The Los Angeles Rams did more than win a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints. They created a clear picture of what training camp is meant to reveal: competitive depth, a defense that can seize momentum, and a roster with difficult decisions still to make. The 34-0 victory at SoFi Stadium supplied all three. It also sent the Rams into their final exhibition against the Los Angeles Chargers with a 2-0 record, a long list of contributors making a case for a role, and the regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne rapidly approaching.
Preseason results do not decide what a team will become in September, and they should never be treated as a shortcut to a regular-season forecast. But the way Los Angeles has played through two games has been hard to ignore. The Rams have scored 27 points per game while allowing only six. They have averaged 241 passing yards and 122 rushing yards per game, then followed a 20-12 win at Kansas City with a shutout that featured scoring drives, takeaways and a decisive special-teams-free brand of football. For Sean McVay, the final audition against the Chargers is now less about finding energy and more about sharpening choices.
A 34-0 Win That Put the Depth Chart in Motion
The most immediate storyline from the Saints game was the quarterback rotation. Stetson Bennett IV started and directed four scoring drives in five first-half possessions, showing command when the Rams needed the offense to convert opportunity into points. His two rushing touchdowns illustrated the athleticism that makes him difficult to defend when a play extends. Bennett did not merely benefit from a favorable matchup; he pushed the operation forward after an early stalled drive and helped Los Angeles establish control.
Ty Simpson then took the second half with the Rams already ahead 27-0. The rookie completed 8 of 12 passes for 73 yards and guided a scoring possession capped by Jarquez Hunter’s 12-yard touchdown run. The stat line is modest, but the context matters. Simpson had to manage a game in which the outcome was no longer in doubt, keep the offense on schedule and show the poise that McVay values in a reserve quarterback. Across the first two preseason games, Simpson has produced 263 passing yards, while Hunter has collected 103 rushing yards. Those numbers are not a roster guarantee, but they have added substance to the competition.
McVay has said Simpson will play against the Chargers, while leaving open whether Bennett will play and how the remaining quarterback snaps will be distributed. That decision turns Thursday night into one of the Rams’ most important roster evaluations. Matthew Stafford remains the centerpiece of the offense, but the club must decide how much security it wants behind him and how to balance immediate readiness with long-term development. ESPN’s latest roster projection carried all three quarterbacks, an indication of how tight the evaluation remains.
Defense Supplies the Most Convincing Early Signal
Los Angeles entered 2026 with the pieces to build an intimidating defense. The front now includes Myles Garrett alongside a young core led by Byron Young, who is coming off a 12-sack season, Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske. The secondary has added Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to a group that already features continuity at safety. In the opening two preseason games, the Rams have not yet faced the regular-season level of game-planning or quarterback play that will arrive in September. Still, their response has been decisive: 12 total points allowed, two straight wins and a shutout against New Orleans.
The Saints performance was a showcase for players competing behind the headline names. Wesley Bailey finished with five tackles, a sack, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble. That combination showed not only production but disruptive timing. Bailey’s forced fumble, recovered by Payton Zdroik inside the New Orleans 5-yard line, prevented the Saints from finding a way into the game. Alex Cook added the signature play, turning an interception into a 100-yard touchdown return. Al’zillion Hamilton also intercepted a pass, while Cam Lampkin delivered a fourth-down breakup. Those moments are exactly what coaches seek in preseason: evidence that a player can execute, create a turnover and stay composed when a game changes suddenly.
The Rams’ defensive ranking will not become meaningful until the regular season creates a real sample. What is available now is an early profile: Los Angeles has allowed six points per preseason game, 188.5 opponent passing yards per game and 115 opponent rushing yards per game. The better takeaway is that the defense has created short fields and denied answers. McVay’s team will need that complementary football because its 2025 offense was historically productive, leading the NFL in total yards with 6,709 and in receiving touchdowns with 46. If the defense becomes the group that gives Stafford and the offense more possessions instead of merely holding the line, the Rams’ ceiling rises considerably.
Health Updates Add Important Context to the Final Preseason Week
There is also a clear distinction between a strong camp and a fully settled camp. On Aug. 24, the Rams welcomed offensive lineman Justin Dedich back to practice after he passed his physical, and tight end Davis Allen returned for individual work after his quad issue. Both developments matter for a roster that has emphasized depth and versatility. McVay described Dedich as an important part of the operation, while Allen’s return could be particularly useful for a team that leaned heavily into multi-tight-end personnel last season.
