Rams Stetson Bennett's pick-six was 'Completely my fault.' And it was . . .

If you were looking for the LA Rams rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett to have nothing but positive progress during his preseason games, I think you may be realizing that this is going to be a long learning process for the young man now. Stetson Bennett is not the only problem on the LA Rams roster right now. But he is not the savior that some overeager fans had portrayed him to be after the first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

In the second preseason game, this time against the Las Vegas Raiders, the LA Rams were looking for improvement from their backup quarterback. In this game, the Rams rookie quarterback did not flirt with a 200+ yard performance. Nor did Stetson Bennett throw a touchdown pass. Well, not to an LA Rams receiver. He did throw a touchdown to Raiders second-year safety Isaiah Pola-Mao

The toss was clearly thrown to nobody, a miscommunication by the Rams quarterback that resulted in a direct connection to one of three Raiders' defensive backs who were all alone in the vicinity. It was a long 50-yard pick-six that turned the game around for the Raiders, and all but sealed the demise of the LA Rams for the second consecutive presason game.

Bennett recaps the errant throw

In the post-game wrap-up, LA Rams backup quarterback Stetson Bennett was asked about the play, and he did not hesitate to accept the blame for the interception:

"“That was completely my fault. I thought that he was going to run a different route than he did and anticipated it and he ran the one that was called and I threw the one that wasn’t and I paid for it.”"

- QB Stetson Bennett

And it clearly was his mistake.

After all, the score was tied up 10-10 and the Rams' defense had just made a stop on downs. The hope was that the Rams could put up some points and enter halftime with the lead. Instead, the Raiders rallied after the pick-six for another field goal and entered halftime with a commanding 20-10 lead.

Bennett was not sacked in this one, but his passes were no better. He ended the game by completing 15 of 24 passes for 142 yards and no touchdowns, but a painful interception. He did make a four yard run for a late touchdown in this one.

Don't fall into the trap of extremes

We cautioned fans not to be swept up in the euphoria of Stetson Bennett's NFL debut against the Chargers. I love what he brings to the backup quarterback position, as he has a bit of that miracle-maker mindset that was so infectious from quarterback Baker Mayfield. But he is still a rookie, and rookies must experience a sometimes painful learning curve.

Bennett has the tenacity to come back stronger than ever. And I for one believe that he will. In two preseason games, Stetson Bennett has completed 32 of 53 passes (60.3 percent completion rate) for 333 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He has been sacked three times for a loss of 36 yards. On the ground, Bennett has run with the football three times for six yards and a touchdown.

I like Bennett, This was only his second NFL game, and he is still playing with a vanilla playbook and without many of the LA Rams premier offensive weapons. But he has that winner's edge that makes his dangerous in the pocket.

Nobody wants these young Rams rookies to show up and have everything just fall into place. This is a team sport, and the best path to creating a team is to face adversity together. This journey is only just starting. Stay tuned. . .