Three things to watch as the Los Angeles Rams take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the final week of the preseason.
The Los Angeles Rams have looked solid in the preseason thus far and have an opportunity to finish off their final game strong ahead of the start of the regular season.
Throughout the preseason, the Rams have seen several players perform well, as some of them are fighting to make the 53-man roster, which will need to be finalized on Aug. 30.
Additionally, this preseason, the Rams have a few position battles and areas to watch, with the biggest one clearly being the backup quarterback battle between Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett IV. With this backup quarterback competition, among other key positions on the roster still up for grabs, there will definitely be plenty of entertaining storylines to watch.
So, heading into Thursday, here are three key things to watch for on the Rams' side of things.
1. The Backup Quarterback Battle
There is no question that the biggest thing to watch for in Thursday's game will be the backup quarterback battle between Simpson and Bennett and specifically how head coach Sean McVay manages the reps.
On Monday, McVay revealed that Simpson is definitely going to play, while on the other hand, the head coach has not yet determined whether Bennett will play.
With McVay's statement in mind, it may suggest that Bennett is still in the lead to win the backup quarterback job, as McVay does not normally play key rotational players in the preseason, and the potential QB2, Bennett, fits that mold.
Because Simpson is a rookie, McVay may simply want to go with Bennett because he has more experience in the offense and because Bennett did run the offense very effectively in the Rams' second preseason victory against the Saints on Saturday.
Heading into this game, it will definitely be worth watching how Simpson plays and if Bennett plays at all, because depending on each of those factors, there may be a clear indication as to which direction McVay is leaning in terms of naming the backup quarterback.
2. Depth in the Cornerback Room
The next key factor to watch is depth in the cornerback room, and specifically the battle between Cam Lampkin, Nyzier Fourqurean, Al'zillion Hamilton, and Alex Johnson to become solid depth behind Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
So far, the battle between Lampkin, Fourqurean, Hamilton, and Johnson has been pretty tight, with each of them showing consistency in coverage and the ability to make tackles when needed.
Fourqurean and Hamilton, in particular, had great performances in Saturday's win, as they each graded in the top five of the Rams' defensive performances when looking at PFF grades, with Lampkin not too far behind.
In addition to grading well, Hamilton picked off a pass on Saturday, which gives him a huge boost compared to the other three; however, he must continue to play well in order to secure his spot.
The unfortunate part about this battle is the fact that, most likely, at least one of these corners will get cut following the preseason finale.
So, as Lampkin, Fourqurean, Hamilton, and Johnson prepare for this game, it will be interesting to watch how all of them play, which could determine who will be key depth for the Rams and who will get cut and be looking for another opportunity.
3. C.J. Daniels and the WR3 Competition
The third and final thing to watch in this game is C.J. Daniels and his opportunity to become the WR3 for the Rams.
Throughout the first two weeks of the preseason, Daniels has progressed, and on Saturday against the Saints, he had a breakout performance. Against the Saints, Daniels tallied eight receptions for 68 yards and was targeted a total of 13 times. Whether Bennett or Simpson was in the game, Daniels found a way to get open and make plays.
With this performance, Daniels puts himself in a great position to compete for the WR3 position because he is getting game reps and practice reps, which is so valuable as a rookie.
On another note, the rest of the receivers competing for the WR3 spot include Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith, Jordan Whittington, and Brennan Presley.
Looking at these other options, other than Presley, it is not very likely that any of them will play on Thursday, which gives Daniels another opportunity to prove to McVay that he can be a valuable part of this offense.
So, heading into Thursday, it will be intriguing to watch how Daniels plays and if he can continue building on his preseason performance. If the rookie does continue to progress, that may put him in a position to make a strong push for the WR3 position leading up to the regular season.
