Los Angeles Rams: 5 takeaways from Week 3 preseason win over Houston Texans

4. Lack of impact by Brown

This time of year always consists of players looking to make a case for themselves earning a roster spot for the regular season, and while Malcolm Brown was an early favorite to be the No. 2 running back behind Todd Gurley, that may no longer be the case. As Rams fans remember, Brown quickly become one of McVay’s favorites last summer when seeing how much he stood out in training camp, and while he could still see some significant playing time during the regular season, John Kelly could end up taking some of those carries away.

With Gurley resting for a third-straight game, the opportunity was there for Brown to make an impact right away since the Rams ended up starting him in the backfield. But unfortunately, Brown just couldn’t figure out a way to get into a rhythm against the Texans while finishing with another disappointing performance.

The fact that Brown only finished with 11 rushing yards on six carries shows how much he struggled in the first half when facing Houston, and what’s even more frustrating is this was probably his best opportunity to make one final case for the No. 2 spot. Now, Brown will have to use the regular season to work his way back up, that is assuming he does earn one of the roster spots for Los Angeles.