The 2021 preseason is officially over for the Los Angeles Rams, who finished 0-3 with losses to the Chargers, Raiders and Broncos. But there’s no reason to stress or worry that Los Angeles won’t live up to expectations.
Just think, how many snaps did you see Matthew Stafford, Darrell Henderson, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald or Jalen Ramsey play? The answer is zero.
But on Saturday night against the Broncos, the Rams’ younger players got a crack at proving themselves one last time before final roster cuts are made before Tuesday afternoon. There were quite a few standouts despite the disappointing 17-12 loss, including defensive lineman Michael Hoecht and punter Corey Bojorquez.
Here are our studs and duds.
Stud: Michael Hoecht
Hoecht made a couple of plays in the first half that really showed his potential as a Morgan Fox-type player. He broke into the backfield for a tackle for loss in the running game, then a few plays later, he sacked Drew Lock and forced a fumble, which he recovered himself. Hoecht had a decent chance to make the 53-man roster before Saturday night but he certainly helped himself in this one. https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1431805746266525704
Dud: Tremayne Anchrum
Anchrum had some trouble on the right side tonight. He was in a tough spot early on going up against Von Miller, who beat him easily for a tackle at the line of scrimmage. Anchrum was also called for holding in the first half on a play that would’ve put the Rams in third-and-1 instead of second-and-13, stalling the drive in their own zone. He kicked over to left guard later in the game but it still wasn’t a banner game for the second-year player out of Clemson.
Stud: Corey Bojorquez
Bojorquez may have locked up the punter job with a near-perfect performance against the Broncos. He had a 67-yarder that traveled about 80 yards before bouncing backwards, he pinned another punt down inside the 1-yard line, and then bombed a 70-yarder that bounced out of bounds at the 1. He was an absolute stud against Denver and looks every bit like a top-notch punter. With the potential savings of $3.75 million by trading or cutting Hekker, the Rams seem likely to go with Bojorquez as their punter this season.
Dud: Jake Gervase
Gervase has not looked good in his transition to linebacker this summer. He was beat for a touchdown over the middle as the receiver lost him easily with a route to the inside, and even though the Rams appeared to be in zone coverage, it was Gervase’s assignment who scored. https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1431797718012153856 He won’t be making the 53-man roster unless the Rams feel strongly about his special teams ability, but even that’s unlikely.
Stud: Matt Gay
Gay was a big provider of points for the Rams tonight, looking like he’s in midseason form with his field goal attempts against the Broncos. He drilled a 53-yarder, his longest of the preseason, and also converted three chip shots with ease. The Rams should feel good about Gay as their kicker this season, especially from long distance. He has a strong leg and has shown steady accuracy during his time with Los Angeles.
Stud: Tutu Atwell
Once again, Atwell was a bright spot on offense. He was targeted 12 times, catching eight passes for 62 yards – including a 16-yarder late in the fourth quarter. It was somewhat surprising that he was still on the field deep into the fourth, but Atwell has shown the last few weeks that he can win in multiple ways. It just would’ve been nice to see him catch a deep pass, or at least have a shot at one. Just about everything was underneath by Bryce Perkins against Denver, which has an outstanding secondary.
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