Stetson Bennett IV took another step toward looking like the Rams’ next man up behind Matthew Stafford, and on Saturday night he gave Sean McVay plenty to like.
In Los Angeles’ 34-0 preseason win over the Saints, Bennett handled his work cleanly enough to stand out: 19 completions on 31 attempts, 181 passing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. For a quarterback whose NFL value has been built almost entirely in August, that kind of outing matters.
McVay came away impressed with the way Bennett managed the offense and made decisions.
“I think he’s getting better and better,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters after the game. “I think part of it is the overall command.
I thought he made some really good decisions. I thought he got through some progressions.
Then I love the fact that he used his legs. . . . [H]e did a great job.
I thought he got an opportunity to be able to really showcase a lot of his skills. Huge credit to [quarterbacks coach] Dave Ragone too.
I think those two guys were really in sync and it was fun to watch.”
That’s a notable shift from where things stood two years ago, when the Rams were unsure Bennett was ready to be Matthew Stafford’s backup while Jimmy Garoppolo was set to miss the first two games of the regular season because of a PED suspension. Now, with Garoppolo gone and rookie first-rounder Ty Simpson still learning the ropes, Bennett appears positioned to be the quarterback one snap away from action.
The bigger picture is simple: Bennett still hasn’t taken a snap in a regular-season game over his first three years, so everything he’s shown has come in preseason settings. But McVay sounds convinced the reps are paying off.
“We talk about it all the time, and you guys have heard me say it, repetition is the mother of learning,” McVay said. "[Bennett] has been intentional about applying those reps and you can feel like his teammates, they enjoy him.
He’s an easy guy to be able to root for. He’s just got a nice swag and a nice presence and especially like what we asked earlier, you feel his game really comes to life in game day settings.
The gamer thing, he’s just got a good feel and it’s not too big. He loves competing and it’s fun to watch him do it.”
There was one shaky moment when Bennett stretched the ball toward the pylon and flirted with a fumble through the end zone. The original ruling on the field was changed to a touchdown, but McVay made it clear the lesson still stands.
“We’ll learn from reaching the ball out on the end zone even though I challenged that and it worked out for us,” McVay said. “We want to make sure that we don’t leave ourselves susceptible to getting a fumble in those types of situations where it goes to a touchback.”
That play was a warning sign, but it didn’t erase the larger takeaway from the night. With Stafford the only Rams quarterback who has regular-season game experience, Bennett is suddenly looking like a real option if the team needs him this season.
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Rams QB Battle Just Got More Interesting For Stetson Bennett
Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett have both done enough in the preseason to keep the Rams quarterback conversation alive, and that is exactly the kind of problem Sean McVay wants this time of year. Simpson stood out in the opener with sharp decision-making, while Bennett answered in the next game with Player of the Game honors, giving Los Angeles a second look at two young passers who have each flashed enough to matter.
Bennetts recent progress has added another layer to the competition, especially after he has cleaned up the turnovers that had been part of his story earlier. With both quarterbacks making a case and McVay publicly encouraged by what he has seen from Simpson, the Rams still have a real preseason battle on their hands, and the next few practices and reps will go a long way toward shaping how that room looks when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Stetson Bennett Just Made The Rams Roster Battle A Lot Tougher
The Rams second preseason game turned into a showcase for several young players, and Stetson Bennett made sure the quarterback conversation got louder. In a 34-0 shutout of the Saints, Bennett handled his work efficiently, completing 19 of 31 passes for 181 yards while adding two rushing touchdowns and taking home Player of the Game honors. The performance came with plenty of other names flashing too, including running back Jarquez Hunter, receiver CJ Daniels, edge rusher Wesley Bailey and cornerback Cam Lampkin.
For a roster that still has several battles to sort out, the most encouraging part for Los Angeles is how many players are forcing the issue at once. Bennetts outing stood out most, especially with the team evaluating depth and roles behind the established pieces, while Dean Connors had a quieter night after a more noticeable preseason debut. The Rams still have decisions ahead, but games like this make the margins a lot tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Stetson Bennett Just Gave Rams Fans A Real Backup QB Debate
Stetson Bennett spent the first half of the Rams second preseason game making a real case for himself, and the setting could not have been much calmer for a quarterback trying to make noise. With the defense blanking New Orleans and the offense stacking up four scoring drives before halftime, Bennett went 19 of 31 for 181 yards and added two rushing touchdowns in a 34-0 rout that gave Los Angeles plenty to like on both sides of the ball.
Ty Simpson handled the second half after Bennetts work was done, but the conversation the Rams may have sparked goes beyond one August win. Bennetts ability to keep the offense moving and finish drives adds some weight to a backup quarterback picture that had seemed straightforward enough before kickoff, and hell get one more chance to keep pressing his case when the Rams face the Chargers in the final preseason game on Aug. 27. [Read more 🡒]