Los Angeles used 331 snaps of 13 personnel in 2025, more than twice as many as any other team. That formation identity creates flexibility for the Rams to run, protect Stafford, stress a defense with play action and build mismatches through the tight end room. Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, Colby Parkinson, Allen and Max Klare give the offense options, but staying healthy will determine how much of that menu McVay can use when the games count.
Receiver Puka Nacua and defensive end Myles Garrett did not participate in the Aug. 24 practice, with Nacua working with trainers. McVay said Nacua, Garrett and offensive lineman Keagen Trost were doing well, without offering a new timetable. The prudent approach is to view the final preseason game through that lens. The Rams do not need their established stars to prove themselves in an exhibition. They need enough health, enough depth and enough clarity to arrive at the San Francisco opener with the best version of their full roster available.
The offensive infrastructure is already formidable when its leading players are on the field. Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions last season, while Davante Adams led the league with 14 touchdown catches. Kyren Williams produced 1,252 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 259 carries, even as Blake Corum handled a meaningful share of the backfield work. Those figures explain why Los Angeles is expected to be among the NFC’s top contenders. They also explain why the rest of camp is about preparation rather than chasing preseason validation.
Chargers First, Then a Global Stage Against San Francisco
The Chargers game offers one last chance to answer practical questions. Can Bennett or Simpson separate in the backup competition? Which young defenders can turn a strong practice week into a complete game? Who can help fix a special-teams phase that cost the Rams too much last season? Kicker Harrison Mevis has provided encouraging stability since taking over last year, but the Rams must make every phase dependable if they want to improve on a 12-5 finish and an NFC Championship Game appearance.
After that comes a uniquely demanding beginning to the regular season. The Rams will open against the 49ers in Melbourne, taking part in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. San Francisco remains an NFC West measuring stick, and the travel, event scale and division stakes will ensure that the opener has significance beyond a typical Week 1. The Rams’ 2025 finish put them near the top of the conference, but the NFC West is not built for comfortable projections. Seattle returns as the defending champion, San Francisco retains a win-now roster, and every divisional game will matter in a tight playoff race.
That is why the preseason record should be read as momentum rather than a conclusion. The Rams are 2-0, but what matters most is that the roster has begun to reveal a working identity. The offense has depth at its skill positions. The defense has produced pressure and takeaways. The coaching staff has one more game to sort out roles without sacrificing the long-term health of the players who will carry the season.
Community Work Extends the Rams’ Reach Beyond the Schedule
The Los Angeles Rams are also carrying that sense of purpose away from the practice field. The club’s Kickoff for Charity event brought players, coaches, supporters and alumni together to benefit the Rams Foundation. The foundation’s work is aimed at expanding access and opportunity across Los Angeles, with initiatives that address education inequities, food and housing insecurity, youth health and wellness, mentorship, military and first-responder support, and community relationships.
The Melbourne trip is being framed as more than a game as well. The Rams have planned a free public fan experience on Crown Riverwalk and an inaugural Flag Football Community Day for Victorian schools. The program is designed to provide teacher training, student clinics, equipment and continued engagement for up to 50 government schools alongside an initial group of independent schools. That matters because a global opener can be a spectacle for a weekend or a foundation for long-term participation. The Rams are trying to make it the latter.
The Bottom Line
The Rams have handled August with urgency, not overreaction. Their 34-0 win over the Saints showed why the roster feels deeper and more dangerous than it did at the start of camp. Bennett, Simpson, Hunter, Bailey, Cook, Hamilton and Lampkin all created meaningful tape, while the return of Dedich and Allen offered welcome progress. The status of Nacua, Garrett and Trost remains worth monitoring, but the team’s focus is correctly trained on getting ready rather than forcing answers before they are needed.
One final game against the Chargers will close the audition phase. Then the Los Angeles Rams will turn toward San Francisco, Melbourne and an NFC season in which expectations are unmistakably high. If the preseason has delivered any reliable message, it is this: Los Angeles has the talent to contend, the depth to make difficult choices and the responsibility to turn early flashes into meaningful football when September arrives.
