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Going To Do This': Rams OL Says Stetson Bennett is 'Confident' In Huddle

The Los Angeles Rams saw the ups and downs of fourth-round draft pick quarterback Stetson Bennett in his first preseason.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett won back-to-back national championships with the Georgia Bulldogs and was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season.

There was arguably no quarterback in college football with as much confidence as Bennett had over the course of the past two seasons. Now, a fourth-round draft pick having to earn his way onto the Rams' roster, one would think Bennett would be knocked down a few pegs to climb the ladder again, right?

Nope. He still has the same mindset as he did when Georgia thrashed TCU in the national championship in January, and that confidence has resonated with his teammates and in the huddle.

"Stetson's so confident, even when he reads the play call wrong," offensive lineman Tremayne Anchrum said on Rams Revealed. "If he's not sure, he'll be like, 'We're going to do this, and I like that especially for a young guy. He's kind of figuring it out. You could tell he was nervous early on, but now he's really stepping into himself."

Any nerves that Bennett had early on were hard to spot, as he took over for Brett Rypien and ripped it. He went 17-for-29 with 191 yards and a touchdown and, despite getting sacked three times, he had a passer rating of 89.9.

He leap-frogged Rypien on the depth chart and went 15-of-24 for 142 yards and an interception against the Las Vegas Raiders in game 2, but the wheels came off in the Rams' preseason finale Saturday.

Bennett ended his preseason about as bad as he could have wanted. One drive after trying to force a ball into a tight window which was intercepted by Denver Broncos cornerback Essang Bassey, Bennett did not see linebacker Drew Sanders and threw a pick directly to him.

Sanders returned it 32 yards before Bennett tackled him and forced a fumble.

While it is no doubt Matthew Stafford's team, it will be crucial that the Rams don't forget about Bennett. He just might be the one taking over when Stafford's playing days are over.


You can follow Casey Smith on Twitter @casey_smith2419

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