The LA Rams believe Stetson Bennett is ready to be QB2. Do you?

If you were in shock and awe over the LA Rams third and final preseason game, the 41-0 drubbing at the hands of the Denver Broncos, you are not alone. But if you concluded that the LA Rams would enter the 2023 NFL season with former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett as the one and only backup quarterback to LA Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford? Then what can I say?

You are stranded on an island all by yourself.

Don't get me wrong. Bennett simply had a bad game and for a rookie quarterback trying to pilot all of the wheels, levers, buttons, and dials of the high-performance LA Rams offense, that is bound to happen. I'm actually surprised that it did not happen in his preseason debut.

Perhaps the surprise is not that he has earned the QB2 role in the Rams offense, but that he is the lone backup in this offense. Yes, veteran QB Brett Rypien is on the Rams practice squad, and he can be elevated for games three times throughout the 2023 NFL season. But in order for him to backup Bennett, he must be elevated before the game. And quite truthfully, I cannot see that happening without reason.

Backup Bennett is just getting started

In the end, this is Stetson Bennett's team to co-pilot. Unlike other backup positions, Bennett will not have the opportunity to kick back and observe. He will be on the sidelines, armed with a clipboard, notepad, or tablet, tracking offensive plays called and defensive responses to those plays.

And each week, his automatic knowledge and intimacy with the LA Rams offensive playbook will improve. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Unlike college, being benched in the NFL does not mean being off the hook. We already know that starting quarterback Matthew Stafford was injured multiple times in 2022. And we know that while the Rams paid close attention to the offensive line, tight ends, and running backs, this is another new iteration of pass protection for Stafford.

Which means that Stetson Bennett is always just one play away of entering the football game and leading the LA Rams offense. But don't fret just yet.

Bennett gets his full arsenal back

Don't ignore the fact that Bennett had real chemistry with rookie WR Puka Nacua, a fact that was ignored when the Rams pulled Nacua from preseason competition and left Bennett without his favorite target. If he is drafted into playing offensive snaps for the Rams, Bennett not only get Nacua back, but he will have the full benefit of the LA Rams receivers, all of whom are eager to push 1000+ yards this season.

Another fun fact is that Stetson Bennett will not be alone in the offensive backfield. The starting Rams offense includes running backs Cam Akers and Kyren Williams, both of whom will be more than ecstatic to handle part of the workload this year.

Finally, we cannot ignore the fact that the Rams are carrying a quartet of tight ends this season. That is not conclusive evidence, but it does show a commitment by the Rams to deploy their 12-personnel packages more often this season

Yes, Stetson Bennett made some mistakes in preseason. But the challenge is not failure, but training to get back up, learn from the mistakes and become even better for the next challenge. The Rams planned to slot Bennett in as the backup quarterback from the day that he was drafted.

Now It's simply a matter of sticking to that plan. The season is just about to start. Here we go . . .