Lance McCutcheon stole the show in his preseason debut with the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night versus the Los Angeles Chargers. He caught five passes for 87 yards with two touchdowns, including the game-winner from Bryce Perkins in the fourth quarter.
While fans and analysts were surprised to see McCutcheon shine in the preseason opener, Sean McVay and the Rams weren’t shocked by his performance. They saw it coming, and he didn’t let them down.
“He deserved it and it’s a real credit to Liam (Coen), coach Yarber, and coach Olson. They did a great job being able to put him in those spots and he delivered,” McVay said after the win. “But I’ll tell you this. I remember early on in the offseason program, there are certain young guys that have that right look in their eye where you can see they are mature beyond their years. I remember Greg Olson being around him and he said, ‘You watch, this guy’s going to have a really good preseason and I bet you he makes a lot of plays,’ and that was prophetic and I said that to Olson during the game. I remember when you were around this guy for only a couple of days and you kind of saw this coming. He’s just got one of those demeanors where you say this guy is going to figure it out.”
Making plays is exactly what McCutcheon did on Saturday. His first touchdown will be played on highlight reels for a few days, coming up with a 60-yard bomb over one defender and shaking off a tackle from two Chargers.
McCutcheon’s second receiving touchdown was an impressive contested catch he made while having a defender draped over him, which ended up being the final score of the game.
McCutcheon signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent earlier this offseason out of Montana State. He would join a loaded wide receiver room that is led by Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, and Van Jefferson, so making a name for himself was going to be difficult.
Undrafted free agents always have an uphill climb when it comes to securing a roster spot in the NFL. But with the Rams needing depth at the wide receiver position, and the coaching staff praising him for his efforts this offseason, McCutcheon is certainly making a case to remain a member of the reigning Super Bowl champions entering the regular season.