What Rams Need to See From Ty Simpson in Preseason Debut vs. Chiefs

The Los Angeles Rams will play the Kansas City Chiefs in their preseason opener on Saturday. While the Rams won’t be playing any of their starters, rookie quarterback Ty Simpson is set to make his debut with the team.

All eyes will be on Simpson given that he was the 13th overall pick and is seen as the heir to quarterback Matthew Stafford. Simpson will almost certainly have rookie moments, but it will be an opportunity for him to take what he’s learned on the practice field and in the meeting room to a live-game environment.

“I'm super excited,” said Simpson. “I'm really ready to show who I am. I'm not going to do anything that I know I'm not capable of doing. I’m just going to stick to my rules and stick to what I've been doing, throwing with conviction and having fun out there. It's just football. It's a whole different level and I'm excited.”

Over the past week, other rookie quarterbacks have made their preseason debuts as well. Fernando Mendoza looked comfortable in his debut, going 10-for-16 for 97 yards and a touchdown. Drew Allar threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday night for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carson Beck missed the second game for the Arizona Cardinals. However, in the Hall of Fame Game, Beck went 15-for-19 for 188 yards and a touchdown.

Sean McVay Reveals What He Wants to See From Ty Simpson

There will be some pressure for Simpson to perform well and look comfortable in the offense in Saturday’s game against the Chiefs. That doesn’t mean he needs to be perfect, but a poor performance would certainly be discouraging.

“I think just good command by both those guys, consistently making good decisions, playing within the timing and rhythm of whatever that play is,” said head coach Sean McVay. “I want to see us get in and out of the huddle, good communication…I want Ty to be able to do what he's done as well. It'll be fun to watch both those guys play.”

Simpson taking what he’s learned thus far and applying it to a live-game environment is the next important step in his development. This experience will be extremely valuable for multiple reasons. At Alabama, Simpson only started 15 games for the Crimson Tide, meaning he was already somewhat inexperienced when the Rams drafted him. Additionally, once the regular season starts, Simpson’s physical reps will become extremely limited. Many of his reps after the preseason will be mental reps from the sideline.

Context Will Matter in Ty Simpson’s Preseason Debut

Given Simpson’s status as the 13th overall pick, his performance against the Chiefs will almost certainly get overanalyzed. However, it will be important to keep in mind that the process is more important than the actual result.

If Simpson looks completely lost and his fundamentals are off, that would be a cause for concern. With that said, given that it’s the preseason and Simpson’s situation will be less than ideal, the process is what’s important.

“If the pocket breaks down, sometimes it might be, 'Hey, the pocket's collapsing, where's my quick element throw?' Sometimes it might be, 'Hey, the pocket's collapsing but there's an escape lane and I can make some plays or second reaction types of plays,’” said McVay. “Those were parts of their game that we did like coming out of college…I think those are some of the different things and I would imagine we'll move the launch point a little bit as well.”

With Bennett set to play in this game as well, Simpson is likely to be leading the third-string offense. His offensive line will consist of players that won’t make the roster or will be on the practice squad. The same will be true of many of the players he’ll be throwing to.

What Would Make Ty Simpson’s Debut a Success?

Under those circumstances, it’s unrealistic to expect perfection, and his performance should be evaluated within that context. Still, it will be important for him to look comfortable in the offense and for the operation itself to run smoothly. McVay also mentioned Simpson not predetermining reads, playing within the rules, and remaining instinctual.

Again, the overall process is much more important than the final box score. Calling the play in the huddle, getting the offense lined up, and staying within the rules of the offense while maintaining clean fundamentals are what the Rams will want to see. Those are things that Simpson can control. As long as the process looks good in Simpson’s debut, the Rams can feel good about their rookie quarterback.

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