The Los Angeles Rams’ joint practice with the New Orleans Saints on Thursday offered a stark reminder of how different the offense looks without Matthew Stafford at the helm. With the veteran quarterback still sidelined by a back injury, Jimmy Garoppolo continues to take first-team reps — and his latest outing was far from convincing.
Sean McVay didn’t sugarcoat the evaluation. “Ups and downs,” he said of Garoppolo’s performance. But there were more downs than ups, according to those watching the practice, including LAFB. This performance came in sharp contrast to what Garoppolo showed a week ago against the Dallas Cowboys.
Jimmy Garoppolo Struggles Against Saints’ Pass Rush in Rams Joint Practice
Those downs included an interception, multiple errant throws, and taking several sacks. McVay did credit the Saints’ front for causing consistent disruption, noting their pass rush was “very effective” against a reshuffled offensive line that featured Warren McClendon, David Quessenberry, and DJ Humphries.
That pressure forced Garoppolo into some questionable decisions — none more glaring than a high, floating pass to Davante Adams, which could have resulted in a devastating hit. While Adams escaped unscathed in the non-contact practice, the play drew attention given the history between the two. Last season, during their time together with the Raiders, Adams was visibly frustrated with Garoppolo’s play — a moment later captured in the Netflix series Receiver.
It didn’t help that Garoppolo also fell victim to safety Julian Blackmon, who intercepted him along the left sideline. The takeaway was Blackmon’s third in as many practices and his fifth of camp.
Drops and missed opportunities compounded the Rams’ offensive struggles. Puka Nacua let one slip in the flat, and the unit failed to generate consistent chunk plays until a brief spark during a late two-minute drill.
A portion of Garoppolo’s struggles can be chalked up to pressure. In his last year as a start for the 49ers, Garoppolo’s completion percentage dropped from 70 percent in a clean pocket to 57 percent when under pressure. The drop off was even more stark with the Raiders in 2023, going from 73.4 to just 39 percent. Of his four turnovers in 2022, three came under pressure.
In addition to the additional pressure he was under, which he didn’t experience against the Cowboys, Garoppolo faced off against Brandon Staley’s more complex coverage structures and shells. In his one meeting against Staley, 2022, Garoppolo fared well, not throwing a pick and posting a good completion percentage. But he also failed to score a touchdown, had a bad throw percentage of 25 percent, and a lower-than-average depth of target. The Chargers held the 49ers to just 22 points that game. Garoppolo was only pressured on eight snaps that game and only took one sack.
In short, the Saints’ defense is a perfect storm to stop a quarterback like Garoppolo; pressure, plus a complex secondary scheme.
McVay’s more vanilla offense on display today, lacking motions and his route combinations, didn’t help Garoppolo. In the likely event that he plays this season, he won’t be as easily solved, but Garoppolo can be turned into a below-average quarterback when coverage or pressure gets on top of him.
Garoppolo won’t take snaps in Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Chargers — a decision McVay made clear applies to all his top quarterbacks. Instead, Stetson Bennett and Dresser Winn will handle the workload. Still, with Stafford’s return timeline uncertain, Garoppolo’s ability to find rhythm and avoid costly mistakes in practice remains critical.
For now, the Rams’ defense is the brighter story of camp, while the offense works through growing pains in Stafford’s absence. Against the Saints’ relentless pass rush, those pains were on full display.
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