Los Angeles Rams look sharp in Saints joint practice
The Los Angeles Rams wrapped their second and final preseason joint practice by hosting the New Orleans Saints in Woodland Hills on Thursday. Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams stayed in sync with sharp completions, including a deep connection early, while the defensive front and linebacker Nate Landman disrupted Saints quarterback Tyler Shough throughout the shortened session.
Key Takeaways
- Stafford and Adams logged plenty of completions in a faster, shorter session that ended around 11:40 a.m. by design.
- Second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson flashed confidence with two strong short catches over the middle from Stafford.
- The Rams defensive line generated would-have-been sacks, batted passes from Poona Ford and Kobie Turner, and run stops alongside Nate Landman.
- Puka Nacua sat out; Sean McVay has said he is expected back at practice next week.
- Saints starters took the bulk of Thursday reps and are not expected to play Saturday at SoFi Stadium.
How did the Stafford-Adams connection look against the Saints?
According to the official Los Angeles Rams observations, the veteran quarterback and receiver got plenty of work and completions despite the compressed schedule. The standout moment was an early deep ball from Stafford to Adams that the team highlighted as a perfect throw.
Ferguson reinforced his camp momentum with a pair of grounded catches on short Stafford throws over the middle. McVay praised the tight end's intelligence, versatility across skill roles, and leadership alongside Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua did not participate, which was not a surprise after McVay previously indicated a return to practice next week.
Why was the Los Angeles Rams joint practice shortened?
McVay said the earlier finish was intentional. The Saints had already done heavy work Tuesday against the Dallas Cowboys and had players who were a little banged up. The Rams originally planned about 48 first-team plays in a team period plus a two-minute drill, then trimmed structured plays and lost the two-minute work.
With fewer overall snaps, Stetson Bennett IV and Ty Simpson split second-team offense reps almost evenly—13 for Bennett and 12 for Simpson out of 25 plays—solely because of the reduced volume, McVay said. Staff will review film before deciding Saturday usage.
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What stood out on the Los Angeles Rams defense?
The defensive line repeatedly collapsed the pocket on Tyler Shough, who ran the Saints first-team offense all practice. Braden Fiske tracked Shough for the most prominent would-have-been sack after forcing him out. Shough still threw two late touchdowns when his line gave him time; Saints receivers Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson did not play.
Ford batted a check-down and Turner knocked down a throw over the middle. Turner and outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart each posted notable tackles for loss in the run game. Landman cleaned up runs at the second level and helped finish short catches after receivers broke the first tackle.
Before the session, Saints coach Kellen Moore said starters would get the bulk of Thursday reps and would not play in Saturday's preseason game, maximizing joint-practice evaluation after a third joint session in one week.