RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Los Angeles Rams pulled away from the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half Saturday to get their first preseason win, 20-12, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Rams came out with the win behind the play of rookie quarterback Ty Simpson , who threw 190 yards and two touchdowns.
The Chiefs didn't register a touchdown, but they did get a perfect outing from place kicker Harrison Butker, who went 4-for-4 on field goals, scoring all of the Chiefs' points on Saturday.
Here's a breakdown of the winners and losers from the Week 1 preseason matchup between the Chiefs and Rams:
Winners
Rams rookie QB Ty Simpson
Simpson had himself a day.
The first-round pick and apparent QB of the future came in to relive Stetson Bennett IV, who started the game but was subbed for Simpson after leading the Rams to three points on their first two drives. Simpson essentially played the remainder of the contest and completed 84% of his passes.
He finished the game 21-for-25 for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn't sacked and didn't throw an interception. Both touchdowns were short passes thrown to running back Dean Connors.
Not a bad outing for the second quarterback selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Simpson was the 13th overall pick.
Chiefs rookie QB Garrett Nussmeier
Nussmeier came out of LSU, looking set to be the third string quarterback for the Chiefs, playing behind Justin Fields and, of course, Patrick Mahomes.
Although he didn't throw a touchdown in the game, he showed potential and what he could do out there. The game changed and the offense looked more fluid when Nussmeier entered the game in the second quarter.
He helped the Chiefs get their first points. They charged downfield multiple times but penalties forced them to settle for three points, instead of six. Nussmeier looked poised on the field. He finished 13-for-19 for 98 yards. Although he was sacked twice, he had an 80.6 rating.
Rams RB Dean Connors
Connors scored twice in the game, showing that he can be a valued weapon who can catch out of the backfield and make plays for his squad. He finished with four catches, 29 yards and two touchdowns.
However, he wasn't as effective on the ground. Connors ran for 22 yards on six carries. It was Jordan Waters who was the most productive back on the team. He ran for 37 yards on just five carries.
Losers
Chiefs mistakes
The Chiefs could have given themselves a chance to win the game but they committed too many penalties, especially at crucial moments. The Chiefs committed 12 penalties for 83 yards.
Kansas City running back Emmett .Johnson went up the middle for 4 yards and scored a touchdown with 9:21 left in the second quarter, but it was called back due to an offensive holding call charged to Hunter Nourzad. The Chiefs settled for a field goal.
On another possession, the Kansas City offense committed four penalties − a false start, two holding calls and an ineligible man downfield − resulting in a total of 28 yards lost on the possession. The possession resulted in another three points for the Chiefs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winners and losers from Rams vs. Chiefs preseason matchup: Ty Simpson impresses
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