The Los Angeles Rams have been heavily known during the preseason to not play their starters at all. This is how head coach Sean McVay has approached the preseason since he first started in 2017 and that hasn’t changed in eight years. The Rams have valued joint practices in a more controlled environment over the preseason.
However, after slow starts the previous two years, it’s worth wondering if McVay should change this approach and play his starters even if it is in a heavily limited capacity. McVay’s approach to the preseason was fine in 2017 and 2018 when the Rams were winning. However, in 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024, the Rams are 14-15 in the first six weeks of the season. Excluding 2022, the Rams are 28-15 from Week 7 until the end of the season.
McVay’s approach to the preseason has resulted in recent criticism from the media. Said Boomer Esiason about starters playing in the preseason, “ I think they all need to play. They don’t find their rhythm until like Week 5 or 6, it’s ridiculous. It’s on everybody’s mind, everybody knows it.”
The Cincinnati Bengals and head coach Zac Taylor are changing their approach this season despite typically not playing starters during the preseason.
The Bengals are currently set to play their preseason opener on Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Starters such as quarterback Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are expected to play. Giving his reasoning Taylor said,
“We do have a road primetime game early in the season. So, the lights are on, you’re in a road environment. That’s great… As much as we practice it and do it, it’s not the same feel. So, I think just those 11 guys being in the huddle on both sides of the ball and all the communication that’s got to occur. It’s just a good opportunity for those guys to get some additional reps.”
Last season, the Bengals started 0-3 which included a Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots. The year before in 2023, they started 1-3. While Burrow was managing an injury, the Bengals failed to score a touchdown in losses to the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans. They also started 0-2 in 2022.
The Bengals aren’t the only team who could be changing their approach. Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was quoted this week saying, “They’re football players, so everybody’s got to go into it expecting to play.”
Like the Bengals, the Rams have started slow over the past couple of season. While injuries certainly have played a role in that, it’s worth wondering if it has taken some time for players to get up to game speed. The Rams started 1-4 last year and were 2-3 to start 2023.
With quarterback Matthew Stafford nursing a back injury, he likely wouldn’t play on Saturday against the Cowboys anyway. However, it is worth wondering if it would be beneficial for the starting offensive line to get a drive together or for Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams to get one drive of action.
There is certainly an argument to be made when it comes to the potential injury risk. At the end of the day, the preseason doesn’t matter. Is it worth risking injury for a meaningless preseason game? That’s especially the case when the Rams are able to get value out of joint practices that are more controlled.
Still, the Rams have gotten physically out-played in recent years early in the season. Last year, the Detroit Lions rushed for 163 yards, including 60 on the game-winning drive in overtime. Meanwhile, Kyren Williams had just 50 yards on 18 carries. In 2023, Christian McCaffrey rushed for 116 yards in Week 2 while Williams had just 52 yards rushing. It was one of Williams’ least productive games on the year. Williams didn’t have his first 100 yard game until Week 5.
It’s unlikely that McVay will change his preseason approach, especially with Stafford already nursing a sore back. At the same time, it is something worth questioning given that other teams are changing their approach and the Rams have had slow starts in recent years.
