Rams Winners and Losers From Joint Practice With Saints

Loser: Stetson Bennett

Throughout much of training camp, quarterback Stetson Bennett has almost exclusively gotten the backup quarterback reps. On days in which Stafford practiced, Bennett led the second team. When Stafford didn’t practice, it was Bennett with the first-team offense. That shifted on Thursday. In the joint practice against the Saints, the two split the backup quarterback reps for the first time. Bennett got 13 reps to Simpson’s 12. Head coach Sean McVay was adamant it was because there were fewer reps. 

“It was exclusively because there were so many less reps,” said Mcvay. “Dave and I and the rest of the coaching staff will sit down and figure out how we want to approach the game once we're able to look at the film, but it was really more of a reflection of less reps and that's what that entailed.”

It may mean nothing if McVay is being honest when he says that it was simply due to a lack of reps. At the same time, this comes the week after Simpson outperformed Bennett and played well in the preseason. It’s certainly worth monitoring. It is worth noting that Simpson had a pass intercepted that was intended for Konata Mumpfield.

Winner: Terrance Ferguson

While Ferguson has remained relatively quiet throughout training camp, many are expecting a breakout season from the second-year tight end. Ferguson made a few standout plays in the joint practice against the Saints. “The second-year tight end had a pair of strong receptions over the middle on short passes from Stafford, remaining grounded through the catch point,” wrote team reporter Jackson. McVay also discussed Ferguson at length. 

““He’s so smart,” said Mcvay. “He plays every single skill position except for halfback for us. Some of the things we ask of him, he does some of the roles we ask of our backs…He's really had a nice camp and really been impressed, not surprised, by what he's done.” 

Loser: Lapses in the Secondary

This isn’t to say that the Rams’ secondary performed poorly. According to Saints reporters, there was not a ton of action downfield from the offense. However, during last week’s practice with the Dallas Cowboys, the secondary struggled to cover George Pickens. During Thursday’s practice against the Saints, rookie Bryce Lance scored two touchdowns, including one deep down the field over Quentin Lake. 

Winner: Rams Pass Rush Without Garrett

During both joint practices, the Rams have been without edge rusher Myles Garrett. However, the pass rush depth has come to play on both days. Jeff Nowack of Audacy Sports noted that there were some sketchy moments in pass protection from the Saints’ side. According to Rams team reporter Stu Jackson, the defensive line had several “would have been sacks.” 

The Rams would obviously like to have Garrett back sooner rather than later. With that said, the fact that the defensive line is still able to generate pressure really speaks to their depth. Jackson noted that Braden Fiske got involved and both Poona Ford and Kobie Turner has passes they knocked down. 

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