THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Bryce Perkins each met with local media after Friday's practice to preview Saturday's preseason opener against the Chargers, discussing going against Brandon Staley (McVay), what they're looking to get out of the contest (Perkins), and more.

Here are some of the highlights and key takeaways from those conversations, which you can watch in their entirety below:

"Brandon's a great coach, did a phenomenal job for us. Very grateful for all the contributions and excited to see these guys compete tomorrow." – McVay

• McVay on Saturday will be coaching against a familiar face in former Rams defensive coordinator Staley, who was hired as the Chargers' next head coach earlier this year.
• McVay said he wasn't surprised Staley he got that opportunity as soon as he did: "I knew that if he got a chance to compete for a job, based on his organizational structure, his thought process – he's a really deep thinker. You can see he had been preparing himself for those opportunities for a while and you know, he'll do a good job with those guys."

"I think you want to see guys enjoy themselves and play well, put good tape out there for themselves." – McVay

• For McVay, Saturday is about seeing player not only compete, but also play with a quieted mind.
• He also wants to see those players who are not playing offer advice and perspective to those who are. "I think some of the things that their own teammates see, it's really powerful coming from the Aaron Donald's of the world or the Matthew Stafford's, Jalen Ramsey's," McVay said.

"It's going to be exciting. I know the energy is going to be up." – Perkins

• After not having any preseason games last year, Perkins is looking forward to Saturday night.
• With last year limited to just a pair of intra-squad scrimmages and Perkins spending the 2020 season on the Rams' practice squad, Saturday will mark Perkins' first live NFL game action.

"I'm ready, for real." – Perkins

• Accordingly, Perkins is excited to have the chance to display his running and throwing abilities.
• "A big part of my game is my legs, so getting a chance to kind of to both, speed-wise, I'm ready," Perkins said.