Rams backup QB battle proves there’s more at stake against Saints

There will be no Matthew Stafford throwing deep touchdown passes. No Myles Garrett hunting quarterbacks. No Puka Nacua slicing through the secondary. If Rams coach Sean McVay follows his usual preseason blueprint, then expect very few players who will regularly play on Sundays this season to be anywhere near harm’s way when the team takes the field on Saturday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.

That doesn’t mean there’s nothing at stake, though.

For a Rams roster built to contend for a Super Bowl, the preseason game against the Saints is less dress rehearsal than it is a job interview. The starters are largely set in stone. The superstars are protected. What remains is a collection of players fighting over the final chairs before music stops and the Rams trim their roster to 53 players on Aug. 30.

And no competition carries more weight than the one occurring directly behind the reigning NFL MVP.

Stetson Bennett vs. Ty Simpson

For the past two seasons, McVay did not have to spend any time wondering who would take over if Stafford went down. Veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo provided that security, and had plenty of experience including multiple Super Bowl appearances, when it came to playing meaningful football.

“It was very established of who the backup quarterback would be,” McVay said earlier this month of the past two seasons with Stafford and Garoppolo.

But nothing is established anymore.

Bennett entered training camp with a substantial advantage in second-team repetitions, but first-round pick Simpson blew open the competition last Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in the Rams’ 20-12 victory over the Chiefs in their first preseason game.

Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, delivering one of the more polished rookie quarterback performances of the opening preseason weekend. He was accurate, composed and, perhaps most importantly for McVay, avoided the catastrophic mistakes that can turn an NFL game sideways.

Now the reps are beginning to tell a different story.

During Thursday’s joint practice with New Orleans, Bennett and Simpson split 25 second-team snaps almost perfectly: 13 for Bennett and 12 for Simpson.

“I think it is important to be able to get a fair opportunity for those guys to run the offense with enough snaps,” McVay said Thursday.

Saturday could provide the clearest evidence yet of where this competition actually stands.

Bennett, 28, has never thrown a regular-season NFL pass. Simpson is the No. 13 overall pick and the quarterback general manager Les Snead selected with an eye toward a future that eventually won’t include Stafford.

“Stetson’s never played a live NFL game. He’s played a lot in the preseason, and so I think you want to get a consistent body of work for him to be able to run our offense,” McVay said. “Looking at last week, Ty did a great job. Stetson did what he could.”

Based on McVay’s comments, Bennett is expected to start on Saturday against the Saints and get more opportunities than he did against Kansas City when he was on the field for the opening two drives. If Thursday’s joint practice was any indication, expect both quarterbacks to get opportunities to play as they battle for the backup job.

The roster bubble gets uncomfortable

Elsewhere, Saturday belongs to the players whose roster spots are anything but secure.

Running backs Jarquez Hunter and Dean Connors have plenty riding on their opportunities. Hunter rushed nine times for 35 yards against Kansas City, while Connors made his case as a receiver with four catches and two touchdowns. Ronnie Rivers appears to have the inside track on the No. 3 job, potentially leaving Hunter and Connors to wrestle over the fourth spot on the depth chart.

The margins are just as thin on defense as well.

Second-year defensive tackle Ty Hamilton needs a stronger showing along a crowded defensive front that soon could add future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Meanwhile, Desjuan Johnson, Keir Thomas and rookie Wesley Bailey are caught in an intriguing numbers game on the edge. Johnson helped himself against Kansas City with a third-quarter sack of Garrett Nussmeier for a 13-yard loss, though his extended playing time suggested the Rams still want to see more of him before making a decision.

The same applies to the secondary, where Tanner Ingle and other reserve defensive backs are auditioning as much for the practice squad as the 53-man roster.
Then there’s the offensive line.

Rookie Keagen Trost’s hamstring injury has complicated the Rams’ depth at offensive tackle and could potentially open the door for A.J. Arcuri, although veteran David Quessenberry appears to be able to step in and start in Australia if Trost isn’t ready for the Sept. 10 opener.

“We’re hopeful that he’ll be able to return before the first game, but if not, I think David Quessenberry has done an amazing job,” said McVay on Trost’s injury. “He’ll be back, and I really feel good about the depth we have at tackle … we’ve got some other guys [Arcuri] that we’re going to continue to evaluate and we’ll see.”

The Rams’ second preseason game kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday at SoFi Stadium on CBS. 

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