For 57 minutes on Sunday afternoon, Stetson Bennett looked like a quarterback who hadn’t played in almost a year.
But in the final 3 minutes, Bennett led the Los Angeles Rams on a game-winning drive that reminded people of his time leading the University of Georgia to two national championships.
Despite having thrown four interceptions earlier in the game, Bennett threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Miller Forristall with 4 seconds left, giving the Rams a 13-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason opener.
“That was probably the weirdest game that I’ve been a part of,” said Bennett, who completed 24 of 38 passes for 224 yards. “But I told myself today we’re gonna roll with the punches. My goal was to not make any mental errors. It was basically to run the offense correctly.
“There were some lapses, obviously, but in the end, it got the ball in the end zone or you lose, and I think everybody fought to do it.”
Bennett was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round last year but did not play during the regular season as he focused on his mental health.
He completed 8 of 9 passes for 61 yards — including the sidearm throw to Forristall on fourth-and-goal from the Dallas 6-yard line — on the game-winning 13-play, 70-yard drive. Forristall had all three of his receptions for 31 yards during this final drive.
Los Angeles seemed finished when Bennett appeared to throw his fifth interception on the last play before the two-minute warning, but it was canceled out by a holding penalty on Dallas.
“Obviously, want to be able to minimize the turnovers, but didn’t really surprise me,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “We were talking on the headset as coaches. It’s like, you know what? He’s the type of guy that’s probably gonna go lead us on a game-winning touchdown drive, and Stetson did a great job.”
McVay highlighted the performance of wide receiver Jordan Whittington, who had six catches for 74 yards, and rookie Joshua Karty, who kicked two field goals for the Rams.
Trey Lance threw for 188 yards in his first game with the Cowboys, who had four field goals from Brandon Aubrey.
Lance was the third overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 draft and played in eight games, including four starts, during his first two seasons. Last season, he was traded to the Cowboys on August 26 for a fourth-round pick but did not play in any games.
“I think I learned a ton from it. I played with a bunch of different guys. It was good to feel the energy in the huddle,” said Lance, who started playing from the second series and completed 25 of 41 passes.
“I left some plays out there for sure across the board from the first quarter to the fourth. Anytime we get the ball four extra possessions and don’t score a touchdown, that’s not a good feeling.”
Aubrey gave the Cowboys a 9-6 lead with 6:08 left in the game. After Brock Mogensen intercepted a Bennett pass and returned it to the Rams’ 23-yard line, Aubrey kicked a 52-yard field goal to increase the lead to six points, 12-6, with 2:52 remaining.
The Rams received the opening kickoff and advanced 61 yards in 12 plays before Karty made a 28-yard field goal. Whittington had a key play on the drive with a 34-yard reception.
On second-and-11 from the Rams’ 41-yard line, Whittington caught the ball at the 35, evaded a tackle attempt by Dallas cornerback Eric Scott, and made it to the 11-yard line before being brought down by Damone Clark.
Cooper Rush led the Cowboys to a field goal on his only drive. His 43-yard pass down the left sideline to Jalen Brooks placed Dallas in the red zone at the Rams’ 15-yard line. The drive ended at the LA 12, and Aubrey kicked a 30-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.
The teams traded field goals again in the second quarter. Karty’s 39-yard kick with 9:13 left completed a Rams’ 14-play, 76-yard drive. Dallas responded with a 12-play, 52-yard drive that ended with Aubrey’s 36-yard field goal with 4:51 remaining in the first half.
“In some ways we looked like we played our first game, but in other ways I’m really pleased with the takeaways and taking care of the football. There’s a lot to go off of,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.
