LOS ANGELES -- Julian Edelman, the New England Patriots' supremely reliable receiver, tore an ACL in the first quarter of Friday's preseason game.
The next day, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay sat the majority of his starters.
McVay's decision to play it safe might not have been solely influenced by what happened to Edelman, but it was largely motivated by the desire to avoid a debilitating injury in a meaningless preseason game. So on Saturday night, in a matchup against the neighboring Los Angeles Chargers -- for a third preseason game that is usually treated like a regular-season dress rehearsal -- McVay held back nine starters.