3 overreactions to LA Rams Game 3 preseason loss to the Houston Texans

Ah, the 2024 NFL preseason schedule is finally come and gone. And here we sit, facing the inevitable wave of player releases from the LA Rams roster which could be the make-or-break moment for the success of the upcoming season. But while we await the inevitable flood of news from the team over who will and will not be on the 53-man initial Rams roster to start the season, let's pause and revisit the Ramifications of the team's Game 3 loss to the Houston Texans.

And some obvious overreactions during and after that loss.

This was a unique game for the LA Rams. As soon as we learned that Stetson Bennett was sitting for Game 3, the lens through which we viewed that game needed to change as well. You see, whether or not you believe that Stetson Bennett deserves to be entrusted as the team's backup quarterback in Weeks 1 and 2, he was certainly a gifted passer. After all, he had both rookie WR Jordan Whittington and second-year WR Xavier Smith among the NFL preseason leading receivers.

So by starting QB4 Dresser Winn, the team conceded that Game 3 was entirely about giving opportunities to players who were unlikely to make the team, wherever and whenever possible.

Zach Evans scoring 2 rushing touchdowns

The Rams finished Game 3 with 16 passing attempts, and 34 rushing attempts. Second year running back Zach Evans himself rushed 14 times in the gams for 45 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Prior to Game 3, the Rams had only scored twice, both times as passing touchdown.

But as vanilla as the playbook for the first two preseason games were, this one was sterilized in hot water and bleach. Dresser Winn, despite returning for his second season, remained a final option in the quarterback room, and the team's insistence to run the football was a logical response to Winn starting under center. Yes, Evans rushed for two touchdowns. once for four yards and once for three yards. They were solid runs. But the team was only ever going to run the football.

Release the kicker

Rookie kicker Joshua Karty made a 21-yard field goal in the game, but missed the potential game tying extra point. For all of preseason, Karty did make five of six field goals and two of three extra points. Perfect? No, not at all. But if you expected Joshua Karty, or any rookie kicker, to be perfect, then that is on you.

When the San Francisco 49ers drafted kicker Jake Moody in the 2023 NFL Draft in Round 3 with the 99th overall selection, the thought was that they wanted Moody badly. But in his rookie season, Moody kicked just 21 of 25 field goals, and 60 of 61 extra points. The point being is that rookie kickers are still 'thinking' through their kicking process. Be patient with Joshua Karty, as he will become automatic over time.

Time being the key ingredient here.

Texans roster is deeper than the Rams roster

The apples-to-oranges comparisons in preseason are always going to take you down the path of false conclusions. By the time the Rams faced the Houston Texans in Game 3, many of the Rams players were directed to sit that game out. The Rams played QB Dresser Winn exclusively, while the Texans played both Tim Boyle and Case Keenum at quarterback. The reason? The Rams chose to site three quarterbacks in that game. The Texans opted to sit just two.

With the Rams in 'run mode,' few of the team receivers were actively involved in the offense. Just three Rams players actually caught a forward pass in the game, while 12 Texans players made a catch in the contest. Even the defensive rotation for the Rams seemed light, with only 14 players recording a tackle in the game, while 20 Texans recorded at least one tackle.

The reason? Many of the Texans backups, guys who will be involved in gameday rotations, saw action in the game. The Rams were playing with their third and fourth stringers.

The Rams approach preseason a bit differently than most teams. In the eyes of the coaching staff, preseason is an opportunity to get valuable experience for depth players, whether or not they make the team. And so, as is so often the case, This team is content to pit depth players against starters or backups. Other teams insist on playing starters, even at the risk of injury.

In the end, it's not that the depth of other team's roster is greater than that of the Rams. It's simply that other team chose to play their upper echelon players against the Rams, while the Rams were content to compete with backups.

As always, thanks for reading.