Rams hold off Chargers, 20-18: Instant analysis of preseason win

Rams hold off Chargers, 20-18: Instant analysis of preseason win

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Rams hold off Chargers, 20-18: Instant analysis of preseason win

For the last time this year, the Los Angeles Rams took the field without their starters. They put a bow on the preseason Thursday night with one last game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. The next time they take the field, it'll count.

Ty Simpson got the start and played the entire first half, putting together another quality performance to wrap up his first preseason in the NFL. He led the Rams to a third straight victory, as Los Angeles went a perfect 3-0 this summer ahead of the regular season.

The Rams allowed their first touchdowns of the preseason, giving up two scores to the Chargers, but the defense came through when it needed to most. Darryl Peterson III delivered a game-clinching strip-sack with under a minute to play, sealing the 20-18 win for the Rams.

Final score: Rams 20, Chargers 18

Rams-Chargers scoring plays

Numbers to know

11: Simpson started the game with 11 completions on his first 12 throws, with the only incompletion being a drop by Tyler Scott.

2: Cam Lampkin had two tackles for a loss, one being a sack and the other a stop on a run play.

53: The Rams converted 9 of 17 third-down attempts in the game, an impressive rate of 53%. And that was while trying to run out the clock late in the fourth.

2: The Rams held the Chargers to just two third-down conversions on eight tries.

36: In time of possession, the Rams dominated the Chargers, holding the ball for 36:21 to 23:39.

3 stars of the game

  1. Ty Simpson: 18-for-23, 119 yards, 1 TD. 3 carries, 10 yards.
  2. Dean Connors: 18 carries, 69 yards. 3 catches, 24 yards, 1 TD.
  3. Darryl Peterson III: 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble.

Play of the game

Simpson's best throw of the preseason came on Thursday night, a dime to Brennan Presley while rolling out to his left away from the pressure. It went for an 11-yard touchdown, giving the Rams the lead in the second quarter.

What's next?

The Rams will now turn their attention to some very difficult roster decisions. Every team must trim its roster down to 53 players by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, so the Rams have just a couple of days to cut the necessary players. There will be no more preseason games to evaluate, using the past three weeks of exhibition contests to determine who's worth keeping and who will have to turn in their playbook.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams hold off Chargers, 20-18: Instant analysis of preseason win

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