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The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals got together for a joint practice at the end of August. Nearly eight months after Super Bowl LVI, the two teams decided to reunite in Cincinnati and have some fun on the practice field.
All signs indicate that practice went smoothly, aside from a minor incident between Aaron Donald and Joe Burrow.
Apart from that, it was a friendly practice between the two teams that suited up for the Super Bowl back in February.
It was quite the spectacle, and the offense for the Rams was clicking on all cylinders as Matthew Stafford did an excellent job of spreading the ball around.
Matthew Stafford Ignites Air Attack Against Bengals
During 7-on-7s, Stafford connected with ol’ reliable: Cooper Kupp. He also got more familiar with veteran wide receiver and former Chicago Bear Allen Robinson.
The Stafford-Robinson pairing is already paying dividends, and Robinson is aiming for a monster season after a rough 2021 campaign with the Bears. This catch in the endzone should be a fairly regular sight for the Rams in 2022, especially with Kupp commanding a ton of attention after a career season.
Before the joint practice began, he raved about the opportunity to build a strong relationship with his QB while also going up against a different defense (h/t Gary Klein of The Los Angeles Times):
“To actually be out there and have the opportunity to run through some of that stuff will be fun. Just continuing to try and learn and figure out and fine-tune some of the nuances.”
With Odell Beckham Jr. still unsigned and Robert Woods with the Tennessee Titans, Robinson has a clear path to the Rams’ No. 2 WR job and should thrive with the best QB he has ever played with.
Stafford also Connected With Tutu Atwell
It wasn’t just Robinson and Kupp, either. Stafford dropped some absolute dimes during practice with the Bengals’ tough defense swarming all around.
One play that went viral was a deep pass to Tutu Atwell. The 2021 second-round choice dazzled with a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch.
With Kupp and Robinson the clear 1-2 options in the WR room, the rest is up for grabs. Atwell had a lot of hype coming out of college after a stellar career at Louisville, but he played just eight games in 2021 while being used mainly as a returner.
Van Jefferson and preseason sensation Lance McCutcheon are also competing for playing time, although Jefferson is working his way back from a knee injury. McCutcheon had five catches for 96 yards against the Houston Texans. A week before that, he had a five-catch, 87-yard performance against the Chargers that saw him score twice.
Nonetheless, if Atwell can continue to develop chemistry with Stafford, he could begin the season as the No. 3 WR in Los Angeles. After a strong training camp, Atwell is undoubtedly catching the eyes of a lot of people. Head coach Sean McVay also is thrilled with the way Atwell has progressed.
The Rams and Bengals will have another joint practice this week leading up to the preseason finale on Saturday night at Paycor Stadium.
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