Ram Digest

FINAL: Rams Shutout 41-0 by Broncos in Preseason Finale

The Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos meet at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium for a Saturday night preseason game. Follow along for live updates and highlights.

Harrison Reno

In this story:

For the first and only time this preseason, the Los Angeles Rams will be on the road as they will face the Denver Broncos tonight at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.

While the Rams are winless (0-2) so far this preseason, with losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, they have been boosted by promising performances from rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett. 

Last week, Bennett started the game for the Rams and played partway through the fourth quarter before being subbed out in favor of Brett Rypien. Bennett completed 15 of his 24 passes for 142 yards with one interception. While Bennett didn't throw a touchdown, he did find the endzone with his legs on a four-yard run. 

The interception was Bennett's first of his career, and as he later explained, it was due to a "miscommunication."

“That was completely my fault,” Bennett said in the post-game press conference. “I thought that he was going to run a different route than he did and anticipated it and he ran the one that was called and I threw the one that wasn’t and I paid for it.”

Now, as he looks to clinch his spot as the backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford, he will look to put together his best performance of the preseason before cutdown day.

WHAT: Los Angeles Rams (0-2) vs Denver Broncos (0-2)

WHERE: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO (76,125)

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, 7 p.m. (MT)

TELEVISION: KABC-7 (LA), NFL Network

RADIO: ESPN LA 710 AM

ODDS: Rams +5.5 (-111, +200 moneyline), Total: 36.5 (o -120/u -105)

Follow along with our live updates below once kickoff gets underway ...

First Quarter

(7-0) 9:37: Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham has started off the game hot, completing all six of his passes for 71 yards before a one-yard run from Jaleel McLaughlin. Rams' rookie cornerback Tre Tomlinson was disqualified after a face-masking penalty.

TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS 

Broncos 7, Rams 0 

Change of Possession

(7-0) 7:18: After an illegal contact penalty on the Broncos on first down, the Rams offense couldn't get much going after two straight runs, which totaled just six yards; Bennett's pass to Ronnie Rivers yielded just two yards on third-down before punting. 

Change of Possession

(7-0) 7:08: Stidham found his receiver Marvin Mims Jr., for a huge 50-yard pass on gain on first play of the drive. Following a hit after he threw the ball, Stidham was aided by the Broncos' training staff before being replaced in the game by Ben DiNucci for a play. 

(10-0) 6:11: After a false start backed the Broncos up on third down, the Rams' defense got off the field by just allowing a 46-yard field goal from Brett Maher.

FIELD GOAL BRONCOS 

Broncos 10, Rams 0 

Change of Possession

(10-0) 5:33: After two penalties started the drive for the Rams, Bennett was picked off on a throw intended for DeMarcus Robinson

Change of Possession

(10-0) 4:45: Following the interception, a run for McLaughlin picked up 15 yards. 

(10-0) 4:37: On third-down, Stidham found his tight end, Albert Okwuegbunam, for a first-down.

(10-0) 3:46: Stidham escaped a potential sack for the Rams and instead picked up the first down on a 20-yard run to the Rams' nine-yard-line.

(17-0) 1:45: Stidham went back to his tight end Okwuegbunam, this time for a touchdown. 

TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS 

Broncos 17, Rams 0 

Change of Possession

(17-0) 1:35: Bennett finds Tyler Johnson for a one-yard completion on second-down before an unnecessary roughness penalty on Denver gave them a first-down.

(17-0) 0:16: A Rivers run picked up six yards on second-down, before picking up the first-down on another run.

Second Quarter

(17-0) 14:14: Bennett was sacked on second-down, bringing up a third and 15, where he threw an interception to Drew Sanders on what appeared to be an underthrown ball.

Change of Possession

(17-0) 11:51: Broncos picked up 11 yards on a Tony Jones run. 

(24-0) 10:04: Jones found another two yards on fourth-down to get the Broncos to first and goal before punching his way into the endzone.

TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS 

Broncos 24, Rams 0

Change of Possession

(24-0) 10:04: Brett Rypien came in to replace Bennett before Rivers picked up a combined 15 yards after two straight runs.

(24-0) 7:29: Rypien's first pass attempt fell incomplete on third and five.

Change of Possession

(24-0) 7:29: Despite Stidham throwing the ball into double coverage, Broncos receiver Brandon Johnson came down with it for a 49-yard gain.

(27-0) 4:30: Stidham's third-down pass to Marquez Callaway fell incomplete as the Rams held Denver to a 33-yard field goal.

FIELD GOAL BRONCOS 

Broncos 27, Rams 0

Change of Possession

(27-0) 2:29: Rypien found Austin Trammel for a 10-yard gain and a first-down. 

(27-0) 2:00: After a sack on second-down backed the Rams up, Rypien's pass was batted down on third and long.

Change of Possession

(27-0) 1:06: Stidham found Lil'Jordan Humphrey for a 12-yard gain as he advanced the Broncos to their own 34-yard line.

(27-0) 1:00: A third-down run from the Broncos picked up a first-down before a timeout. 

(27-0) 0:53: Stidham found Jones for an 11-yard completion. 

Third Quarter 

(27-0) 13:43: A Rypien pass to Lance McCutcheon was incomplete on first-down before he found Trammel for a 12-yard gain and a first-down.

(27-0) 12:24: Rypien was hit as he threw on third-down, which caused the ball to fall short of its target.

Change of Possession

(27-0) 10:51: DiNucci found Montrell Washington for a first-down on a 13-yard gain. 

(27-0) 9:31: The Rams' defense was able to come up with a stop as DiNucci's pass on third-down fell incomplete. 

Change of Possession

(27-0) 9:17: Rypien's first pass was a 27-yard pass to Trammel.

(27-0) 4:17: A promising drive for the Rams stalled out in Broncos' territory as a false start penalty put them in a third and 14 before Royce Freeman picked up just five yards after a pass from Rypien.

(27-0) 3:43: A 39-yard field goal attempt from Tanner Brown was wide left. 

Change of Possession

(27-0) 0:16: DiNucci's pass to Nate Atkins for 11 yards advances the Broncos to the L.A. 35-yard-line.

Fourth Quarter 

(34-0) 10:00: A rushing touchdown from Tyler Badie caps off a long 16-play drive from the Broncos.

TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS

 Broncos 34, Rams 0

Change of Possession

(34-0) 8:33: After a change at quarterback with Rypien being sidelined for Dresser Winn, the Rams offense suffered another three-and-out. 

Change of Possession

(34-0) 5:26: The Rams defense stood tall on second and three holding a Broncos' run for no gain. Then on third-down they chased down a toss play for a loss of one-yard. Then on fourth-down, DiNucci found his tight end Okwuegbunam for a first and 20-yard gain.

(41-0) 2:31: DiNucci found Josh Hammond for a three-yard touchdown pass.

TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS

Broncos 41, Rams 0

Change of Possession

(41-0) 1:00: A third-down run by Freeman picked up just five yards before a punt. 

Change of Possession

FINAL: Broncos 41, Rams 0

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Harrison Reno
HARRISON RENO

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