The Los Angeles Rams opened their preseason by squaring off against the Oakland Raiders. To Sean McVay's surprise, the team came out flat and lost the game by the score of 14-3.

In the game, Los Angeles struggled to create a rhythm offensively with drops and penalties hindering their progress. The majority of fans were anxious to see the notable rookies take the field for the first time for their beloved Rams.

Among them, Taylor Rapp and Greg Gaines flashed their upside in the defense in the limited amount of reps they were given. On the other hand, Darrell Henderson struggled to get anything going on the ground, totaling six carries for just 13 yards.

Fortunately, McVay and the Rams have three more weeks in the prepare themselves for the endeavors of the regular season. Beginning with their next preseason contest versus the Dallas Cowboys.

The game will be played at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii—becoming the first preseason game at the prestigious arena in NFL history. When the Rams take the field, they will be considered the home team.

This week, Los Angeles will be aiming to make improvements across the board as they enjoy their time in Hawaii. Here are three areas that the Rams will focus on in their second preseason game against the Cowboys.

Aaron Donald, Rams

3. Getting to the Quarterback

In their first exhibition matchup, Wade Phillips was curious to see if his backup defense could create constant pressure. At times, Los Angeles made things tough for the Raiders, but other times, there was too much time to survey the field.

All in all, the Rams accumulated just two sacks as a team versus Oakland. One of them came from Josh Carraway, and the other was credited to Landis Durham.

Carraway and Durham are among a few outside linebackers on the team who are trying to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. The best way to obtain a roster spot is to find ways to bring down the opposing quarterback.

McVay tends to avoid playing his starters in the preseason, so it's likely that the younger guys will get another week to prove themselves against the Cowboys. The team will be focusing on who can get to the quarterback to provide their team with valuable depth on the roster.

Rams, Todd Gurley
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2. Running the Ball

Throughout the entire game against the Raiders, Los Angeles could never get any momentum on offense. The Rams will want to get off to a faster start against the Cowboys by running the football.

In their contest against the Raiders, the Rams ran it 22 times but only mustered 57 yards on the ground. Regardless of who's on the field, McVay can't be too pleased with those results.

Again, fans and the media were curious to watch Darrell Henderson play in his first preseason game. The rookie rusher was only able to gain 13 yards on his six carries in the game.

Come time for their next game, Los Angeles will want to see a better outcome from their rushing offense versus the Cowboys. Look for Henderson, John Kelly, and Matt Colburn to see more opportunities in Week 2 of the preseason.

Brandin Cooks, Rams

1. Eliminating Drops

By looking at the box score, you would think that the Rams' quarterbacks were abysmal against the Raiders. Yes, they didn't play phenomenally, but the wide receivers didn't help their case either.

From the beginning of the game, the Rams wide receivers struggled with the fundamentals of catching the football. Drops prevented McVay's offense from getting on track through the air.

In their preseason opener, KhaDarel Hodge impressed with three receptions for 48 yards. Hodge, among others, are scratching and clawing to land a roster spot when it's all said and done.

One way to end up falling down the depth chart is to drop catchable passes. The receivers will want to prevent the ball from hitting the ground against the Cowboys in Hawaii.