Getty Jalen Ramsey (far right) reacts to a play seen on the SoFi Stadium jumbotron with two Los Angeles Rams coaches on Saturday.
Now that the fights have settled (perhaps for now), it’s time to unpack what we’ve learned even more about the Los Angeles Rams following the two joint practices.
Obviously, there’s a lot of fight in the Rams. But there are other takeaways we’ve discovered in the last two days outside of the jawing and flying fists from both them and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Here’s a further breakdown of what we’ve discovered about L.A.:
The Rams Add to Their History of Joint Practice Fights
Anyone who attends a dual practice during the month of August probably has to brace themselves…all hell is likely to break loose.
And in the case of the Rams, the latest scuffles with the Raiders adds to this: A history of joint practice scrap fests. According to the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein, the Rams have gotten into practice fights with everyone they’ve scheduled a joint session with. This includes via Klein:
- 2017: Former Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson started a fight with Chargers wide receiver Dontrelle Inman in what became their version of “Fight for L.A.”
- August 7: Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald getting into a brief scuffle with Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Connor Williams.
- And now, the fracas that took place in Thousand Oaks this week with the Raiders.
Maybe a question to ask moving forward is: Will the Rams schedule future joint practices? Or just stick with hitting themselves?
Fight, fights, fights. An interesting two days of Rams-Raiders joint practices. So what did the Rams get out of it?
Matthew Stafford is Quick to Redeem Himself
The new Rams quarterback is clearly his own worst critic.
In the first practice, Matthew Stafford admitted to the L.A. media “I made a couple of poor decisions that I wish I had back. That’s practice,” after throwing three interceptions against the Raiders, which can be heard near the 30 second mark of the Monday post practice presser video seen below.
One of the recipients of a Stafford pass? Former Ram Cory Littleton. If anything, Stafford had this positive from joint session No. 1: A lob to Cooper Kupp.
🚨 Dime Alert 🚨
Stafford ➡️ @CooperKupp
Head coach Sean McVay, though, drew zero concern for the interceptions saying he liked how Stafford aggressively tries new things out. He added that two of the takeaways were off of tipped passes.
But did things come out much differently in joint practice No. 2, with ESPN Rams reporter Lindsey Thiry noticing a more crisp Stafford.
Rams offense looking much sharper in team period today than yesterday. Matthew Stafford completed a deep pass to Van Jefferson on the sideline, also has had some laser throws to Cooper Kupp through the middle.
Time to Take Van Jefferson Seriously
The second-year pro was so sharp, Rams team reporter Stu Jackson mentioned him in No. 1 and No. 2 of his “10 Observations” released Thursday afternoon. Jefferson impressed on one particular deep pass.
Matthew Stafford launches a deep ball down the ride sideline to Van Jefferson, who makes the impressive catch. Great ball tracking by Jefferson on an equally impressive throw.
Raiders reporter Vincente Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted that Jefferson beat Nevin Lawson on that pass, forcing the Raiders to place a different CB on the former Florida Gator. Jefferson even caught that pass on a bad arm, per L.A. radio personality from Sirius XM Nick Hamilton.
A Different A’Shawn Robinson is a Good Thing for the Rams Defense
It’s one thing to discover a changed A’Shawn Robinson from the 6-foot-4, 335-pound trench menace to a slimmer 6-foot-4, 308-pounder.
But when the All-Pro and heart of the defense Donald notices the changes coming to fruition, that’s when you know Robinson has become one to watch on the defense.
“He looked strong and looked explosive today,” Donald told reporters on Thursday, seen and heard near the 14:40 mark of the video below. “He was stout on his double teams. He had some good rushes today. That’s a guy who’s been improving a lot in camp.”
If Robinson is fast and explosive like how A.D. described, then this defensive line already looks quicker than last year. A scary sight for teams that have to prepare for them and the league’s best defense from 2020. Speaking of the defense…
Defensive Standards are High, Ramsey Says
Even after ranking first overall, plus showing against the Chargers that the defense can thrive with a rookie and undrafted lineup, cornerback Jalen Ramsey says that this unit can still improve.
“All aspects (need to be worked on), just because our standards are so high,” Ramsey said after the Thursday session to reporters. “It’s not like we’re out here doing terrible or doing bad, but our standards are so high that anything below being elite is not enough.”
Two notable defensive stops captured on social media? One involved David Long Jr. denying six on this red zone pass.
Lock. It. Down. 😤 @davidlongjr
And on Thursday, linebacker Troy Reeder punched this ball out to force the incompletion.
But, the Rams will aim to make more plays like that on Saturday night.
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