5 winners, 4 losers in Rams victory over Cowboys in preseason opener

Just have fun, go out there and sling it.

That was LA Rams HC Sean McVay's advice to his backup quarterback Stetson Bennett. And it would be those simple, but profound, words that he would use to set the bar of expectations from his young quarterback. Despite pre-game reports from the NFL Network, the Rams did not play veteran backup Jimmy Garoppolo. And there was never a remote possibility that the team would send out starting veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford for Game 1 of the preseason.

This was about quarterback Stetson Bennett. It was all about Bennett, and was never going to be about anyone other than Stetson Bennett in Game 1. And as the fates would have it, the game truly was about Stetson Bennett after all. It was about his struggles, his flashes of control, his mistakes, and his resiliency.

And after facing down the barrel of what could have been a confidence-shattering performance, Bennett recalled the words that Coach McVay shared publicly about his young quarterback:

"When I have seen him (QB Stetson Bennett) at his best, he is having fun, and that is really consistent with all players. And so just go cut it loose play and enjoy it. And I thought we felt that in the first preseason game a little bit last year when he was kind of flashing and doing those kinds of things. So that is what I am looking forward to seeing."

HC Sean McVay

Ultimately, the same quarterback who seemed to look and throw the football right into the hands of defensive backs on four separate occasions, and was spared a fifth interception by the grace of the officials, who called a defensive penalty that kept the Rams offense on the football field and sustained the final Rams offensive drive of the gams.

Preseason games are about finding out what young and inexperienced players are made of. We know going into preseason that players who compete are not 'there' yet, at least not in the view of the team's coaching staff. So this is one more opportunity to test a player's mental-fitness, their football intelligence, their resiliency, and ultimately, their passion for the game of football.

In the end, QB Stetson Bennett passed that test when it mattered most. And thanks to the new version of Coach Sean McVay, he was given the time in the game to find his path to victory:

But he did not win this game alone. He had a lot of help. Nor did he dig a hole for the team all by himself. He had plenty of help in that area as well.

Fans were eager to rule out Bennett, and he did nothing to reclaim their trust in this one. But it's just one game, and the way he finished this one out could make all the difference in the world. I recommend staying patient with him for now. He will improve.

Ultimately, the Rams stuck with Stetson Bennett, and the team won the game as a whole. So who were the winners and losers in this one? While an obvious choice for losers in QB Stetson Bennett, I am not going to list him there, because he did redeem himself at the end of the game. So who were the winners and losers in this game? Nine players stood out: Five winners and four losers. And here are their stories:

(5) - Winner: DT Tyler Davis

The LA Rams knew that migrating nose tackle Kobie Turner to a more responsible role on the defense would create a void in his former position. And as a result, the team addressed that need by selecting rookie defensive tackle Tyler Davis. Wearing jersey number 90 this season, the 6-foot-2 299-pound rookie defensive lineman was fighting for a roster spot. Playing behind Kobie Turner and rookie DT Braden Fiske, he has his work cut out for him.

But if his first preseason game is any indication, he has a long career ahead of him.

Not only did Rams Head Coach Sean McVay love what he saw from his rookie defensive tackle, but the television broadcast was communicating with him on the sidelines as he made an outstanding play. And catching McVay's reaction to that feat was priceless.

While I won't guarantee the extent of his defensive snaps in 2024, he will make the roster.

(4) - Loser: DT Larrell Murchison

While it seems rather harsh to categorize a player who was injured in a preseason game and taken out of the game due to that injury, backup defensive tackle Larrell Murchison lost the opportunity to cement his spot on the team's roster. And, as a result of not playing for very long in the game, may have lost ground to rookie DT Tyler Davis (see above)

The business of earning a spot on an NFL team's roster is neither an easy or a pretty task. In the world of 'prove your worth,' players vying for a roster spot can be eliminated simply for being a qualified player who is seen as the fifth-best player at a position with four slots in the 53-man roster.

