Rams 20, Chiefs 12: Simpson's Two TDs to Connors Close It

August 15, 2026 - Kansas City - Patrick Mahomes walked out for the coin toss and walked back. Matthew Stafford never left the sideline. The night belonged to backups, and one of them looked like a first-round pick who belonged.

The Los Angeles Rams beat the Kansas City Chiefs 20-12 at Arrowhead. Stetson Bennett started. Ty Simpson finished it: 21-of-25, 190 yards, two touchdowns, both to Dean Connors. Kansas City was flagged 12 times for 83 yards.

Bennett first, then Simpson takes over

Bennett is the projected backup behind Stafford. He went 4-of-6 for 36 yards in his lone quarter. Sean McVay had no interest in starring the first-team offense or defense. Third-stringers got the early work on both sides of the ball.

Simpson, the second quarterback taken in the draft, played more than two quarters. He kept the ball in play, took what the defense gave him, and threw both scores to Connors in the fourth. Los Angeles trailed for stretches and still left with the win.

"I thought he took what the defense gave him," McVay said. "I thought he did a really good job overall."

Mahomes watches, Fields and Nussmeier work

Mahomes is rehabbing from knee surgery and remains ahead of schedule for Week 1, but Saturday was not a dropback night. Justin Fields completed all four of his passes in his first quarter as Kansas City's backup. Seventh-rounder Garrett Nussmeier played most of the way: 13-of-19, 98 yards. Fifth-rounder Emmett Johnson ran 12 times for 59 yards and was the clearest bright spot on the Chiefs' offense.

Chris Jones said earlier in the week he did not want to play in the preseason. Steve Spagnuolo answered with one snap: the first one. Andy Reid still cared enough to challenge an incompletion and win it when Jared Wiley's toe-tap held up on review.

What will not sit well in Kansas City: the flags. Twelve penalties, 83 yards, mostly on the backup offensive line. Promising drives died in the middle of the field. Running back Brashard Smith already knew what Monday would feel like.

"It's going to be hell, for sure," Smith said. "We have to clean those up."

Arrowhead was back in its usual seating configuration after World Cup matches and back under its old name after a stretch as GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Rams third-round tackle Keagen Trost left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury.

AthX Engine, if this were a regular-season card

Apply the AthX Engine NFL scoring table to the box, not a live weekly leaderboard.

Simpson's 190 pass yards and two touchdowns is about 27 quarterback fantasy points. Connors's two receiving TDs are the skill-line spike on the card even before the rest of his catches. Fields's perfect 4-of-4 quarter is a short sample, not a projection. Preseason points are not share prices.

Track Stafford, Mahomes, Jones, and both clubs on the marketplace.

*Sources: ESPN recap. Information only; not financial advice.*