The Los Angeles Rams got off to a good start to the preseason, winning their first game against the Dallas Cowboys.
As expected, it was a slog for both teams as they struggled to string together long drives though Stetson Bennett showed great mental toughness by throwing the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. It was Bennett’s first on-field action since last preseason and he was understandably shaking off some rust.
Bennett should continue to get his opportunities to gets reps for the Rams as head coach Sean McVay likes to leave his starters and rotation players out of preseason action to keep them healthy. Los Angeles is already dealing with a bevy of injuries and don’t need to risk more players’ health in meaningless games.
Preseason is also a time for assistants to get their feet wet calling an actual NFL game, so McVay announced that assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasant will be leading the sideline this weekend against the L.A. Chargers serving as the Rams’ head coach.
“Aubrey [Pleasant] will be the head coach, so it’ll be really cool,” McVay said. “I’ll be up in the coach’s booth and he’ll be doing his thing. We’ll see if he throws the flag at the right times.”
McVay will up in the broadcast booth calling part the game while Pleasant will be down on the field manning the controls.
The Rams are always looking for ways to get coaches and players extra reps and in this case Pleasant has done enough to warrant a chance to call a game on his own terms. McVay doesn’t expect to need to give Pleasant any advice as he believes he is ready.
“No, he doesn’t need [it],” McVay added. “Listen, I wouldn’t follow my lead but he’s ready to go. He’s earned this right and it’s more of just going through some of the mechanics. Meeting with the officials, handling some of the different things as it relates to timeouts, being able to communicate with both sides. Again, these games we approach very differently, but I think to be able to get those reps for the leadership role that he plays for our team, but also to be able to get those chances. I remember when I got opportunities when I was in Washington. Those were really cool things that I look back on and I really appreciate in hindsight. Maybe I didn’t realize how beneficial and valuable they were. Like I’ve mentioned to you guys, he’s earned the right of assistant head coach because of the influence and the positive effect that he has on everyone in this building. I think it’s a great, earned opportunity and he’ll do an excellent job. That certainly isn’t exclusive to whatever the result is. It’s more of the management and the way that you just handle everything from the players to the coaches and it’ll be cool to see.”
McVay is no stranger to the practice as he got his own chance to act as the head coach when he was still with the Washington Commanders as their offensive coordinator. While it’s hard to quantify how much calling a preseason game helps in the long term, it’s surely beneficial.
The Rams and Chargers have been going at each other during during joint practices this week, so it’ll be interesting to see how Pleasant fares going up against an opponent that will be familiar with them.
Sean McVay says Aubrey Pleasant earned Rams’ assistant head coach title
Aubrey Pleasant’s return to the Rams organization was well-received as he was a key member of Sean McVay’s staff. McVay promoted Pleasant to assistant head coach earlier in the offseason and said he earned the title change.
