Texans 24, Rams 20 Notebook: McCutcheon Impresses Again, Wolford Solid in Preseason Debut
Week 2 of the preseason is upon us as the Los Angeles Rams welcomed the Houston Texans to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
As the Rams continue to prepare to start their Super Bowl defense, and their quest to claim a second straight Super Bowl, these preseason games are valuable development time for depth guys across the roster.
Once again the Rams' kept their star players out with there being no reason to risk their health in meaningless preseason games. After all, there is nothing that guys like quarterback Matthew Stafford or cornerback Jalen Ramsey can show you in the preseason that they haven't shown you already.
A back and forth affair against the Texans saw the Rams give up the game winning touchdown with under a minute left in the fourth quarter, with the Rams losing 24-20. They will conclude their preseason against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Now, let's take a look at a few key takeaways from the Rams' preseason opener against the Texans:
Lance McCutcheon stays hot
Rookie receiver Lance McCutcheon broke out in a big way in his NFL debut in the Rams' preseason Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The undrafted rookie out of Montana State brought in five receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns, showing chemistry with quarterback Bryce Perkins.
In his second taste of NFL action, McCutcheon would come out strong and stay red hot. Finishing with five receptions for 98 yards on an average of 19.6 yards per catch, McCutcheon's performances continue to bolster his chances of making the roster entering the regular season.
Brycen Hopkins - Tyler Higbee's backup?
The Rams' starting tight end is currently written on the depth chart in pen, with Tyler Higbee set to return for the Rams in Week 1 of the regular season. However, when Higbee went down with an injury last season, backup tight ends Kendall Blanton and Brycen Hopkins came up clutch down the stretch, proving to be crucial members of the Super Bowl run.
Now, as the Rams enter the season with Higbee ready to go, the battle between Blanton and Hopkins will determine who backs up Higbee on the depth chart. Hopkins finished the game with six receptions for 41 yards, bringing in all six of his targets as he vies for the backup spot to Higbee.
John Wolford has solid preseason debut
In the Rams' preseason debut, quarterback Bryce Perkins stole the show, leading some people to question if he could challenge John Wolford for Stafford's backup. He would finish with the game going 10 of 17 for 133 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 39 rushing yards and a rushing score.
Wolford potentially put those questions to rest, however, with a solid performance of his own against the Texans. Despite only appearing in the first half in Week 2, Wolford would complete 14 of 22 passes for 142 yards. Even though he didn't tally any touchdowns, Wolford's performance could see him lock up the roster spot behind Stafford.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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