Rookie DT Tyler Davis had a great game. Veteran DT Larrell Murchison did not. And Murchison was injured:

We don't have details for Murchison's injury. But if it means missing practice time, he will lose ground to his talented teammates.

It may not be the right way to lose ground, but it will happen.

(4) - Winner: TE Miller Forristall

He only hauled in three of three passes thrown his way for 20 yards, but with time running out and the team trailing by six points, backup tight end Miller Forristall proved up to the task. While his opportunities in this one were limited, no player made more of a few targets and offensive snaps as the deeply buried Forristall. And his performance was such that he could be moving up on the depth chart, if only slightly.

He did not appear in the game until the fourth quarter. And he was only thrown to three times. But despite late and few chances, Miller Forristall made the best of his opportunities. Like WR Xavier Smith, he caught every pass thrown his way, and advanced the football 20 yards. But when time was running out, and the game was on the line, he got separation and gave his struggling quarterback a huge open target in the back of the end zone for the game's only touchdown.

He was clutch for an offense that had plenty of young players step up.

(3) - Loser: IOL Mike McAlister

If it was a case of the jitters, crowd noise, or simply mental mistakes, the performance of Mike McAlister after taking over for injured center Beaux Limmer can be coached out of him. But he was flagged twice in the game after the offense made significant positive yards on plays. And thos penalties were silly mental errors.

It may be that McAlister was not scheduled to appear on the offensive line. After all, Beaux Limmer was doing a fantastic job at the center position. Not only were there solid running lanes opening up, but the pass blocking created almost too good of a pocket, as Bennett always seemed to make his best throws when on the run and forced to move the pocket.

But McAlister was penalty-prone in this one. He was a center who was flagged for a false start, something that the guy hiking the football should never do. And he was flagged for offensive holding. When you hear an offensive lineman's name in a game, it's usually not a good thing. We heard Mike McAlister's name twice.

(2) - Winner: RB Boston Scott

Even as the team needed to find depth at the running back position, veteran running back Boston Scott showed up in a big way. In the post-game box score, he was credited with 15 rushes for 68 yards, catching three of three passes thrown his way for 10 yards, and a kickoff return for 23 yards. That is quite an outing for a veteran.

But there was far more to his presence on the football field than what he gained in yardage. Throughout the game, when he touched the football, there was a sense that something good was going to happen. And it often did. While he is fighting an uphill battle to make the roster, he has that calming and confident personna that just feels like a great fit on this roster. And his versatility is outstanding.

I really was not certain how Boston Scott would appear in this Rams offense, but I know now. He is a solid fit. And that means a great deal.

(2) - Loser: TE Nicola Kalinic

Much like IOL Mike McAlister, tight end Nicola Kalinic only seemed to show up in the Rams' first preseason game in a negative light. He was penalized twice, both at key points in the football game, and neutralized positive plays. Kalinic is fighting for a roster spot that may not exist, if for simply the numbers game of too many players vying for too few slots. But wherever Kalinic stood in terms of the depth chart before this preseason game, he is losing ground.

Perhaps he is a blocking tight end only, and the thrill of the first preseason game was such that it was hard to track his ability to make and hold blocks on a one-pass broadcast of the game. Because it was preseason, the monitor was frequently filled with interviews of Coach McVay on the sidelines as action was taking place on the football field. But the box score showed not receptions or runs from Nicola Kalinic. But he had two penalties that wiped out positive plays.

Tsk tsk.

(2) - Winner: WR Jordan Whittington

While he did not catch every pass thrown his way, rookie wide receiver Jordan Whittington certainly showed up in a big way. He ended up catching six of nine passes thrown his way for 74 yards, leading all receivers and ball carriers in yards gained on the day.

But I was most impressed by the way he seemed to take the best that the Dallas Cowboys defensive backs could throw at him, and he simply got up, laughed it off like an adult dad who just got gang tackled by a dozen kindergarten kids, and went right back to work.

