The Rams turned their second preseason game into a 34-0 wipeout of the Saints, and the story of the night was all over the field: Stetson Bennett took on a bigger workload, the defense piled up splash plays, and a few young names made strong cases for themselves.
Bennett was the headliner on offense. Playing the entire first half, he went 19-of-31 for 181 yards, added two rushing touchdowns, and finished with a 77.5 passer rating.
He looked a little off early, then settled in with the kind of short completions that got the offense moving. The best stretch came late in the half, when he hit back-to-back throws of 20 and 17 yards in a two-minute drill.
His deep placement still needs work, but those downfield connections stood out. On the ground, he showed the same sneaky athleticism he’s known for, punching in two end-zone runs.
Jarquez Hunter kept his momentum going after a quieter opener. The 2025 fourth-round pick handled 12 carries for 68 yards and scored the only Rams offensive touchdown not authored by Bennett.
It was enough to strengthen his push for a 53-man roster spot, even if the fact that he was still playing that deep into the game suggests he’s not quite there yet. Carrying four running backs would be one way to keep him, though that would likely force the Rams to move on from veteran Ronnie Rivers.
CJ Daniels was the most productive Rams receiver by a wide margin. The rookie caught eight passes for 68 yards on 13 targets and backed up the strong debut he had last week. He worked well with both Bennett and Ty Simpson and kept showing why Los Angeles moved up to draft him.
On the defensive front, Wesley Bailey was everywhere. The undrafted Louisville rookie logged four quarterback hits, a sack, and a tackle for loss, and he was also involved in the goal-line fumble the Rams forced.
That takeaway came after safety Alex Cook’s 100-yard pick-six, the first of two interceptions for the defense. Bailey may still be behind Desjuan Johnson on the edge-rusher depth chart, but he made a loud case to stick around.
Cam Lampkin added to the defensive push with five tackles and two pass deflections, including a third-down breakup. He kept flashing as a lively presence in the secondary and kept his name in the conversation for what could be the Rams’ final defensive back spot.
Not every young player got the same kind of runway. Dean Connors had a much quieter night after his electric preseason debut.
He returned one kickoff, was targeted once for an incompletion, and carried twice for five yards. After putting up 51 scrimmage yards on 11 touches and scoring both touchdowns in Game 1, he simply didn’t have many chances to make noise this time.
Still, the biggest story was the defense, which kept stacking plays until the Saints had nothing left. Two interceptions, a long pick-six, a red-zone fumble, and pressure from both the secondary and the pass rush made it the clear standout unit of the night.
In Other News...
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 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 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Have A Real Backup Quarterback Question Behind Stafford
Stetson Bennett IV gave the Rams a useful reminder in their preseason win over the Saints, looking comfortable enough to make the backup quarterback conversation more than a formality. He completed 19 of 31 passes for 181 yards and added two rushing touchdowns, a showing that fit with Sean McVays public praise of Bennetts development and his readiness to serve behind Matthew Stafford.
For a team built around Stafford, the value of a dependable No. 2 is easy to understand, and Bennetts latest outing only sharpened that point. He has yet to appear in a regular-season game, but the Rams appear increasingly convinced he is prepared to step in if called upon, which gives this position a far different feel than a year ago. [Read more 🡒]