The Los Angeles Rams just saw their first-round rookie quarterback, Ty Simpson, make his NFL debut against the Kansas City Chiefs, and what a start it was. Simpson took over after Stetson Bennett’s two drives and absolutely willed the Rams to a 20-12 victory. This kid was pinpoint accurate and led LA on two scoring drives, setting the tone for what could be a wild ride.
Simpson Showed Out: Mobility, Poise, and Pure Accuracy
We knew the Rams’ offense with Simpson under center wouldn’t be some high-flying aerial assault, especially in this preseason environment. Backups, shaky offensive lines, it’s tough out there. But Simpson? He played with third-stringers and didn’t take a single sack, which is a huge credit to his mobility. He checked every single box you could possibly want from a rookie. Mobility? Yep, he made some impressive throws on the move. Accuracy? Double check, 21 of 25 passes completed for an insane 84% completion rate. Arm strength? On display. Poise? We saw a whole lot of it. The moment just didn’t look too big for him.
Let’s talk about those incompletions, because they barely count. One was a hail mary attempt where he got hit a second before halftime. Another was a throwaway out of the back of the end zone on an RPO. There was a drop mixed in, and one pass got batted at the line of scrimmage. Seriously, I can’t remember a single errant throw from Simpson on Saturday. He was the definition of under control, even when things weren’t dynamic or amazing. Critics might say the offense was “dink and dunk” early on, with the training wheels clearly attached. But here’s the kicker: that changed later in the second half. Simpson started airing the ball out and got better as the game went on. This dude improved every series.
The Future Is Calling, And It’s Ty Simpson
It’s clear Simpson understands that, if everything goes according to plan, he won’t be seeing the field during the regular season. But this was his moment to reward the Rams for taking that leap of faith in the first round. He showed fans exactly what they have to look forward to in the post-Matthew Stafford era, and it’s exciting as heck. He put up 190 yards and two scores, making those 84% completions look easy.
Beyond Simpson’s electrifying performance, there were other “winners” too. Linebacker Shaun Dolac and tight end Davis Allen were both dressed in street clothes and watching from the sidelines. For these guys, the most telling thing is sometimes *not* being subjected to the preseason grind. Dolac was a mainstay in exhibition games last year, so sitting this one out speaks volumes. Allen was probably always safe anyway, listed as a co-sta.
Two more preseason contests remain to really assess Simpson’s abilities. If he keeps this trajectory, if he keeps getting better like he did against the Chiefs, the Rams are absolutely in good hands long term. That’s a massive deal.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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