The Los Angeles Rams throttled the New Orleans Saints 34-0 on Saturday, and although it was encouraging to see Stetson Bennett lead the offense with such authority, it was equally disappointing that the coaching staff didn’t give more of those reps to Ty Simpson.
Los Angeles has now won both their first two preseason matchups with dominant showings on offense and defense. Imagine what the Battle for LA against the Chargers will bring on Thursday if this keeps up.
Rather than get too ahead of ourselves,
here’s the good, the bad and the ugly against the Saints in preseason Week 2.
The Good
Stetson Bennett shows his value to the NFL
Stetson Bennett took a backseat to Ty Simpson against the Chiefs, as the rookie quarterback stole headlines for the majority of last week.
Bennett earned most of the snaps this time around and wasn’t particularly great through the air. He completed only 19-of-31 passes and finished with a 77.5 passer rating. Average passing is more on-brand for Bennett.
However, he didn’t turn the ball over and actually contributed on the ground. He rushed twice for nine yards and scored a touchdown both times, including an eight-yard scamper with just over two minutes left in the second quarter.
I’ve said all preseason that Bennett is fighting for his NFL future. This game might have secured him as Matthew Stafford’s backup this season. It was exactly the game he desperately needed to keep Simpson at a distance, as he proved he is still worth a damn in the league.
Jarquez Hunter and CJ Daniels stepped it up
A week after Dean Connors and Brennan Presley had good games while Jarquez Hunter and CJ Daniels were quiet, the opposite happened against the Saints.
Initially, Connors looked as though he had put pressure on Hunter at running back behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. That didn’t happen, as Hunter rushed for a team-high 68 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Daniels finished with only 18 receiving yards in Kansas City, but ended Saturday’s game with 68 yards on eight receptions, both team highs. It was exactly the kind of game a player fighting for a roster spot and a chance to earn snaps alongside Puka Nacua and Davante Adams should have.
This game proved again that the Rams have a wealth of young talent who can step up at any given time. While it’s undoubtedly a great problem to have entering the season, it would be better to see certain players maintain their standout performances for longer, more consistent stretches.
Still, it was a jolly good show from both Hunter and Daniels, and here’s hoping it continues against the Chargers Thursday night.
Defense continued to flex its muscles
New Orleans didn’t stand a chance against this Rams defense.
Last week, LA held the Chiefs without a touchdown, and this week, they held the Saints without points. Backups Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson combined for 188 passing yards, two interceptions and a 49.2 passer rating. Rattler threw a 100-yard pick-six to Rams’ safety Alex Cook with 9:06 remaining in the third quarter.
In total, the Saints had three turnovers and ended the game 0-for-2 in the red zone. New Orleans also finished with 105 rushing yards, but no player had more than 22 yards.
It was simply one of those games where the Rams clicked on all cylinders and could do no wrong. The team’s defensive depth has been on display through the first two weeks of preseason.
So if this is how the backups play, imagine how the starters will fare when they take the field.
The Bad
Coaching staff’s plan for Ty Simpson
Having Bennett take the majority of the snaps under center would’ve been great if the Rams’ coaching staff was trying to figure out who he is. Well, they should already know he’s a wildly inconsistent quarterback who is not part of the team’s long-term future.
Simpson clearly is, which is why it made zero sense to play him for as little as he did Saturday.
The rookie had just 12 pass attempts, completing eight for 73 yards with zero touchdowns or turnovers. He has stood out from the pack compared to his fellow first-year quarterbacks.
Regardless of his preseason performance or whether Simpson isn’t named the team’s QB2 ahead of the season, that isn’t the point. The coaching staff whiffed on the opportunity to play him for longer.
Of course you don’t want your rookie quarterback airing it out late in a blowout preseason game, but it would’ve been great to see him get more experience. It wouldn’t have hurt.
This preseason is about figuring out what the Rams have in Simpson, not about realizing the team is basically settled with Bennett at the backup spot instead of upgrading when they had the chance.
Several youngsters failed to capitalize on standout first games
A few of the standout performers from the preseason opener against the Chiefs were quiet in this one.
Presley and Connors, though, were the most disappointing to see have minimal impact. Presley had a chance to bring competition and depth at WR3 behind Nacua and Adams. Instead, Daniels edged him out this week, and he finished with four receptions for 35 yards. That’s not bad, but not what you want to see from a player facing an uphill climb to make the roster.
Connors had just five rushing yards on two attempts, and no receptions a week after having two touchdown catches. A second straight good day on the ground would’ve put the pressure on Hunter to have a good game. Hunter having a great game combined with Connors being quiet might’ve spelled doom for his chances of landing on the roster.
The pressure will be on in the preseason finale. However, by then, it might be too late if they don’t play any better.
The Ugly
None this week. The Rams had a strong showing all around. It’s also pretty difficult to find something ugly after a shutout win.
