Rams vs. Chargers Notebook: Bennett Hot, Run Defense Not

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett looked like a veteran against the Los Angeles Chargers during Saturday's preseason game, but the same can't be said for the team's run defense.

The Los Angeles Rams fell to the Los Angeles Chargers 34-17 in their preseason opener on Saturday night.

The two of them have very different goals and expectations heading into the regular season, but they shared the same objective of wanting to win in preseason Week 1.

So, following the Rams' "first game" of this season, here's what we learned:

1. Stetson Bennett is Cool, Calm and Collected—Especially On First Drive

Besides a couple of good rush attempts by running back Ronnie Rivers, the Rams' offense was stagnant up until rookie Stetson Bennett came into the game with 9:50 left in the second quarter.

The 128th overall pick had his fair share of big moments at the University of Georgia, winning two National Championships during his two seasons as the starter. 

Bennett did a fairly solid job under the pressure of his first career NFL drive, completing 3-of-7 attempts for 37 yards. However, two of his incompletions were bad decisions and one was nearly intercepted.

Nevertheless, like he did at Georgia, Bennett looked extremely calm throughout the drive. Stepping up in the pocket is a necessary skill to have when a tackle is beaten off the edge and the rusher brings pressure. A lot of quarterbacks in the NFL often roll out or panic in those situations, but Bennett simply moved a couple of feet forward and found the open man multiple times.

Bennett also showed some escapability in times when it was necessary on that first drive as well, which was vital with a struggling Rams offensive line. The combined pocket passing and escapability movements led to a red zone appearance.

The Rams were bailed out by an unsportsmanlike penalty on Chargers safety JT Woods, which led to an 11-yard pitch-and-catch to 2023 fifth-round receiver Puka Nacua for the score.

Bennett remained cool, calm and collected for the rest of the game, as he finished with 17 completions out of 29 attempts (58.6 percent) for 191 yards and the laser to Nacua mentioned before.

2. Run Defense Needs a lot of Improvement

No need to sugarcoat it, the Rams run defense was a disaster from start to finish.

The Chargers had 21 plays in the first quarter compared to the Rams' eight. Thankfully, the Rams only allowed a field goal, but they simply couldn't stop the run.

The Chargers had several long runs throughout the rest of the game and averaged a jaw-dropping 6.9 yards per carry. On 31 attempts, the Chargers rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns were scored by running back Elijah Dotson from around 40 yards out.

Granted, Dotson's 15.3 yards per carry (six rushes) inflated the team's average, but three other running backs totaled at least 5.4 yards per carry.

Obviously, calling Aaron Donald's number wouldn't be wise for a preseason game, but the defensive line needed him tonight.

3. Pass Defense

It seemed like Chargers quarterbacks Easton Stick and Max Duggan often took a while to find an open receiver and release the ball. The majority of their completions were for short gains as Stick averaged 5.2 yards per completion and Duggan averaged 6.3.

Sixth-round rookie cornerback Tre Tomlinson did a solid job in the first half, as he broke up two passes against TCU teammate, first-round receiver Quentin Johnston.

By the end of the game, the Chargers receivers combined for 16 receptions for just 128 yards, which is something that the Rams should be proud of.

Additionally, a decent number of Stick and Duggan's dropbacks had pressure coming off the edge. Keir Thomas, Tanner Ingle, and Daniel Hardy combined for four sacks and 38 yards lost on them. Thomas and Ingle each recorded two tackles for loss as well.

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