Sean McVay says Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett’s spot is ‘still in evaluation mode’
The season opener against the Detroit Lions is less than a month away.
Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is suspended for the first two games, so Stetson Bennett is presumably in line to back up starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Not so fast.
Bennett tossed a score-tying touchdown pass with four seconds left in a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, but four intercepted passes before that gave coach Sean McVay pause.
On Tuesday, McVay was asked if he felt comfortable with Bennett as the backup.
The Rams decide to cancel their joint practice Wednesday with the Chargers for a shorter commute to Oxnard for a practice with the Dallas Cowboys.
“We’ve still got to be able to see some more body of work,” McVay said, reiterating that while he was impressed with Bennett’s resilience, the quarterback needs to take better care of the ball. “He’s got to continue to improve — and we’re still in evaluation mode.”
Bennett, who played the entire game against the Cowboys, will get his next opportunity Saturday against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Dresser Winn is the other quarterback, so it remains to be seen if the Rams will make a roster move if Bennett, a fourth-round draft pick in 2023, continues to struggle with turnovers.
On Tuesday, Stafford and Garoppolo will get the majority of work when the Rams hold a joint practice with the Cowboys in Oxnard. It will mark the third time in a week that the teams will share a field.
The Rams were scheduled to practice Wednesday for a second time with the Chargers in El Segundo. Those plans were made when the Rams assumed they would be operating from their new temporary facility in Woodland Hills after training camp at Loyola Marymount.
Here are some of the key observations from Sunday’s exhibition game the Rams won, 13-12, in dramatic fashion.
The Woodland Hills site was not ready, however, so the Rams remain based at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, making the commute to Oxnard much shorter than an onerous trip to El Segundo.
“Wednesday traffic, you would have been talking about having our guys in the car for over three hours,” McVay said.
In a joint practice with the Cowboys last week, McVay adopted a very conservative approach on offense because of an injury-depleted line and the presence of Cowboys pass rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.
Left tackle Alaric Jackson (ankle), left guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder) and right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle) remain sidelined. Receiver Puka Nacua (knee) also is out.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Brandin Cooks combined often against the Rams defense in the first joint practice.
Players, coaches, officials and millions of fans are going to need to keep studying in attempt to comprehend the impacts of the NFL’s new kickoff rule.
Rookie safety Kamren Kinchens was among Rams players who made plays while facing Prescott and backup Trey Lance. After facing Stafford and Garoppolo in Rams practices, Kinchens was not intimidated going up against an established NFL quarterback.
“In my mind, every time I see a good quarterback, I want to pick him off,” said Kinchens, a third-round pick from Miami. “That’s my mindset kind of going in. Stay within the defense and, doing my job and just knowing when opportunities come, make the most of them.”
Kinchen practiced well and played well against the Cowboys, McVay said.
“He’s getting more and more comfortable of understanding where his play opportunities are,” McVay said, adding, “I’ve been really pleased with him. ... Kam’s only getting better.”
Etc.
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV has not been practicing because of a knee issue, but McVay said he expected the defensive signal-caller to participate Wednesday. ... During a team drill inside the 20-yard line, second-year safety Jason Taylor II intercepted a pass by Garoppolo for what could have been a pick-six. ... The Rams waived kicker Tanner Brown.
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