Stetson Bennett can give Coach McVay this first of his Rams tenure

From the comments of LA Rams fans on social media and in chat forums, there is no surplus of love for LA Rams backup quarterback Stetson Bennett. While he has been a bit generous with his turnovers, he has played just five preseason games, putting in three games in 2023, stepping away from the game, and then returning for two more games.

So let's break down his five games via a data table. Bear with me, you may love where this is going.

Please note: To reveal data to the right, just click and drag the bar below the data table

Okay, so what does the data table tell fans about Stetson Bennett? For starters, when you examine the body of work he has produced under center for the LA Rams, two trends stand out. In 2023, as a rookie, he was regressing. Whether that was from minor injuries, simply being overwhelmed with the task of running this offense as a rookie, or some other cause, the point is that the NFL was not sinking in. He stepped away from the game for a season.

And that, on top of diminishing returns, has upset some fans. Some have gone so far as to demand his immediate and permanent release from the team. But fans appear to be missing some key points about how this offense works with him under center.

How did other backups do in their preseason efforts?

Of course, we can claim that Stetson Bennett is not 'backup QB' material. But the Rams do not see to shop top-shelf when it comes to their backup quarterback role. Quite the contrary, to be accurate. So, to put everything into perspective, let's take a trip back in time to every preseason featured quarterback in Rams history since HC Sean McVay took over. Keep in mind that the NFL adopted a three-game preseason schedule in 2021, which was a four-game preseason schedule prior.

Once again, to compare performances, we will need to create another data table. Please note that no preseason games were played in 2020. And I've listed only the top producing QB for each preseason:

While Bennett's performance does open the door to question his ball security, I don't think that chapter is completely written. If you compare Bennett's production in terms of passing yards to his predecessors, you can see that he has over 400+ passing yards with far fewer passing attempts. So there is life in that arm, if as yet not fully harnessed and trained.

After his shaky performance in Game 1, Rams HC Sean McVay had quite a lot to say about his backup quarterback. But what he did not say is that Bennett's first game performance was coachable mistakes. He did not throw Bennett under the bus, although he had every opportunity to do so. Perhaps he is taking a broader view of his young quarterback than fans right now?

If you group Bennett's combined preseason work, he has completed 77 of 131 passes for 784 yards, three touchdowns, and eight interceptions. But you cannot ignore the fact that the team is 2-3 with him under center. Push a pin in that fact, as we will come back to it.

Have you noticed this?

We know that there was a lot of talk about LA Rams rookie WR Puka Nacua. While we all recognize that a receiver is dependant upon the quality of the quarterback, it never struck anyone to give Bennett credit for finding Nacua in that first preseason game in 2023? Nacua did not play another preseason game since. Bennett helped to showcase Nacua in 2023.

In 2024, rookie WR Jordan Whittington is also having a very impressive preseason. And once more, the guy throwing him the football is QB Stetson Bennett. In fact, I would assert that the Rams have a number of promising wide receivers hoping to make this roster. Not just Whittington, but JJ Laap, Xavier Smith, and Drake Stoops have all laid claim to a future with the Rams. And the same guy is throwing the football to all of them.

You guessed it. Stetson Bennett.

I realize that Stetson Bennett is not perfect yet. And if you compared the stat line of former backup QB Bryce Perkins to Bennett, you may wonder why the Rams let Perkins walk, and pivoted to Bennett. Well, keep in mind that by the time Perkins competed in the 2021 preseason, he had 1+ years with the Rams, and that was uninterrupted time. While Bennett is in his second NFL season, he did not have the benefit of competing with the team for a full season.

But he is feisty. He has led the team twice to come from behind victories. Some may argue the wins are in spite of Bennett. I see them as a result of Bennett. Bennett keeps fighting, keeps competing. And the defense seems to know that as long as they can keep the score close, Bennett can win the game.

It's already happened twice this preseason.

Still, if you ignore the interceptions thrown, Bennett's two games so far are comparable to Perkins three games in 2021. There is one other exception to that though. Bennett needed just 69 passes, and not 91 passes to hit his numbers so far.

So what 'first' can Stetson Bennett give Coach McVay this season?

Since being hired by the LA Rams, HC Sean McVay has not taken a lot of stock in preseason games. In fact, the team has been content to finish the preseason with a record of no better than 2-2. Just check out the team's preseason under Coach McVay:

• 2017 - 2 wins, 2 losses
• 2018 - 2 wins, 2 losses
• 2019 - 2 wins, 2 losses
• 2020 - No preseason due to COVID-19
• 2021 - 0 wins, 3 losses
• 2022 - 1 win, 2 losses
• 2023 - 0 wins, 3 losses
• 2024 - 2 wins, 0 losses, one game remaining

The truth is that backup quarterback Stetson Bennett has already broken one streak for HC Sean McVay. Regardless of how the third and final preseason game plays out, this is the first preseason in Coach McVay's tenure with the Rams football team that the team will finish with a record that is better than .500. Even if the Rams lose in Game 3, the team will end the 2024 NFL preseason with a record of 2-1, which is .667.

That is a first for Coach McVay.

But why stop there? If the Rams win on the road in Game 3, they will finish with a perfect 3-0 preseason record, will have won (on paper, anyways) two consecutive road games, and will have another mini winning streak to carry them over into the regular season.

How important is winning in preseason? Not very. On the other hand, it certainly is a great team-building exercise for a young group of players that must not only learn how to play in the NFL, they must also learn how to win here too.

You needn't love Stetson Bennett to recognize that this team is winning with him. If you feel that Bennett does not have 'it' to win in the NFL, then you have chosen to ignore years of history and evidence in this sports that proves otherwise.

Two games. Two wins. Ugly or not, he finds a way to make those game-winning touchdowns in the fourth quarter. As a result, this could end up being HC Sean McVay's first perfect preseason record. Ironically, it may come from one of the most imperfect players on the roster.