The Los Angeles Rams preseason game against the Chargers marked their return to the television screen. While the team has been together for a number of weeks, those who were not lucky enough to get to go see them in person were greeted with their first introduction to the team in 2022. While the starters didn’t play, several players jumped off the screen for better or worse.
In other words, on Saturday, some helped their careers and others shot themselves in the foot. In a winning performance, there are many more of the former group than the latter. Here’s a look at the winners and losers from Week 1 of the preseason.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”1076464″ player=”32134″ title=”Rams%20Brothers%20Preseason%20Debrief%20%20Rams%20At%20Chargers” duration=”3171″ description=”The Rams kicked off their season with a preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers. There were a ton of unknowns going into this game, particularly if we were going to see players like John Wolford, or Tutu Atwell on the field. Instead, we got a steady dose of Bryce Perkins, who (when paired with Lance McCutcheon) showed that an incredible play is just right around the corner. Additionally, we dug into the 4 Rams RB’s who received carries on Saturday night’s game, how rookie Logan Bruss faired in his first-ever live game action, how the rookie DB class rallied around each other and created a solid foundation to build on, why Daniel Hardy has a legitimate chance to earn snaps this season, and so much more. Featuring special guest Ryan Dyrud of LAFB Network!” uploaddate=”2022-08-16″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/22501/snapshot/1076464_th_1660625046.jpg” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/22501/sd/1076464.mp4″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
Los Angeles Rams Preseason Week 1: Winners And Losers Feat. Lance McCutcheon
Week 1 Rams Preseason Winners
Bryce Perkins – QB
The streak of preseason dominance continued for quarterback Bryce Perkins with an electric performance to kick off the Rams preseason. Perkins played the entire game, completing 10 of 17 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed eight times for 39 yards and a touchdown. The game remained close for all four quarters and he managed to keep calm and be the driving force of the offense.
He delivered several great passes and escaped from would-be sacks, turning a sure loss into a gain. If the Rams don’t give him a shot to supplant John Wolford, it will be shocking if other teams fail to bite on the quarterback. Of course, he wasn’t the only player on the offense who had an electric outing.
Lance McCutcheon – WR
The unknown wide receiver made a name for himself in the first Rams preseason contest of the year. In the game, he caught five passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. One pass was thrown into double coverage and 90 percent of the time or more, it would have been incomplete or intercepted. However, Lance McCutcheon somehow came down with the pass and sprinted down the field to score a massive touchdown. If he keeps it up, fans will start calling him “McClutcheon.”
Of course, the Rams are loaded at wide receiver so there remains a chance that he is the odd man out. However, for McCutcheon, he likely showed enough to catch another team’s eye should it not work out in Los Angeles. Either way, he extended his NFL career substantially with the performance.
Jake Hummel – ILB
It can often be much more difficult for defensive players to jump off the screen in the same way offensive players did. However, Hummel was everywhere during the Rams preseason game, racking up five tackles and five assists. As the preseason continues, it will be worth keeping an eye on the inside linebacker. Of course, with Bobby Wagner on the squad locking down one starting role, his hopes of winning a starting job are quite small.
However, any good tape made now could pay dividends if there is an injury at the front of the line. The Rams lack depth at the position. So the coaches will check the tape from this game while looking for a replacement.
Week 1 Rams Preseason: Loser
Jake Funk – RB
Jake Funk had a chance to solidify and confirm himself as the third-string back for the team with a breakout performance. However, he fell below simply being acceptable. Granted, he had two returns for 36 yards, but the Rams don’t need a returner. As a running back, he had six carries for 16 yards, earning a 2.7 yards per carry average.
The floor for a decent game is 3.4 yards per carry, meaning he fell almost a full yard short of that. Of course, there’s still two games to turn it around, but the wide receiver has his work cut out for him.
