The Los Angeles Rams had their first thriller on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the horns couldn’t pull out a win. However, several players pulled out some of their own personal wins. On the other hand, some wished they could have been better. Who had a great day and who is now hungry for Week Three? Here are some of the winners and losers from the second game of the preseason.
Los Angeles Rams Winners And Losers Of Week Two Of The Preseason
Rams Winners
Bryce Perkins
Bryce Perkins continues to be the preseason surprise of the Los Angeles Rams. Perkins finished the day completing 26 of 39 pass attempts, for 208 yards and had two touchdowns and one interception. He led what would have been a game-tying drive with seconds left at the end of the game. The game likely would have gone to overtime. However, since it was the preseason (no longer OT in preseason), McVay chose to go for two. The Rams failed to convert and ultimately lost the game. That said, Perkins looked like a fully competent backup and could challenge John Wolford for his backup job at some point, assuming he doesn’t get plucked off the practice squad.
Jake Funk
Last week, Jake Funk had a performance that left the Rams wondering about finding a replacement. At the end of Week Two, the Rams have plenty of reasons to have confidence in Funk. Funk ran for 56 yards on seven carries and averaged 8.0 yards per carry.
Xavier Jones
Xavier Jones also had a sluggish first week of the preseason. He turned it around this week, much like Funk. While he was clearly dwarfed by Funk, he made a case to stick with the team, at the very least. Before this game, his future was in doubt. Now, he should have given the Rams enough reasons to keep him around. He rushed seven times for 29 yards and 4.1 yards per carry.
Rams Losers
Tutu Atwell
Injuries can sour any game, especially when the game doesn’t count. Tutu Atwell came out of the game banged up a few times, although it was reported that he was a full go in practice on Monday. To be clear, he was in good enough shape to play, but only two weeks into potentially six more months of football, the durability of Atwell is a real concern going forward. It is also a concern because of his size. According to ESPN, at 5’9″ and 165 lbs, Atwell’s ability to stay healthy was always a question. The question has only grown.
Kicking game
Matt Gay finished one for two on-field goal attempts. The field goal would have ended up being a game-winning field goal had Gay been able to knock it in. Instead, the Rams had to lead a last-second drive and lost by one point. The Rams are hoping the kicking game will be more consistent in the regular season, especially in tight games.
Devlin Hodges
In court proceedings, the one that doesn’t show up usually loses the case. As Devlin Hodges couldn’t even find a way into a preseason game in which no starters played, the writing appears to be on the wall. Hodges might have officially lost his chance to stick with the Rams long-term. Unless he finds a place with another team, this might be the end for him. ***After the publishing of this article, Hodges was waived from the Rams.