5 winners, 4 losers in Rams victory over Cowboys in preseason opener

(1) - Winner: Xavier Smith

While 22 yards on four receptions is nothing to write home about, that is just the tip of the iceberg for svelte and speedy veteran WR Xavier Smith. After all, he entered the game with a stellar reputation for catching every football thrown his way, and his four of four receptions simply cemented that reputation with hard historic facts. And if that were the end of it, he may not have made this list.

But Xavier Smith also showed up as a kickoff returner in this one, returning two kickoffs for 47 yards.

As the number of available roster spots dwindle, the team will want to add those versatile players whose roles can be used in many ways. Offensive linemen who can slide into multiple positions are quite valuable, as is a wide receiver who can slide into a return role, and even be used to run with the football as the situation calls for it.

Xavier Smith did not haul in an 80-yard touchdown strike. He didn't even catch a pass longer than 10 yards. But he caught every pass thrown his way, and that is just one of many outings in which he seems to be a Hoover vacuum on the football field. Sometimes, a player can only do as much as is asked of him. Xavier Smith has reached the limits of his current role. Like a potbound plant, he needs to be challenged with a larger role.

Bonus winner: Rams defense under DC Chris Shula

Although young and inexperienced, the Rams young defense under Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula looked nothing like any defense in recent memory. Was it the excitement of playing their first preseason game at SoFi Stadium? Was it a function of a poorly executing Dallas Cowboys offense? Or was this defense simply flying to the football?

Not only did the Rams put up three quarterback sacks, but recorded four tackles for a loss. But this was a defense that cleaned up four giveaways by the offense, and yet only allowed 12 points, no touchdowns, and forced a turnover on downs three times in the game. This was a game that tested the resolve of the young defense. But with every test, this team seemed to galvanize and get ever stingier.

Guys were flying around. Players were making plays. The Rams young defense held the Cowoboys offense to 12 points, no touchdowns, and a total of just 309 yards. This defense recorded three quarterback sacks, four tackles for a loss, and held the Cowboys offense to 0-3 in the Red Zone. And they did all of that without generating a single takeaway, but with having to rush back onto the football field after four giveaways by the offense. And yet, at the end of the game, it was the defense's resolve throughout the game that shut the door on the Dallas Cowboys offense.

It was not the win. Rather it was all of the contributions that led to the win. It was winning the right way. It was facing adversity together, and how one phase of the game seemed to uplift the other phases. In the end, the Rams won as a team. In a preseason game, I don't think it can get any better than that.

Thanks for reading.