INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Stetson Bennett handed for 191 yards and a landing for the Los Angeles Rams within the stadium the place he led Georgia to his moment nationwide championship seven months in the past, notching his first NFL motion in a 34-17 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday evening.
Former TCU quarterback Max Duggan handed for 19 yards and pressed for time for 20 yards for the Chargers as each quarterbacks were given their first NFL motion at SoFi Stadium, the place Bennett’s Bulldogs routed Duggan’s Horned Frogs 65-7 within the School Soccer Playoff name recreation.
Each quarterbacks are vying for alternative jobs with Los Angeles’ two NFL groups, however Bennett’s debut was once a lot busier.
“I thought he did a nice job,” Rams trainer Sean McVay mentioned of Bennett. “There were some tough situations there, and you could see the athleticism where he escaped.”
Bennett entered the sport early in the second one quarter and right away led a 16-play, 75-yard power that integrated 3 near-interceptions and a bright 11-yard landing cross to fellow rookie Puka Nacua.
“In that scoring drive, he was able to get into a rhythm,” McVay mentioned. “I thought he did a nice job of being able to exhaust some of his progressions. … You could see that it was a step in the right direction.”
Bennett concurred.
“I got more comfortable as the game went on,” Bennett mentioned. “I started to play football. … There’s some things to fix, but there’s some things we can be proud of, too.”
Bennett led two extra scoring drives upcoming halftime, completing 17 for 29 and not using a interceptions.
“You live and you learn,” Bennett mentioned. “And I thought we executed well in some situations, and others, we didn’t.”
Hour Duggan threw simplest 3 passes and most commonly passed off, a few his former-and-current teammates made heavy performs for the Chargers.
Former TCU superstar Derius Davis returned a second-quarter punt 81 yards for a landing. Quentin Johnston, the Bolts’ first-round pick of TCU, stuck an 8-yard TD cross proper earlier than halftime.
Elijah Dotson, an undrafted rookie from Northern Colorado, had 37- and 40-yard TD runs within the fourth quarter for the Chargers.
Bennett took over upcoming brandnew veteran alternative Brett Rypien ran the Rams’ first 3 offensive layout and finished simplest 3 passes. Bennett’s first 3 throws had been shaky — two near-interceptions dropped through Chargers defenders and an incompletion erased through a penalty — earlier than he discovered Nacua for a 17-yard slant.
Bennett’s cross was once just about picked once more on the objective order, however upcoming the power was once prolonged through a Chargers penalty, he expertly crash Nacua in site visitors for his first ranking.
Bennett later led a 74-yard TD power within the 0.33 quarter, making 3 instantly noteceable completions earlier than veteran working again Royce Freeman carried it in.
Easton Stick, who took two snaps in his first 4 seasons because the Chargers’ third-string quarterback, handed for 109 yards within the first part, together with to scoring cross to Johnson.
“I think Easton’s experience really showed in the two-minute drill,” Chargers trainer Brandon Staley mentioned. “He really managed the clock well, he made a couple of big plays with his legs.”
The Chargers scored only one offensive landing within the first 3 quarters of brandnew coordinator Kellen Moore’s first recreation on the controls of the offense, however just about each and every key starter didn’t play games.
Former TCU safeguard Steve Avila began for the Rams, who picked him in the second one around. And ex-Georgia lineman Warren McClendon performed in the second one part for the Rams, who selected him within the 5th around. Each performed within the CFP name recreation, as neatly.
The Related Press contributed to this file.
