The Los Angeles Rams picked up their first win of the preseason on Sunday afternoon, edging out the Dallas Cowboys.
Predictably, both offenses struggled to get going though it was an important game for Stetson Bennett, who hadn’t played in over a year.
Head coach Sean McVay wanted to use the game against the Cowboys to get Bennett reps and he fought through adversity to deliver a victory.
While Bennett threw four interceptions, he also had 224 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
Bennett acknowledged he enjoyed being back on the field and will use the experience to learn and grow as a player.
“First of all, it was fun to get back out there with the guys,” Bennett said. “I thought everybody fought hard. I think we ran the ball really well. As far as my performance, I thought I played well and then just made a bunch of bad decisions, if that’s possible, right?
“If you can play well…But I think at the end…I’m proud that we fought back and were resilient in the end to make that drive. And like you said, we did have a lot of long drives and then it seemed like it was me pretty much who stopped us today. And I know it’s only, I don’t know how many, 13 points maybe…I don’t know, good things to learn from and things we can build onto.”
After being away from football for so long due to personal reasons, Bennett also admitted it was fun to be back playing.
“Yeah, it was good. I think I didn’t get hit until the fourth quarter though, so I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what it feels like.’ But it was fun. You feel your eyes kind of adjust as the game goes on. I know it’s different. You don’t really look at things, you kind of just see them. But it was good to get out there.”
Bennett’s best play of the day came late in the fourth quarter where he was able to convert in the end zone for the game-winning score. He broke down what he saw on the field and credited Miller Forristall for getting open.
“It was fourth down and they kind of covered us front side. Got to the back, felt somebody kind of off my back and knew that fourth down. We got to go and spun out and [TE] Miller [Forristall] did a great job with the scramble drill.”
For someone that hadn’t taken live snaps for so long, Bennett did well all things considered and should look better in the next outing.
Rams’ Stetson Bennett believes games like one against Cowboys are great for his development
Even though it was just preseason, Stetson Bennett said he believes games like the win against Dallas will only help him develop.
“I think it’s great and I think it’s really good to have…that was probably the weirdest game that I’ve ever been a part of, to be quite honest with you. I don’t know.
“I told myself today, we’re going to roll with the punches and we’re going to…My goal was to not make any mental errors, which I know it was basically to run the offense correctly. And I know the interceptions are different, but 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 end zone or you lose. And I think everybody kind of felt to do it.”
It wasn’t pretty by any means, but it was good to see Bennett respond in a positive manner and carry the Rams to a win.
