Stetson Bennett comes at the right time; key points from the Rams-Cowboys game

The Rams played the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Observations from a game the Rams won in dramatic fashion 13-12:

Quarterback Stetson Bennett eventually comes through

Four interceptions, several of which were the direct result of his own poor decisions.

Stetson Bennett was not deterred by the mistakes.

On fourth down, with 11 seconds left, he was flushed out of the pocket, ran left, then turned his hips to throw a pass across his body. He found tight end Miller Forristall for a six-yard touchdown, tying the score and setting up Josh Karty for the go-ahead conversion kick.

Bennett didn’t stop running after he made the pass. He continued to run along the Rams’ sideline before turning and looking into the eyes of McVay and his teammates.

“You’re kind of floating,” Bennett said of the immediate aftermath of his big play. “That was pretty cool.”

Yes, it was just a practice match.

Read more: It’s time to prove it for Rams QB Stetson Bennett in the preseason opener against Dallas

But it was a triumphant ending for Bennett, who played for the first time since struggling in the final friendly of 2023.

He completed 24 of 38 passes for 224 yards. If he hadn’t been penalized for defensive holding earlier in the game, he might have had as many as five interceptions.

But when he had to make the decisive move of the match, he did.

“I thought I played well — and then I just made a bunch of bad decisions, if that’s possible, right?” he said. “But I think ultimately I’m proud of the fact that we fought back and were resilient in the end.”

Bennett was at his best when offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur had him roll out for passes or run for a first down on a bootleg play.

The Rams drafted Bennett, who led Georgia to two national titles, in the fourth round in 2023 as a backup and potential successor to Matthew Stafford. But Bennett was sidelined last season, gone from the team after going on the non-football injury/illness list before the season opener. He returned for offseason workouts, acknowledged that he had dealt with his mental health issues and rejoined a quarterback room that now features Stafford, new backup Jimmy Garoppolo and Dresser Winn.

Bennett said last week he was “excited to be back playing football” and was looking forward to the opportunity against the Cowboys.

He showed it right away.

Bennett led a 61-yard scoring drive that ended with Joshua Karty’s field goal for a 3-0 lead. Bennett completed four of five passes, including two to rookie receiver Jordan Whittngton for 43 yards.

But on the second play of his second series, Bennett’s pass over the middle was intercepted by safety Marquese Bell.

He recovered and led a 76-yard drive that Karty completed with a 39-yard field goal for a 6-3 lead.

Although the interceptions mounted — “occupational hazards,” coach Sean McVay said of the first two — Bennett got the ball back with 2 minutes, 49 seconds left.

He orchestrated a 13-play, 70-yard drive that he completed with aplomb.

“It’s just, ‘Hey, how do you stay together? How do you react in the middle of it,'” McVay said. “And how do you know that ‘Hey, all I can do is the next right thing. And that’s exactly what he did that ride.'”

Whittington picks it up quickly

Whittington, a sixth-round draft pick out of Texas, showed he can be a valuable contributor to a receivers roster that also includes stars Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua and veterans Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell.

Whittington caught six passes for 74 yards. He was especially effective on crossing routes and was strong on fourth down.

During the first ride, Whittington caught a 13-yard pass on a crossing pattern. He also caught another pass over the middle, broke a tackle and ran for a 30-yard gain to set up a field goal.

“I was just super grateful,” Whittington said of his thoughts ahead of his first pro game. “I dreamed of being here, so to see my name on the back of an NFL jersey — that was a lot.

“I remember praying before the game and thinking, ‘God, if this life only exists in my dreams, don’t wake me up.’”

Starters and top rookies sit

McVay held back established star players, other starters and expected key contributors. So did Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy.

Among the Rams draft picks on the sideline were edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske, the Rams’ first- and second-round selections. They were joined by running back Blake Corum (third-round pick).

Rookie safety Kamren Kinchens (third round) started and made one tackle. Defensive lineman Tyler Davis (sixth round) made two tackles. Whittington and center Beaux Limmer (sixth round) also started.

Kyren Williams is the starting running back, Corum is the likely backup and Ronnie Rivers is a reliable third option.

But the Rams learned last year with Royce Freeman that a veteran on the roster can be a valuable contributor after injuries.

Read more: Rams look better in joint practice with Cowboys, but offensive line gets sacked again

Boston Scott has the chance to replace Freeman as a veteran.

Scott rushed for 68 yards on 15 attempts.

Defensive rotation players get work

With starters Kobie Turner and Bobby Brown out, veteran Larrell Murchison and second-year pro Desjuan Johnson led an offense that largely neutralized backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush and Trey Lance.

Safety Jason Taylor II had a team-high six tackles. Linebacker Jacob Hummel called defensive signals and made three tackles.

Karty starts special teams

The Rams selected Karty in the sixth round because they were confident the former Stanford star could help them overcome last season’s struggles.

Karty did not disappoint.

He shot a 28-yard field goal in the first quarter to give the Rams a 3-0 lead. His 39-yard field goal in the second quarter put them ahead, 6-3.

And with his conversion kick, four seconds on the clock, he won the match.

“It was really loud after the touchdown,” Karty said. “I haven’t really experienced that … a lot in my career,” he said of the preparation for the kick. “It was the same as usual — just trying to rally the guys, get them ready for the extra point instead of celebrating the touchdown. Making sure we don’t run out of time on the play clock and then, yeah, you know, same as always.”

Xavier Smith played under the NFL’s new kickoff rules for the first time and had two returns for 47 yards.

Ethan Evans averaged 46.5 yards for two points.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.