The Los Angeles Rams preseason game No. 2 had a decidedly more positive feeling to it, especially on offense
The Los Angeles Rams preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys didn’t do much to show the strides the team is making under first-year coach Sean McVay. The Rams preseason follow-up sure did.
Quarterback Jared Goff shined, and rookie Josh Reynolds scored on a 20-yard touchdown reception with just over a minute left to lift the Rams to a 24-21 win over the Oakland Raiders on Saturday night in Oakland. The defense, still playing without All-Pro defensive end Aaron Donald, played okay, but not great vs. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
But the strides the team made from their 13-10 win over the Cowboys last week gives Rams fans plenty of optimism for the 2017 season. The following are the three biggest takeaways from the exhibition against Oakland.
3. Defense is a work in progress without Donald
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr did what he usually does — drive his team down the field. He finished with a 7-for-9 night for 100 yards with two touchdowns in just under one half of work.
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But the Rams’ Trumaine Johnson did get a first-quarter interception after the Rams front put pressure on Carr. Connor Barth, Michael Brockers and Matt Longacre provided the discomfort. The pressure forced Carr to release the ball just as Michael Crabtree broke the opposite direction of the pass, allowing Johnson to make the pick.
Amari Cooper grabbed three passes for 46 yards. The Rams defenders were in the area on his receptions, but he made impressive grabs — as No. 1 wide receivers will do. The Rams were fine against the run, yielding 75 yards on 19 Raiders carries. Marshawn Lynch had two carries for 10 yards in limited work.
Los Angeles backups were impressive against second-string quarterback E.J. Manuel. Manuel completed just 3-of-9 passes for 16 yards. They did allow third-string quarterback Connor Cook to drive 65 yards for the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. His 17-yard pass to Johnny Holton gave Oakland a 21-17 lead with 6:30 left in the game.