The Rams’ second preseason outing looked nothing like the first one. Against the Saints on Saturday, Los Angeles jumped ahead 20-0 in the first half and never let the game get complicated, rolling to a 34-0 win behind a roster full of backups who clearly outplayed New Orleans’ reserves.
With neither side using starters after Thursday’s joint practice in Woodland Hills, the Rams’ depth took center stage. Several players turned the afternoon into a showcase, and the game was sealed by a second-half pick-six from Alex Cook and a fourth-quarter touchdown run by Jarquez Hunter.
Wesley Bailey made the kind of case that gets attention fast. The outside linebacker was a problem off the edge all day, finishing with five tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and four QB hits.
He added a forced fumble in the third quarter, knocking the ball loose near the goal line and snuffing out a Saints scoring chance. Even against backup competition, Bailey’s speed, athleticism and length jumped off the field.
Stetson Bennett also took advantage of the extra work. After only two series in the preseason opener, he played the full first half this time and finished 19 of 31 for 181 yards while adding two red-zone rushing touchdowns.
The night wasn’t flawless - a few throws sailed high - but Bennett was mostly sharp, kept the offense on time and helped finish the half with a strong two-minute drive that led to three more points. If Sean McVay wanted more from him, Bennett gave it to him.
CJ Daniels kept building on his first preseason performance and looked even more comfortable against the Saints. Bennett targeted him 12 times in the first half, and Daniels came down with eight catches for 68 yards.
He played with confidence at the catch point, using aggressive hands to secure the ball. For a rookie, that kind of showing can only help his chances if the Rams need help at receiver during the season.
Cook turned one snap into a headline. In the third quarter, he read Spencer Rattler’s eyes, jumped the route and took the interception 100 yards the other way for a touchdown. He added one tackle on defense and one on special teams, but that return was the play everyone will remember.
Austin Blaske kept making his own quiet push at right tackle. With Keagen Trost injured, Blaske held up well in both pass protection and the run game, and the Rams’ offense as a whole backed that up by avoiding a sack and averaging 5 yards per carry. If he does get cut next weekend, he has given the team a reason to keep him around on the practice squad.
Hunter, meanwhile, helped put the final stamp on the win. The running back finished with 68 yards on 12 carries and broke loose for a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was a useful reminder of what he brings beyond power: agility, balance through contact and enough burst to finish the job once the lane opened.
In Other News...
Saints Preseason Blowout Suddenly Became Part Of A Bigger NFL Debate
Brenda Songs color commentary debut during the Rams-Saints preseason game added a different kind of conversation to a night that already had plenty of football on it. For New Orleans, the scoreline itself was only part of the backdrop, because the broadcast quickly drew attention beyond the field and into the booth, where ESPN and the NFL were trying something a little outside the usual preseason script.
Jason Whitlock used the postgame spotlight to go after that decision, criticizing the networks and framing Songs role as part of a broader shift he sees around who gets hired for these jobs. The Rams still move on to the rest of their preseason slate and then the regular season, but the buzz from this one has left an off-field debate hanging around a game the Saints would probably rather file away and forget. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Backfield Depth Just Took Another Hit With Devin Neal
Devin Neals preseason remains stuck in the same frustrating place after another hamstring issue surfaced in the Saints loss to the Rams. Head coach Kellen Moore confirmed the injury, and the setback lands at a bad time for a backfield that has already been trying to sort out depth while camp winds down.
Neal had also missed time earlier in training camp with a hamstring injury, making this latest problem especially discouraging for a player trying to carve out a role. He was one of several Saints to leave the game hurt, with Lorenzo Styles, Bub Means, Moliki Matavao, Torricelli Simpkins III and Brien Taylor also dealing with injuries, adding to the sense that New Orleans is piling up absences at an inconvenient moment. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Put Kellen Moore In An Awkward Spot After Flat Debut
Kellen Moores first game managing the Saints offered little encouragement, and it came in the form of a lopsided 34-0 loss to the Rams that left New Orleans searching for answers in almost every phase. Turnovers, penalties and a lack of urgency defined the night, while both Zach Wilson and Spencer Rattler struggled to move the offense or establish any rhythm. For a preseason opener, it was the kind of flat debut that tends to linger because it exposed so many issues at once.
The defensive side had its own rough edges, too, as the Rams repeatedly went after cornerback Martin Emerson and found success with several completions, plus a penalty against him. It added to a performance that looked disjointed from the start and put Moore in the awkward early position of having to sort through a game that was hard to frame as anything other than a setback. The Saints have time to clean it up, but after a shutout this one will not be easy to shrug off. [Read more 🡒]