive featuring 1st team offense vs. 1st team defense ends with a takeaway by the defense. Offense was in redzone at 20-yard line, RB Cam Akers took toss to the left, then DT Aaron Donald ripped the ball loose. S John Johnson III recovered.

Third 1st team offense vs. 1st team defense series of scrimmage ends with each of the three kickers attempting a 50-yard field goal. Sloman missed, Hajrullahu and McGinnis both converted.

My view for today’s scrimmage…plenty of distancing and glass panels put up by Rams staff. Big fan of seeing replay on this big ol video board pic.twitter.com/4TJy5pH1eU

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) August 22, 2020

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Your Rams starting OL tonight – Whitworth, Noteboom, Blythe, Corbett, Havenstein.

Troy Reeder and Kenny Young getting some early chances at ILB against first team O early on.

Near pick on third down by Deayon. Goff missed Kupp with good covg from Long on 2D…punt team comes out on 4th and 17. (I won’t do play by play tonight but geez it’s good to see football.)

Ok so the second team O just scored against first team D in the RZ – Nsimba Webster from Wolford on the run – ILBs were Howard and Kiser

Jordan Fuller is getting significant time with the first team defense tonight esp with Rapp still out.

Bryce Perkins, of Chandler, Arizona, is the first of the rookie quarterbacks to get in some live action here in SoFi tonight.

Well, I am not seeing Darrell Henderson even on the sideline at the moment. He came up gingerly on a run and limped off the field several minutes ago.