FINAL: Rams Fall to Raiders 34-17
The Los Angeles Rams are hosting the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium on Saturday night for what will be the second of three preseason games for both teams.
The Rams fell 34-17 to the Los Angeles Chargers in their first preseason game last Saturday. However, rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett impressed, going 17 of 29 for 191 yards and a touchdown.
But Rams coach Sean McVay knows the rookie still has strides to make.
“Consistency, good decision making, playing within the timing and rhythm of the play,” McVay said. “He knows he made some really good plays (against the Chargers) and then he also had some plays that he kind of got away with and so we want to just see the consistent decision making a little bit higher and especially in some of those scoring situations and I think you'll see that reflected.”
Bennett will be going up against Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who has the claim of being the best rookie signal-caller this preseason after just one game. In Vegas' 34-7 rout of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, he went an efficient 15 of 18 for 141 yards and one score.
Bennett and O'Connell will now look to battle it out under the lights of SoFi.
Follow along with our live updates below once kickoff gets underway ...
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FIRST QUARTER
The Raiders will receive the opening kickoff.
Jimmy Garoppolo got the start for Vegas, and had a nice opening drive. He completed his first four passes, including a 18-yard throw to receiver Jakobi Meyers.
TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS: Vegas running back Brandon Bolden finished off the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run after Zamir White had done most of the dirty work on the ground in the handful of play before.
Raiders 7, Rams 0
change of possession
Rams running back Ronnie Rivers got three straight carries to begin the drive for L.A., picking up 19 yards in the process. However, the Rams' drive stalled on 3rd and 3 after Bennett was unable to connect with receiver Tyler Johnson.
change of possession
Garoppolo's day was done after one drive, as Brian Hoyer entered. He completed a 23-yard pass to receiver Kristian Wilkerson on 3rd and 1, but the Rams responded on the next set of downs by forcing back-to-back incompletions and an ensuing punt.
change of possession
Bennett connected with receiver Ben Skowronek for a seven-yard gain before Rivers continued to be a workhorse of sorts with three more carries. But the Rams stalled on 3rd and 4 at their own 27-yard line and were forced to punt again.
change of possession
SECOND QUARTER
The Raiders ended the first quarter right near midfield after a short Rams punt. The Vegas offense didn't have to do much to get kicker Daniel Carlson into field-goal range despite Hoyer taking a sack.
FIELD GOAL RAIDERS: Carlson nailed a 46-yarder to build the lead for Vegas.
Raiders 10, Rams 0
change of possession
Bennett completed five of his six passes on the drive before the Rams were forced to kick a field goal.
FIELD GOAL RAMS: Brown hit his 25-yard field goal
Raiders 10, Rams 3
change of possession
After a one-yard run, Hoyer's pass was picked off by Jake Hummel, who returned 21 yards for a score.
Raiders 10, Rams 10
change of possession
The Raiders picked up one first down on a 10-yard run from Zamir White before not being able to do anything more as the Rams forced a punt.
change of possession
A facemask penalty on Rivers backed the Rams up as Bennett and co. couldn't move the chains.
change of possession
The Rams' defense came up with a big fourth-down stand as the Raiders went for it in their own territory. Hoyer's pass intended for Keelan Cole Sr. fell incomplete.
change of possession
A Bennett pass sailed on him and into the hands of Raiders DB Isaiah Pola-Mao. Pola-Mao returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.
PICK SIX RAIDERS
Raiders 17, Rams 10
change of possession
After a false start backed the Rams up, Bennett didn't complete any of his passes as Los Angeles went three-and-out.
change of possession
Hoyer set up for success with a 43-yard reception to Phillip Dorsett to start off the drive. But after an offensive pass interference penalty backed the Raiders up, they settle for a 30-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL RAIDERS
Raiders 20, Rams 10
Third Quarter
Bennett started off the drive with three of his first four completions before almost being intercepted again as he tried to throw a slant to DeMarcus Robinson.
change of possession
After a deep ball from Aidan McConnell to Tre Tucker went for 40 yards, the Raiders capped off the drive with a touchdown pass to Cam Sims from 12 yards out.
TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS
Raiders 27, Rams 17
change of possession
Bennett followed up a huge third-down conversion throw, where he hit Xavier Smith for a 25-yard gain with a four-yard rushing touchdown.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS
Raiders 27, Rams 17
change of possession
Fourth Quarter
McConnell finishes off a 15-play drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Kristian Wilkerson. The Raiders managed to burn just under seven minutes off the clock on a drive that saw them advance the ball 75 yards.
change of possession
Even after a change at quarterback as Brett Rypien subbed in for Bennett, the Rams were forced to punt on fourth down.
change of possession
The Rams' defense responded by forcing a three-and-out as McConnell couldn't find his receiver on a deep-ball.
change of possession
The Rams' offense couldn't take advantage of the three-and-out as they gained just two yards before a sack and a run for a loss forced them to punt.
change of possession
McConnell fired a completion over the middle for an 18-yard gain as the Raiders would go on to bleed out the final two minutes of the game.
FINAL: Raiders 34, Rams 17
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