Rams vs. Ravens: Studs and duds from L.A.'s 26-point loss
Cameron DaSilva
[
theramswire.usatoday.com]
The Los Angeles Rams kicked off the 2018 preseason on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens, but not with a bang. They were dominated by a score of 33-7, failing to get into the end zone until the fourth quarter.
As with every game, there were some players who stood out for all the right reasons, as well as those who struggled in the preseason opener. We categorize these as studs and duds.
Studs
LB Micah Kiser
Kiser didn’t have his name called by many media members prior to Thursday night, but he was all over the field against the Ravens. He made a game-high six tackles, got in the quarterback’s throwing lanes and filled holes on defense. That’s something the Rams’ linebackers struggled to do last season with Alec Ogletree in the middle of the defense.
Kiser has an uphill battle to earn playing time with Mark Barron and Cory Littleton being the projected starters, but if he continues to play the way he did on Thursday, coaches will take notice.
DL Ethan Westbrooks
Westbrooks put on a show in the first half, recording two tackles, both of which were sacks. Each of them came on third down, forcing the Ravens to either punt or kick a field goal, which Justin Tucker missed from 60 yards out. Those were the two best plays the Rams defense made in the first half, keeping points off the board.
Additionally, he pressured Lamar Jackson on his touchdown run, nearly getting to him for a loss. This was a great performance by him as he’s essentially a lock to make the roster with his versatility at defensive end and tackle.
RB Justin Davis
Davis is a preseason stud. After showing out last year, he continued his strong exhibition play against the Ravens on Thursday night. He carried it seven times for 41 yards, excluding a would-be 10-yard gain if not for offsetting penalties. Most importantly, he held onto the football after struggling with fumbles last preseason.
He could push Malcolm Brown for a roster spot, especially with John Kelly likely to make the roster as a rookie. He provides a spark similarly to the way that Tavon Austin did at running back.
Honorable mentions: John Kelly, JoJo Natson
Page 2 of 2
Duds
QB Sean Mannion
Where to begin. His check downs were behind receivers, he hardly took chances downfield, and when he did, his passes were either incomplete or picked off. He finished the game 3-for-13 with just 16 yards and an interception, posting an abysmal 7.5 passer rating.
This was a game in which he needed to play well in order to hold off Brandon Allen and Luis Perez, both of whom are cheaper and offer greater upside. Nothing about his performance against the Ravens was impressive, showing very little awareness and accuracy on his dropbacks.
CB Troy Hill
This certainly wasn’t Hill’s best performance. After playing extremely well against the Falcons in the postseason, Hill struggled in this one. He was beaten by Michael Crabtree for a 30-yard gain after Joe Flacco escaped the pocket, was called for illegal hands to the face on a crucial third-down red zone play and gave up another long pass to Chris Moore down the middle. Coverage was decent, but he didn’t get turned around quick enough.
OTs Cornelius Lucas/Darrell Williams
Neither of the Rams’ backup tackles helped themselves in this one, each allowing a sack on Mannion. Williams was beaten by Terrell Suggs as he got to Mannion to force the fumble, which luckily went out of bounds. In the running game, the line performed well, but that was when Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen came into the game.