Jordan Whittington is one tough receiver.

He was physical in virtually every play. He broke tackles. He fought hard to gain yards. He was playing football the way football was meant to be played. He was clearly having fun in this one, doing what he loves to do. Best of all, he showcased why the team was so excited to select him in the 2024 NFL Draft. He adds a bit of swagger to the Rams receiver room. In a room of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, that is saying something.

(1) - Loser: RB Zach Evans

The Rams offense has a surplus of running backs, and the team appears to have settled in on both RBs Kyren Williams and rookie Blake Corum already. So the fact that second-year Zach Evans seemed to have no finesse in rushing 12 times for 28 yards was a bit of a letdown. His 2.3 yards per run average was nearly half that of veteran RB Boston Scott. Scott used his blockers to great effect. At times, it appeared that Evans simply put his head down and ran into their backs.

I love the idea of having a big framed running back in this offense. But I did not like what I witnessed from Zach Evans. Having the ability to run through tackles does not mean taking aim at any defender in his path and taking a bee-line straight for him. Evans seemed to have no elusiveness, not stutter step or plant-and-pivot moves. While he did have a run of six yards, and an impressive catch that went 24 yards, his only target in the game, it simply appeared as though Zach Evans left a lot of yardage on the football field because he failed to keep his head up and pick his running lane.

And this roster does not have enough room to keep him while he figures that out.

(1) - Winner: Xavier Smith

While 22 yards on four receptions is nothing to write home about, that is just the tip of the iceberg for svelte and speedy veteran WR Xavier Smith. After all, he entered the game with a stellar reputation for catching every football thrown his way, and his four of four receptions simply cemented that reputation with hard historic facts. And if that were the end of it, he may not have made this list.

But Xavier Smith also showed up as a kickoff returner in this one, returning two kickoffs for 47 yards.

As the number of available roster spots dwindle, the team will want to add those versatile players whose roles can be used in many ways. Offensive linemen who can slide into multiple positions are quite valuable, as is a wide receiver who can slide into a return role, and even be used to run with the football as the situation calls for it.

Xavier Smith did not haul in an 80-yard touchdown strike. He didn't even catch a pass longer than 10 yards. But he caught every pass thrown his way, and that is just one of many outings in which he seems to be a Hoover vacuum on the football field. Sometimes, a player can only do as much as is asked of him. Xavier Smith has reached the limits of his current role. Like a potbound plant, he needs to be challenged with a larger role.

Bonus winner: Rams defense under DC Chris Shula

Although young and inexperienced, the Rams young defense under Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula looked nothing like any defense in recent memory. Was it the excitement of playing their first preseason game at SoFi Stadium? Was it a function of a poorly executing Dallas Cowboys offense? Or was this defense simply flying to the football?

Not only did the Rams put up three quarterback sacks, but recorded four tackles for a loss. But this was a defense that cleaned up four giveaways by the offense, and yet only allowed 12 points, no touchdowns, and forced a turnover on downs three times in the game. This was a game that tested the resolve of the young defense. But with every test, this team seemed to galvanize and get ever stingier.

Guys were flying around. Players were making plays. The Rams young defense held the Cowoboys offense to 12 points, no touchdowns, and a total of just 309 yards. This defense recorded three quarterback sacks, four tackles for a loss, and held the Cowboys offense to 0-3 in the Red Zone. And they did all of that without generating a single takeaway, but with having to rush back onto the football field after four giveaways by the offense. And yet, at the end of the game, it was the defense's resolve throughout the game that shut the door on the Dallas Cowboys offense.

It was not the win. Rather it was all of the contributions that led to the win. It was winning the right way. It was facing adversity together, and how one phase of the game seemed to uplift the other phases. In the end, the Rams won as a team. In a preseason game, I don't think it can get any better than that.

Thanks for reading.