Rams Defeat Crosstown Chargers 13-9 to Get Second Straight Preseason Victory

In a low-scoring affair, a fourth quarter touchdown pass by quarterback Stetson Bennett proves to be the deciding factor for the Rams as they beat the Chargers on Saturday night.

By Austin Gage

In a low-scoring affair, a fourth quarter touchdown pass by quarterback Stetson Bennett proves to be the deciding factor for the Rams as they beat the Chargers on Saturday night.

For the second straight week, the Los Angeles Rams escaped with a win. And for the second straight win, despite not seeing the offensive output they may have desired, the Rams scored exactly 13 points as they earned the win in Week 2 of the preseason over the Los Angeles Chargers, 13-9.

Playing as the away team at Sofi Stadium this week, the Rams could not find the endzone until the fourth quarter for a second straight week. Although the offense once again struggled to find a rhythm, the defense stayed solid and forced the Chargers out of the endzone the entire game, forcing the Bolts to three field goals as their total scoring output for the day.

Coming off a rough game against the Dallas Cowboys last week that included four interceptions thrown despite an eventual game-winning touchdown pass, Rams second-year quarterback Stetson Bennett had a slightly better game against the Chargers. However, his pattern of turning over the ball multiple times was once again present on Saturday as he finished the game with another interception thrown and a lost fumble to go along with two failed fourth-down attempts.

Bennett would finish the game with 213 passing yards on 17 for 31 passing in addition to that fourth-quarter touchdown pass and that interception, which was on fourth and goal and thrown to Chargers cornerback Deane Leonard in the endzone. 

Despite the pick, Bennett responded, as he has shown in the past. After a stand by the Rams’ defense, which included a technical screen sniff for a tackle-for-loss by rookie linebacker Omar Speights to effectively end a Charger drive, and another Charger field goal after a Rams three-and-out, the Rams saw themselves in a 9-6 hole with just under 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Speights, who had a quality game against the Cowboys, continued his excellent play with 8 tackles and 2 for a loss.

Bennett and the offense drove to midfield, where a first-down play action was called. The second-year man out of Georgia dropped back and launched a deep ball to rookie wide receiver JJ Laap in the middle part of the field. The ball was thrown on a dime and Laap secured the catch as he fell into the endzone, giving the Rams a 13-9 lead they would not release the rest of the game. Laap would go on to finish with 2 catches for 50 yards, 47 of them coming on the big-play touchdown.

“I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like that honestly my entire life and I was just thinking ‘Go make a play’ and I came down with it. Man, that was awesome. Someone pinch me, man, I’m dreaming right now,” said Laap.

Other offensive standouts in the truly defensive game included rookie wide receiver Jordan Whittington once again, who complimented his breakout game against the Cowboys last week with another dominant showing Saturday. From the very first offensive play for the Rams, Whittington’s presence was felt as he caught a Bennett pass on an out route for a first down. Finishing the game with 5 catches for 52 yards, the Texas product is truly making a name for himself and is in contention for the potential third wide receiver starting spot behind stars Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.

The Rams were able to ice the game with two more defensive stands on two straight possessions, and a third-down conversion by veteran running back Boston Scott all but sealed the victory just after the two-minute warning.

Many players starred on the defensive side of the ball for the Rams and one of those included rookie safety Jayden McCollough. The first-year player out of the University of Tennessee also continued great play from the previous week. Capped with a diving interception off a tipped pass in the second quarter, McCollough’s great day saw him finish with 3 tackles to go with 2 passes defended and that athletic interception. For a Rams defense that so often relied on young talent last season, McCollough is looking to be yet another young playmaker for an exciting group.

“Coming out here and seeing all the hard work just come to light means a lot to me. I’m just continuing to take it one day at a time, continuing to stay focused and keeping the main thing the main thing,” McCollough said.

An interesting note about the game included the fact that coach Sean McVay was not in charge on the night as he allowed current defensive back’s coach and pass game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant to serve as the head coach and call the shots. For the first time in McVay’s eight-year tenure with the Rams, someone else handled head coaching responsibilities. 

“The flow of the game definitely goes by much faster. Your attention is needed in different places, my energy needed to be different today to lead a group of men and I wanted to be able to be able to give that for them,” said Pleasant on the key difference in head coaching compared to his regular role. 

Up next for the Rams is a matchup in Texas against the Houston Texans as they look to end the preseason with a pristine 3-0 record. After that, there is a week off and then they will travel to Detroit to face the Lions in an opening week Sunday night playoff rematch in Week 1.