Los Angeles Rams: 3 reasons playing starters against Houston Texans right move

3. Avoid players looking rusty

On paper, the Rams have the potential to have one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL when looking at all of the talent the team has to work with on both sides of the football, making it seem like they should have little trouble living up to the Super Bowl hype. However, Los Angeles understands the importance of beginning the year on a hot note since that September schedule is going to anything but a cake walk, and the last thing they can afford to do is fall behind early on in the standings.

In other words, McVay understands his players need to be ready to go once that first regular season game arrives against the Oakland Raiders, and if his players are out of shape as a result of not playing in the preseason, it’s going to be frustrating. Keep in mind that one of the main reasons why McVay was willing to rest the starters during the first two games was his confidence in his players looking great throughout training camp, but also playing at least one preseason game seems necessary.

Resting the starters in all four preseason games obviously would have been foolish, and even though it never seemed like a possibility, it’s still a relief to hear McVay will let them play against the Texans. By making this decision, players like Todd Gurley and Jared Goff will avoid the risk of looking rusty when it matters the most in a few weeks from now.