Rams Fail to Overcome Slow Start; Bennett's Luck Runs Out
The fast start for the Las Vegas Raiders proved to be too much for the Los Angeles Rams as they escaped SoFi Stadium with a 34-17 win in the second of three preseason games.
The Raiders' win was boosted by a big 20-point first half, which included a nine-play, 68-yard touchdown drive engineered by starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Then following a Raiders' field goal, Stetson Bennett's turnover luck from the first preseason game didn't carry over, as an errant throw resulted in a 50-yard pick-six for the Raiders.
Luckily though, for the Rams, that proved only to be the worst play from the former Georgia Bulldog, as Bennett would respond with a touchdown drive.
Yet, the response wouldn't come until late in the third quarter; with L.A. already trailing 27-10, Bennett got hot, completing all five passes for 47 yards before using his legs to find the endzone on a four-yard run, as he capped off a 75-yard drive on 11 plays.
The rushing touchdown ended up being Bennett's final play of the evening as Rams coach Sean McVay decided to pull him in favor of the veteran Brett Rypien as the Rams couldn't overcome the Raiders' 20-point first half.
As for Bennett's play, he finished the game with a 62.5 completion percentage, going 15 for 24 passing for 142 yards with the lone interception, with his rushing touchdown being his only score.
While the Rams are still winless this preseason, they will hope that next week's game versus the Denver Broncos can see them go into the regular season with some momentum and potentially more confidence in Bennett as their backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rams? Click Here
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Ram Digest message board community today!
Follow Ram Digest on Twitter and Facebook.
Want even more L.A. Rams news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
