Broncos 17, Rams 12: L.A. Finishes Preseason With Third Loss

The Rams fall short again in potential game-winning drive

Jeremy Brener | Aug 29, 2021

The Los Angeles Rams are looking ahead to the regular season now.

The team's preseason ended in a third consecutive loss, this time a 17-12 setback at the Denver Broncos.

Just like the other two preseason contests, Matthew Stafford was included in a group of starters who will not play until the regular season kicks in two weeks against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football.

Those playing Saturday were fighting for the final few spots before each team slices its roster from 80 to 53 on Tuesday.

The Broncos took a different approach and started some of their key players, including newly-appointed first-team quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, acquired in a trade during the offseason.

Bridgewater connected with Courtland Sutton on the team's lone first-half touchdown. The Rams trailed the Broncos 10-9 heading into the locker room.

The Rams took a 12-10 lead midway through the third quarter with the fourth field goal from Matt Gay. Los Angeles had its strongest opportunity for a touchdown all night on that drive, and settled for three.

The team has several other chances to get in the end zone in the second half, including the final drive of the game. Trailing 17-12, Bryce Perkins had the Rams in position to win for the second week in a row.

That drive featured Perkins gaining 20 yards on a 3rd-and-10 scramble that showed signs of a someone meant to stay in the NFL. Perkins drove the team to the Denver 22-yard line, but the march and opportunity to win stalled there.

Perkins played every offensive snap for the second week in a row, and finished the night throwing for 208 yards and rushing for 50.

The finale was not much of a representation as to what the Rams will look like in two weeks, but seeing Perkins shine proves belongs on the team. That's the biggest takeaway from the game.

Safety J.R. Reed led the team in tackles (6) and second-round draft pick Tutu Atwell led the team in receiving yards (62). Depth is always critical in the NFL, and there are some players on the back end of the depth chart that can make plays. That's always a good sign for contending teams.

The Rams plan to be a contender when the season opens in two short weeks.

CONTINUE READING: Rams Special Teams Coach Joe DeCamillis in COVID-19 Protocol: NFL Tracker

Published Aug 29, 2021

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.