In his preseason debut, Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback Stetson Bennett threw four interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
“I don’t know,” Bennett said, via the team’s transcript. “I think it’s really good to have, you know – that was probably the weirdest game that I’ve ever been a part of. Yeah, I don’t know. But I told myself today, we’re gonna roll with the punches. My goal was to not make any mental errors, which I know the – it was basically to run the offense correctly. And I know the interceptions are different, but like to run in and out of the huddle, execute. And I thought we did that for the majority of the day. There were some lapses, obviously, but in the end, it was get the ball in the endzone or you lose, and I think everybody kind of helped to do it.”
Bennett completed 24 of 38 passes for 224 yards. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds to clinch the victory.
Bennett is in the middle of fighting for the No.2 spot behind Matthew Stafford. Jimmy Garoppolo is currently the second-string quarterback but he won’t play any of the preseason and faces a two-game suspension at the start of the season.
Prior to the Rams’ preseason opener, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay revealed what he was looking for in Bennett’s start at quarterback.
“Command, control, being able to get in and out of the huddle,” McVay said, when asked what he wants to see from Bennett in his preseason performances. “I mean, there’s so much that goes into the quarterback position in regards to, just calling the play, getting up to the line of scrimmage, making sure that everybody’s set, sending any sort of motion, and then being able to just play and trust your instincts after the snap. But want to be able to see that, and I want to see him be able to go enjoy his opportunity to go compete. When I’ve seen him at his best, he’s having fun, and that’s really consistent with all players.”
The Rams drafted the Georgia alum in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, No. 128 overall. Bennett saw action in the preseason last year, but following Week 1 of the season, the 26-year-old left the Rams due to mental health issues.
Because he missed his rookie season, this is Bennett’s opportunity to make a name for himself in the NFL but after Sunday’s performance, there is certainly room for improvement.