In duel of CFP QBs, Bennett takes 'step in the right direction' - ESPN

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Stetson Bennett passed for 191 yards and a touchdown for the Los Angeles Rams in the stadium where he led Georgia to his second national championship seven months ago, notching his first NFL action in a 34-17 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night.

Former TCU quarterback Max Duggan passed for 19 yards and rushed for 20 yards for the Chargers as both quarterbacks got their first NFL action at SoFi Stadium, where Bennett's Bulldogs routed Duggan's Horned Frogs 65-7 in the College Football Playoff title game.

Both quarterbacks are vying for backup jobs with Los Angeles' two NFL teams, but Bennett's debut was much busier.

«I thought he did a nice job,» Rams coach Sean McVay said of Bennett. «There were some tough situations there, and you could see the athleticism where he escaped.»

Bennett entered the game early in the second quarter and immediately led a 16-play, 75-yard drive that included three near-interceptions and a sharp 11-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Puka Nacua.

«In that scoring drive, he was able to get into a rhythm,» McVay said. «I thought he did a nice job of being able to exhaust some of his progressions.… You could see that it was a step in the right direction.»

Bennett concurred.

«I got more comfortable as the game went on,» Bennett said. «I started to play football.… There's some things to fix, but there's some things we can be proud of, too.»

Bennett led two more scoring drives after halftime, finishing 17-for-29 with no interceptions.

«You live and you learn,» Bennett said. «And I thought we executed well in some situations, and others, we didn't.»

While Duggan threw only three passes and mostly handed off, a couple of his former-and-current teammates made