For most teams, the third preseason game is similar to a dress rehearsal. It’s a time to get starters up to speed and ready to go with just a couple weeks left before the regular season kicks off. That wasn’t the case for Sean McVay or the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night, however.

McVay kept 10 starters out against the Chargers, fielding just two first-stringers on defense: Trumaine Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner. That wasn’t because of injuries, either. Guys like Alec Ogletree, Robert Quinn and Michael Brockers didn’t even suit up despite being healthy.

On offense, Todd Gurley sat out and Jared Goff attempted just eight passes. So why the shockingly low number of starters? McVay had a simple explanation.

“I think with a handful of those guys, there’s a lot of injuries that have taken place – little knicks and things here and there,” he said in his postgame press conference. “And we made a decision as a coaching staff what we felt like was best, and I thought it gave a lot of guys the opportunity to compete against an excellent team overall.

“It’s something you always want to be mindful of because you have such an appreciation for what the preseason represents and how important it is to be able to continue to just try to shape up your game. … And that’s why we put a premium on the way that we practice, doing different things like that. That was kind of the decision just being mindful of everything involved.”

While it was disappointing that the Rams didn’t field many starters against the Chargers in what’s been called the “Fight for L.A.,” you have to see where McVay is coming from. Los Angeles has suffered a number of minor injuries this preseason and during camp, and it can’t afford to lose any key starters for the start of the regular season.

It’s unclear how much the first-stringers will play in the preseason finale on Thursday night, but don’t expect them to be in there very long if they do start the game.