To say Stetson Bennett played OK against the Cowboys on Sunday would not give what we saw justice. The word “OK” implies a sense of boringness to the occasion when Bennett was anything but.
Many on social media criticized his play and unfortunately for Bennett, there was good reason for it. Against the Cowboys, Bennett went 24-for-38 with 224 yards, one touchdown and a jarring four interceptions.
Interceptions are never a good thing but Bennett’s were so blatantly awful, there’s zero justification for them. Bad decisions, throws into tight coverage and rushed passes characterized Bennett’s day.
It felt like Bennett was trying to force balls into voids that were extremely small or weren’t there at all—a massive concern for the team.
stopped by scott 🛑
📺: #DALvsLAR on CBS 11
📲: Stream on NFL+ ➡️ https://t.co/LvklCbYJ1e pic.twitter.com/mhUE4pSoCc— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 11, 2024
At times, Bennett was rushing his footwork and steps with his throws, oftentimes launching the ball from an off-balanced platform. Though, that wasn’t the case with his interceptions. Those were just poor reads and late throws.
It also appeared that he isn’t comfortable in the offense as his happy feet and total disregard for defensive coverages contributed to his disappointing day. His field vision was simply not there, failing to see the underneath linebacker on his fourth interception of the day.
brockin' & rollin' 🥁
📺: #DALvsLAR on CBS 11
📲: Stream on NFL+ ➡️ https://t.co/LvklCbZgQM pic.twitter.com/FxGqP8p8Ec— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 11, 2024
Bennett played the entire game, leading the Rams on nine different possessions. Out of those nine, two ended in made field goals, two ended in punts and four ended in interceptions. However, it was the last possession that contradicts the play of Bennett.
With 2:52 seconds left in the game, the Rams are down 12-6 and are at their 30-yard line. Bennett proceeded to lead the offense on a game-winning drive in which he completed eight passes, including the game-winner. Oh, and the game-winner occurred on fourth-and-goal from the 6 with 4 seconds left.
With the pocket collapsing around Bennett, he rolled out to his left and then side-armed the pass to Miller Forristall in the endzone.
STETSON! FOR THE LEAD! BANG!!!!
📺: @ABC7 + @NFLNetwork | 📲: https://t.co/4beUdm4vkg pic.twitter.com/tu6YONpRyV
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 11, 2024
To evaluate Bennett after Sunday’s game seems impossible. His fundamentals are broken, his football IQ is highly questionable and he’s rusty due to a lack of full-contact football.
In the same breath, he engineered three long drives, including the game-winner, made sure the offense was on the same page with plays and procedures and he seems to be in tune with Jordan Whittington.
As of today, I see Bennett as a fundamentally flawed QB with a tremendous upside and deserving of more time to improve and grow. While many have written him off, there may be a hidden gem within Bennett.
