The Rams opened preseason play with a 20-12 win over the Chiefs on Saturday, but the real headline came from rookie quarterback Ty Simpson. In his first game action for Los Angeles, Simpson turned in a sharp debut, finishing 21-for-25 for 190 yards with two touchdown passes.
Stetson Bennett got the first crack at the offense and handled the opening two drives, going 4-for-6 for 38 yards and guiding one scoring series. After that, Simpson took over and settled in quickly. With the exception of a throwaway and a heave at the end of the first half, he completed his first 15 passes.
His second drive was especially clean. Simpson went 4-for-4 for 41 yards, highlighted by a 23-yard play-action completion to tight end Mark Redman.
By halftime, he was 9-for-11 for 74 yards and had already helped produce one scoring drive. With 37 seconds left before the break, he also guided the Rams into range late in the half.
The first half was so light on touchdowns that it felt like a 6-6 soccer match, with both sides getting only field goals on the board.
Los Angeles finally found the end zone in the fourth quarter after Kansas City had taken a 9-6 lead. A strong punt return from Xavier Smith set things up, and Simpson hit undrafted free agent Dean Connors on a screen for Connors’ first career touchdown pass. Connors, one of the Rams’ highest-rated undrafted free agents, also flashed as a receiving option on the play.
Simpson wasn’t done. On the next possession, the Rams marched 87 yards in eight plays, with Simpson connecting on a 22-yard throw to Mark Redman and a 23-yard pass to Brennan Presley. The drive ended with another touchdown to Connors, giving Simpson a second scoring strike in the fourth quarter.
That was the kind of debut the Rams wanted to see. Simpson looked composed, efficient and comfortable running the offense. The sample size was small, but he appeared to be the more impressive of the two quarterbacks.
The offense was mostly vanilla, as preseason offenses usually are, but Simpson still found a way to stand out. Once the game opened up in the fourth quarter, he started hitting the explosive throws and showed both decisiveness and accuracy.
He also flashed some mobility. For a quarterback who lacked experience, those were valuable reps.
The coaching staff will have a better read on the competition as the week goes on, but it’s fair to wonder whether Simpson can move ahead of Bennett before the preseason wraps up. At minimum, this was a very encouraging start.
On the defensive side, the Rams got the stops they needed and the pass rush made an impact while the offense stayed on schedule.
There was one injury note to watch: rookie offensive tackle Keagen Trost left in the first half and was ruled out with a hamstring injury. The Rams may simply have been cautious there, and Sean McVay is expected to address it later.
Next up, Los Angeles returns to SoFi Stadium for its preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.
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