The Los Angeles Rams are known to not play their starters during the preseason, leaving opportunities for guys battling to make the roster.
With that said, the Rams were happy to let third-string quarterback Bryce Perkins and undrafted rookie receiver Lance McCutcheon play the entirety of their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Perkins didn’t disappoint as he recorded 133 passing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 39 rushing yards and one more touchdown on the ground. Perkins showed good command of the offense and was efficient with his 17 passing attempts, completing 10 of them.
Five of those completions went to McCutcheon and it was fitting that the biggest play of the night came in the second quarter when Perkins found the wide receiver down the left sideline for a 60-yard touchdown:
When asked about the play, McCutcheon said he was originally trying to stay inbounds but managed to control the ball and regain his balance to score, via ESPN:
“I just saw the ball in the air, and first I was just trying to come down with it. Went up in a contested catch, and was just able to move the ball away and get my arm in there,” McCutcheon said.
McCutcheon has been drawing rave reviews during training camp, and fans can see why after showcasing his ability to win contested throws. He also proved he’s a viable red zone threat as he came down with an 11-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter that gave the Rams the lead for good.
According to Greg Beacham of the Associate Press, McCutcheon has an actual chance of making the Rams’ 53-man roster if he continues to play at this level:
The receiver corps of Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson is already set but McCutcheon is seriously pushing for a spot on the regular season roster. If he keeps playing the way he did in his preseason debut, he might force the front office’s hand.
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