Tag: stetson bennett

Stetson Bennett was the lowest-graded QB in the NFL this preseason

Stetson Bennett had the lowest grade of any quarterback this preseason, which isn’t the way he hoped to start his career

Stetson Bennett had plenty of doubters coming out of Georgia, but the Los Angeles Rams showed faith in the undersized quarterback when they took him in the fourth round of the draft. The Rams love how successful he was in college and his combination of accuracy and athleticism, but he hasn’t exactly gotten off to the best start in the NFL.

Bennett played all three preseason games and threw 62 passes, so his opportunities were certainly there. Unfortunately, the results were poor. According to Pro Football Focus, Bennett was the lowest-graded quarterback in the NFL this preseason, earning an overall mark of 29.5. The next-closest quarterback who had at least 19 drop-backs was P.J. Walker, who had a PFF grade of 41.2 this preseason and has already been cut by the Bears.

Bennett finished the preseason with a completion rate of 58.1% and just one touchdown pass compared to three interceptions. What drove Bennett’s grade down significantly was his decision-making. His six turnover-worthy plays were tied with Jake Haener for the most of any quarterback, so he was actually lucky to have just three interceptions.

Coincidentally, former Rams quarterback John Wolford had the highest passing grade (87.5) of all quarterbacks this preseason, completing 66.7% of his passes for 168 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.

Three preseason games won’t decide the future of Bennett’s career, but it’s hard not to be disappointed by his performance this summer. If there’s one thing he must improve, it’s his decision-making. Too often he tried to force a throw, especially after staring down his receiver and leading the defender to the target.

Bennett isn’t going to be cut and he could still be the No. 2 quarterback, but his preseason play might cause the Rams to keep Brett Rypien on the roster, too.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Reaction: Stetson Bennett has rough preseason finale

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett had a rough ending to the NFL preseason

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett capped off the NFL preseason with his worst performance of the preseason. Bennett and the Los Angeles Rams looked bad in a ugly 41-0 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Bennett completed 4 of 9 passes and threw for just 14 passing yards. Bennett threw a pair of interceptions on third down and was pulled from the game.

Bennett started his NFL preseason with a strong debut in Week 1. Bennett, who was the 128th pick of the 2023 NFL draft, had a more up-and-down performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2.

In Week 3, no Los Angeles quarterback looked particularly sharp. Bennett’s main competition for the No. 2 role behind starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, Brett Rypien, completed 7 of 13 passes for 67 passing yards. Rypien threw no touchdowns or interceptions.

What was the reaction to Stetson Bennett’s preseason finale?

Fans are already losing faith in Rams QB Stetson Bennett after ugly game vs. Broncos

Stetson Bennett threw two ugly picks in the 1st half against the Broncos and fans are quickly losing faith in the rookie

Stetson Bennett had a large contingent of Rams fans excited after his preseason debut against the Chargers two weeks ago but the tide is quickly turning for the rookie quarterback. He threw a pick against the Raiders in Week 2 of the preseason and in the first half against the Broncos on Saturday night, things got even worse.

Bennett completed 4 of 9 passes for 19 yards, throwing two interceptions and taking one sack. He completed nearly as many passes to the Broncos (2) as he did to his Rams teammates (4), which is never a good sign.

The interceptions weren’t exactly deep shots where he was trying to be aggressive, either. They were terrible decisions where he stared down the receiver and threw into tight coverage without seeing the underneath defenders.

Fans on social media were frustrated by Bennett’s performance and they’re suddenly losing faith in the backup quarterback.

Reacting to Stetson Bennett’s performance in preseason Week 2

Former Georgia quarterback Bennett threw a costly pick-six, but bounced back and ran for a touchdown later in the game

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett had a strong NFL preseason debut last week. Bennett, who was the 128th pick of the 2023 NFL draft, followed last week’s game with a more up-and-down performance against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 34-17. Bennett played the majority of the game for a second straight week.

Bennett completed 15 of 24 passes and threw for 142 passing yards. Bennett threw a costly pick six, but bounced back and ran for a touchdown later in the game.

What were the top plays from Stetson Bennett’s performance? Who was to blame for his interception?

 

Stetson Bennett takes full blame for pick-six: ‘Completely my fault’

Stetson Bennett and Tyler Johnson weren’t on the same page, which led to an INT, but the QB too full blame for it.

One of the costliest plays by the Rams in Saturday night’s loss was Stetson Bennett’s pick-six in the second quarter, which put the Raiders up 17-10. It looked like an ugly interception by the rookie quarterback because there was no receiver in the area, but it came down to something simple: communication.

After the 34-17 loss, Bennett was asked about the pick-six and he took full blame for it. He said he thought Tyler Johnson was going to run a different route, but the receiver ran the correct one – the one that was called.

Bennett threw it directly to the defensive back, Isaiah Pola-Mao, who returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.

“That was completely my fault,” he said. “I thought that he was going to run a different route than he did and anticipated it and he ran the one that was called and I threw the one that wasn’t and I paid for it.”

