Rams rookie leaves Sean McVay with something to think about after perfect preseason

Ty Simpson knows where he stands in the pecking order.He also knows where he wants to go. The Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback walked off the field at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night having delivered perhaps his best — and final — argument yet that the distance between the two is shrinking. Simpson completed 18 of 23 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in just the first half of the Rams’ 20-18 victory over the LA Chargers, putting the finishing touches on an undefeated preseason and an impressive NFL audition for the No.

13 overall pick out of Alabama. “I thought Ty did a great job tonight,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.“It’s never-ending, constant evolution and improvement, constant growth.”Simpson finished his three preseason appearances 47-of-60 passing for 382 yards, three touchdowns and, perhaps most importantly for a rookie quarterback learning McVay’s offense, zero interceptions.His best moment Thursday came on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone.

With the pocket breaking down, Simpson escaped trouble by spinning to his left.He kept his eyes downfield and delivered the kind of throw to the corner of the end zone that offered a glimpse of why Los Angeles invested such valuable draft capital in him.And he did it against the Chargers’ starters. Through his first two preseason games, Simpson played most of the second half after starter Stetson Bennett IV got in his action.

That meant he played mostly against the Chiefs and Saints second and third stringers. But on Thursday night, he started for the Rams with McVay opting to leave Bennett on the bench and in bubble wrap for the team’s opening game of the season in two weeks in Melbourne, Australia. Chargers’ head coach Jim Harbaugh takes a different approach to the preseason than his counterpart McVay does.Harbaugh likes to play his starters and get them game reps, at least for a few drives.

That allowed Simpson to face the closest thing he could to NFL action...