STETSON BENNETT passed for 181 yards against the Saints, but it was his running ‑– he rushed for two scores – that impressed Sean McVay (Rams photo).

By Greg Beacham
AP Sports Writer

INGLEWOOD (AP) — Stetson Bennett cleared up the Los Angeles Rams’ backup quarterback situation a bit with another solid outing Saturday.

The Saints’ competition for the same job is still murky after Zach Wilson and Spencer Rattler couldn’t stop New Orleans from getting blanked in the preseason.

Bennett passed for 181 yards and rushed for two TDs while leading the Rams to a 20-point halftime lead, and Alex Cook returned an interception 100 yards for a score as Los Angeles cruised to a 34-0 victory over the Saints.

He is the Rams’ presumptive backup to NFL MVP Matthew Stafford this season despite never playing in a regular-season game, but the former University of Georgia star turned in another in his history of strong preseason performances during his four seasons on the LA roster. He’s doing his best to assuage any concerns about entering the season as the top option behind the Rams’ 38-year-old leader.

“I think (Bennett) is just getting better and better, and part of it is just the overall command,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I thought he made some really good decisions, he got through some progressions, and then I loved that he used his legs.”

Indeed, Bennett dived to the pylon for the Rams’ first touchdown, and he scored again on an alert scramble in the second quarter. He went 19 of 31 and led four substantial scoring drives while playing the entire first half for the Rams (2-0).

“We did good things on offense,” Bennett said. “I feel more comfortable out there than in years prior. … They’re constantly reminding me, especially in practice in the red zone, that if (a throw) is not there, then take off and run. I had that in my mind on the two scores. It was fun.”

Ty Simpson finally got on the field for LA midway through the third quarter and went 8 of 12 for 73 yards, although he didn’t get the same chance to perform as he did while looking sharp last week in Kansas City.

The Saints didn’t play their presumptive starters for the second straight preseason game after spending the past week training on the West Coast with two joint practices, while the Rams continued McVay’s decade-long tradition of resting every key player possible for the entire preseason.

Rattler led the Saints deep into Rams territory again, but impressive undrafted Rams rookie linebacker Wesley Bailey forced a fumble.

The Saints finish their preseason Friday with a visit to the Cowboys less than two weeks after their brawl-filled joint practice that led to $500,000 fines for each team. The Rams stay at SoFi as the road team against the Chargers on Thursday.