Stetson Bennett had a rough outing against the Dallas Cowboys in the preseason opener, to say the least. He threw four interceptions and had a passer rating of only 48.5, though he did overcome those mistakes by throwing a game-winning touchdown pass with 6 seconds left.
Bennett still has a good chance to make the Rams’ 53-man roster if he can bounce back in the next two preseason games, giving him a golden opportunity to prove he belongs on the team to start the year.
Sean McVay said this week that the Rams are still in “evaluation mode” when it comes to Bennett, not committing to the second-year quarterback as Matthew Stafford’s backup in Weeks 1 and 2. On Thursday, McVay shared what he wants to see from Bennett against the Chargers on Saturday night, pointing to consistency and decision-making.
“I think what you want to see is consistency. This is an imperfect game. The last thing you want is guys to go out there and be afraid to make a mistake because you had a situation like that,” McVay said. “That’s not at all what we want but you do want to make good consistent decisions. Sometimes, he might make a great play and it might lead to a turnover if there’s a ball that gets tipped, but that’s not going to be something that would at all affect his process or the way that he’s evaluated. Now, if you’re making reckless decisions in terms of… alright, your timing, your rhythm, and where the ball is going. Those are different conversations. This is a very difficult position that these guys play. These windows close fast. We want to be as consistent playing within the framework of what we’re asking as possible while also understanding that the beauty is when things go a little bit off-schedule. Consistency in the decision-making is what we’re looking to see.”
Bennett’s mistakes against the Cowboys were mostly due to late throws and a bad job of reading the defense. He wasn’t seeing defenders well and forced the ball into some tight windows despite not being under pressure.
He actually made some impressive throws throughout the game, which McVay was encouraged by, but four interceptions in a game – and seven picks in four career preseason games – is far too many for an NFL quarterback.