That gave the Raiders a seven-point lead, which they never relinquished, going on to win by 17 points. It was the Rams’ second straight loss by a score of 34-17, struggling to slow down their opponent once again.

Bennett finished the game with 142 yards on 15-for-24 passing, throwing one interception and rushing for a touchdown on a read-option from 4 yards out. It wasn’t as clean as last week’s showing but there’s plenty for him to learn from now.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Watch: Stetson Bennett shows off his speed on TD run vs. Raiders

Stetson Bennett can move and he showed off his wheels on this 4-yard touchdown run against the Raiders

Stetson Bennett wasn’t pegged as a scrambler coming out of Georgia but when needed, he can absolutely use his legs and pick up some yardage. During Saturday’s preseason game against the Raiders, Bennett showed off his wheels on a read-option play in the red zone.

He pulled it and kept the ball on the option, sprinting to his left toward the pylon after a little wiggle that caused the defender to hesitate for just a split-second. The score made it 27-17, pulling the Rams to within 10 points against Las Vegas.

Bennett has struggled throwing the ball against the Raiders but he looked quick on this touchdown run.

Watch: Brian Baldinger broke down Stetson Bennett’s debut and loved what he saw

NFL analyst Brian Baldinger broke down 6 throws from Stetson Bennett’s debut and loved the potential he showed

Stetson Bennett made his preseason debut with the Los Angeles Rams last week and while it was by no means a perfect showing, he certainly played well enough to earn some praise. The rookie made a handful of impressive throws, totaling 191 yards and a touchdown on 17 completions.

NFL analyst Brian Baldinger, whose film breakdowns are always insightful, shared a video on Twitter of himself analyzing six throws by Bennett. He loved what he saw from the Georgia product, who saw the field well and made accurate throws under pressure and to all levels of the field.

“I don’t care that Stetson Bennett came in the second quarter of what a lot of people would think to be a meaningless preseason game, the guy played the position well,” Baldinger said. “It was impressive. I want to see more.”

Take a look at Baldinger’s full breakdown below, which features six of Bennett’s completions from the game, including his 34-yard slant to Tyler Johnson – a perfectly placed throw between two defenders.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

6 Rams to watch in preseason Week 2 vs. Raiders

Here are 6 players to watch as the Rams take on the Raiders in the second week of the preseason.

The Los Angeles Rams will host the Las Vegas Raiders for their second preseason contest on Saturday. The Rams are coming off a 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in their preseason opener, but the team is focused on determining certain position battles rather than winning meaningless games.

With Week 1 only a few weeks away, time is ticking for players to show enough to earn a roster spot. Ahead of Saturday’s preseason meeting with the Raiders, here are six players from the Rams to pay attention to.

Watch: Rams rookie Stetson Bennett was mic’d up in preseason debut

Rams rookie QB Stetson Bennett was mic’d up in his first preseason game against the Chargers

Stetson Bennett hasn’t taken an official NFL snap yet, but he did play his first preseason game on Saturday night against the Chargers. The Rams lost 34-17, but it was undoubtedly a positive performance by the rookie quarterback out of Georgia.

He completed 17 of his 29 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown, getting more comfortable on the field as the game went on. After a couple of near-turnovers, Bennett settled in and led two scoring drives for the Rams.

To make his preseason debut even better, the Rams had him mic’d up, which gives fans a peek inside the helmet of the rookie QB. He wasn’t the most talkative player on the field, but it is fun to hear him leading his teammates and showing some excitement after making big plays.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Chargers DL CJ Okoye on first sack: ‘It was an amazing moment for me’

It was a moment CJ Okoye will never forget.

Chargers defensive lineman CJ Okoye recorded a sack in last Saturday’s win over the Rams in the preseason opener. While this would be a tally in the stat sheet for any other player, this was a special moment for Okoye.

It marked Okoye’s first-ever organized football game. Not just an NFL game but the first organized football game. Okoye is a Nigerian athlete signed by the team as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.

“It was an amazing moment for me,” Okoye said Tuesday.

Okoye sacked Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett on the Chargers’ final defensive play. Afterward, his teammates went wild on the sideline.

“Watching it is like putting all this together in one, it was a moment for me,” Okoye said. “It was [an] amazing moment seeing my teammates, see my D-line room go crazy like that. I wish to go back there again.”

Notable players from the International Pathway Program include Raiders’ Jakob Johnson, Commanders’ Efe Obada and Eagles’ Jordan Mailata.

Even though he made a highlight play in preseason action, Okoye knows that nothing is guaranteed, and he will have to keep his head down and keep working hard.

“I don’t think I’m a celebrity yet, it’s just my story,” Okoye said. “I have never played football, just magically got a sack. I won’t lie, it’s an awesome feeling but you don’t go too high, you don’t go too low just stay in the middle and do your thing.

“For me, it’s just learning the most I can do, go out there and learn because we have the best D-line in the entire league. I want to learn more plays and learn more techniques.”

Regardless if Okoye makes even the practice squad or not, this was a moment that he will never forget.