WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Rams held their second and final joint practice of the preseason Thursday, hosting the Saints. The chemistry between quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Davante Adams headlined the day for Los Angeles' offense, followed by a strong practice for tight end Terrance Ferguson. On defense, the defensive line ruled the day with would-have-been sacks and tackles for loss in addition to a pair of batted down passes.
Senior staff writer Stu Jackson spent the morning watching the offense, while staff writer Zach Edwards watched the defense. Here are 10 things that stood out.
Shorter, faster practice: While Thursday's joint practice ended earlier than scheduled – the listed end time was 12:30, and practice was over around 11:40 – the shorter, faster practice was by design.
"That was really because they (Saints) had just gotten a lot of work on that Tuesday (with the Cowboys)," McVay said post-practice. "They had some guys that were a little bit banged up. We were originally scheduled to be able to get like 48 plays in a team period in a two minute (drill) with our first group, so to able to say hey, we just turned off three plays that were kind of already structured, and then losing (the) two-minute, I was just grateful for the work and appreciated that (Saints head coach) Kellen (Moore) and his guys made it work."
Puka Nacua does not participate: This wasn't a surprise, though, given McVay previously said they expect the fourth-year wide receiver to return to practice next week.
Stafford-Adams connection remains sharp: The veteran quarterback and veteran receiver got plenty of work, and plenty of completions, despite the shorter joint session. The most impressive connection was the below deep ball from Stafford to Adams early in practice.
Ferguson looking confident: The second-year tight end had a pair of strong receptions over the middle on short passes from Stafford, remaining grounded through the catch point. It was two plays that reinforced the confidence and playmaking McVay has seen throughout camp.
"Just that," McVay said, when asked what he's seen from Ferguson in terms of confidence and making plays on the practice field. "And he's so smart. I think what can't be misunderstood or minimized is how smart this guy is. He plays every single skill position except for halfback for us. Some of the things we ask of him, he does some of the roles we ask of our backs, and so he's done a great job. I think he's got great leadership in that room with guys to be able to learn from with Scooter (tight ends coach Scott Huff), with (Tyler) Higbee, with Colby Parkinson. That repetition, when you're conscientious like he is, and you're able to be coached, and you're secure enough to be accountable for where you can grow, and stay humble when things go well, he's really had a nice camp. I've really been impressed, but not surprised, by what he's done."
Stetson Bennett IV and Ty Simpson split reps due to less reps overall for second-team offense in practice: The second team got 25 plays in during Thursday's practice, with Bennett getting 13 of them and Simpson the other 12, according to McVay. That allocation of reps "was exclusively just because there were so many less reps," McVay said. "(Associate coordinator/quarterbacks) Dave (Ragone) and I and the rest of the coaching staff will sit down and figure out how we want to approach the game once we're able to look at the film. But it was really more of a reflection of kind of just less reps, and that's what that entailed."
Defensive line collapses pocket quick and often: There were a number of would-have-been sacks by the Rams' defensive front as they made life uncomfortable for quarterback Tyler Shough, who operated the Saints first-team offense the entire practice. The most prominent would-have-been sack, however, came when Shough was forced out of the pocket and defensive end Braden Fiske tracked him down. Shough ended his day with a pair of touchdown passes late in practice on a day when wide receivers Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson didn't play, both of which coming when the Saints' offensive line afforded him enough time in the pocket.
Defensive line getting hands on passes: Defensive ends Poona Ford and Kobie Turner each ended practice with a pass defended as Ford batted down a check-down pass and Turner got one with an attempt over the middle.
Turner and Josaiah Stewart have tackles for loss in run game: Turner and outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart each had notable tackles for loss in the run game that prompted a quick celebration on their individual plays, respectively.
Nate Landman makes presence known in all phases: Whether it was the run game or the pass game, inside linebacker Nate Landman was all over the field making plays. If the running back made it to the second level, Landman there on multiple occasions a yard or two into the run. In the pass game, when there were multiple short completions that led to a receiving making the first guy miss, Landman was there to back him up.
Secondary limits scramble drill: Granted in a joint practice setting the defense isn't allowed to touch the quarterback, denoted by wearing the red jersey, the Rams secondary was there on every occasion the defensive line forced him out of the pocket and upfield.
