[brid autoplay=”true” video=”830855″ player=”23231″ title=”4%20Los%20Angeles%20Rams%20running%20back%20options%20after%20Cam%20Akers%20injury” duration=”88″ description=”The Los Angeles Rams were dealt a severe blow leading up to the start of training camp with news that star young running back Cam Akers suffered a torn Achilles. The Rams now find themselves behind the proverbial eight-ball with the 2021 regular season mere weeks away. Henderson will get the first opportunity to prove he’s a three-down back. However, there are other options Los Angeles must consider. Here we look at a few of them.” uploaddate=”2021-07-21″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/thumb/830855_t_1626896441.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/830855.mp4″]
The Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams open their 2021 NFL preseason schedules on August 14 at SoFi Stadium in a matchup of two of the most exciting teams in the NFL. Our Chargers vs Rams preview examines the best matchups, game odds and more.
Chargers vs Rams: What you need to know
- Chargers face the Rams at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, August 14 at 10:00 pm EST on NFL Network and CBS2 Los Angeles.
- Sportsnaut says the Los Angeles Chargers defeat the Los Angeles Rams, 20-13.
- Odds: The Chargers are a three-point favorite over the Rams with the over/under set at 34.5.
Find out where the Chargers and Rams land in our 2021 NFL power rankings
Lets dive into our Chargers vs Rams preview.
Sean McVay vs Brandon Staley
While the Chargers vs Rams matchup won’t offer us a glimpse at some of the league’s best players, two of the NFL’s brightest minds will clash. We won’t even see the full extent of their schemes and new designs they spent months creating, but this will be a fun chess match.
- Creative Space: The Rams’ offense was really limited by Jared Goff in the final years, forcing McVay to alter his scheme. We know how excited the veteran NFL coach is about the alterations made to this unit and even with a third-string quarterback starting, there will be creativity.
- Defensive Guru: Staley only spent a year as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, but his work with that group was phenomenal. The Rams allowed the lowest net yards per attempt (5.1) and only allowed opponents to score on 27.9% of drives. With a new group of defensive chess pieces, we’re excited to see Staley’s early work with the Chargers.
Advantage: Sean McVay
Check out our Los Angeles Chargers 2021 season preview
Bryce Perkins vs Devlin Hodges
Stafford is resting and John Wolford is sidelined after an appendectomy, so this game is going to look quite a bit different. With McVay calling the plays, that means an intriguing quarterback battle between veteran Devlin Hodges and dual-threat Bryce Perkins.
- The Weapon: While Bryce Perkins wasn’t selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, he quickly signed with the Rams as a UDFA and spent a majority of the season on the practice squad. He threw for 6,210 yards and rushed for 1,692 in just two college seasons and will be the most-exciting Rams’ quarterback in this game.
- Duck, Duck Go: At this point, any team with Devlin Hodges on its roster knows what it gets. He completed 62.5% of his passes in eight games with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2019 season, but it quickly became evident he isn’t an NFL-caliber quarterback.
Advantage: Bryce Perkins
Rashawn Slater vs Rams’ edge rushers
The Los Angeles Chargers didn’t hesitate when the opportunity to draft Rashawn Slater presented itself. Justin Herbert needed a franchise left tackle to protect him and that’s exactly what the organization landed. Now, let’s see how the rookie fares against NFL pass rushers.
Will the Rams win the Super Bowl? Dive into our 2021 NFL playoff projections
- Coast to Coast: If the Chargers wanted to, Slater could play almost any spot along the offensive line and that kind of versatility makes him special. Of note, per Pro Football Focus, he allowed just five pressures across 355 pass-blocking snaps in 2019. Yeah, there’s a reason Los Angeles immediately made him its left tackle.
- Fresh Pressure: After hiring defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, you can bet on the Rams sending the blitz often in 2021. With interior linemen focused on Aaron Donald and A’Shawn Robinson, that leaves Leonard Floyd, Terrell Lewis and other pass rushers to take advantage of a tackle head-to-head.
Advantage: Rashawn Slater
The bottom line: Nicknamed “Battle: Los Angeles” NFL fans at SoFi Stadium are in for a bit of a treat. This Chargers vs Rams game would certainly be better if the starting quarterbacks played and the brightest minds revealed their full bag of tricks, but there will still be a few highlights for everyone to enjoy.