Rams vs. Raiders Week 2 Preseason: 3 Bold Predictions

The Los Angeles Rams will host the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, August 21 at 7:00 P.M. ET at SoFi Stadium. After the teams held two joint practices during the week, they'll now display most of their reserves in the weekend contest.

Here are three bold predictions ahead of the Rams vs. Raiders preseason matchup:

Prediction No. 1: Bryce Perkins Puts Together Another Solid Performance

Perkins was the talk of the night last Saturday when he stiff-armed a tackler and then hurdled the next defender to secure the first down. But it wasn't just about one play that put him on the map. Perkins moved the ball with regularity, using his legs as a runner and showed accuracy as a passer.

He'll share snaps will Devlin 'Duckl' Hodges once again, but both signal-callers will still receive a steady dose of opportunities. Last week they shared about a 50/50 split and I'd assume the plan will be to do the same against the Raiders.

Given what Perkins provided the offense last week, I predict he'll keep it going, completing passes at a 70% clip while finding the end zone twice — once through the air and another as a rusher.

Prediction No. 2: Ernest Jones Leads The Team in Tackles

Last week, Jones wore the green dot for the Rams defense, relaying plays from defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to his teammates. Morris said during his media availability this week that he loved the calmness that Jones showed despite the communication not being up to par as technical difficulty occurred from Morris' headset on the sideline.

Jones, the Rams' third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is leading the defense and showing flashes last week of how he can fly around sideline-to-sideline. Having a speedy linebacker who can serve as the general in the middle of the field will help cover running backs and tight ends, while also assisting in the run game. Through the early stages of training camp and one preseason game, it looks like Jones is up for the challenge.

Assuming he'll build upon his performance from the preseason opener, I predict Jones will lead the Rams in tackles against the Raiders.

Prediction No. 3: Tutu Atwell Finds the Endzone

Atwell flashed last week as both a receiver and a punt returner. His 4.32 40-yard dash speed came to life when he got any bit of space and turned on the jets.

The Rams needed speed at the wide receiver position last season which is why they drafted Atwell and signed DeSean Jackson in free agency. With Atwell's eye-popping speed so apparent, I'm sure coach Sean McVay will have some tricks up his sleeve on how he wants to deploy his rookie speedster. However, those plays likely won't be revealed until the regular season begins.

Whether Atwell scores via a punt return or catches one as a receiver, I predict he scores a touchdown tonight.

Continue Reading: Jalen Ramsey Says This Has Been His Best Camp

Nick Cothrel is the Publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel.