INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams are ready to get down to the business of living up to their status as the clear early favorite to win the Super Bowl.
They finished off the preseason with a 20-18 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. Two weeks from now, they'll hop on a 16-hour flight to open the season against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
“And now here we go,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. "We know what a great challenge it’s going to be."
Ty Simpson threw a go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter and Harrison Mevis kicked two 27-yard field goals for the Rams, who won all three of their preseason games. Simpson finished 18 of 23 for 119 yards.
“I thought he had good command,” McVay said. “He’s got a great game-day demeanor.”
The Rams didn’t play any starters in keeping with McVay’s approach to games that don't count in the standings. Even backup quarterback Stetson Bennett was held out.
The Rams added a familiar face earlier Thursday, bringing back wide receiver Tutu Atwell while sending running back Jarquez Hunter to the Miami Dolphins. Atwell was drafted by the Rams in 2021. He signed as a free agent with Miami in March but didn't play a regular-season game there.
“He adds depth. It gives us an opportunity to be able to have that speed element, and he can do some different things,” McVay said, denying the move had anything to do with a potential league suspension of star wide receiver Puka Nacua.
The Chargers went 1-2 in the preseason, coming off a 41-17 loss to the 49ers last week.
“I liked the response of the entire team from week two to week three of the preseason,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Many of the things we were working on I saw some real strides. Offensive line would be a big one. Really like the way it’s coming together.”
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert played just two series. His fumble led to Mevis' first 27-yard field goal early in the first quarter.
Herbert bounced right back, throwing a 65-yard TD pass to Quentin Johnston — the second-longest catch of the receiver's career — on the second play of a drive that lasted 14 seconds and gave the Chargers a 7-3 lead.
“It was double-wow — the route, the throw, the protection,” Harbaugh said.
New defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary chest-bumped safety Tony Jefferson after the Chargers forced the Rams to turn the ball over on downs inside the 1-yard line on a drive that lasted 9:41.
Trey Lance took over for Herbert in the second quarter, with his first series ending on a shanked 20-yard punt by JK Scott. The Rams quickly took the lead for good on third-stringer Simpson's 11-yard TD pass to fourth-string receiver Brennan Presley for a 10-7 lead.
Cameron Dicker missed a 49-yard field goal just before halftime, leaving the Chargers trailing 13-7. Known as the most accurate kicker in NFL history, he also whiffed on two extra-point attempts in three preseason games.
Dicker cut the deficit to 13-10 in the third, hitting a 34-yard field goal.
The Rams extended the lead to 20-10 in the fourth on Matthew Caldwell's 8-yard TD pass to Dean Connors.
The Chargers closed to 20-18 on Gregory Desrosiers' 34-yard TD run and third-string quarterback DJ Uiagalelei's 2-point conversion pass to Evan Svoboda.
Injury report
Rams: QB Caldwell (knee) went out after being hurt on a keeper late in the fourth quarter.
Chargers: WR Dalevon Campbell appeared to hurt his foot in the third quarter.
Up next
Rams: Open Sept. 10 against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
Chargers: Open Sept. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
___
[ See AP’s full NFL coverage here ]
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
