Game overview:
This was a strange, but mildly entertaining game to watch.
A battle of field goals for 59+ minutes, Dallas leading the kicking affair 12-6 as the Rams embarked on a final chance 2-minute drive. Stetson Bennett went the whole way for the Rams...and threw 4 picks...and I’m thinking there is no way he’s winning this game on this final drive...but he did. He actually threw a 5th pick on the drive, but it was negated for a penalty and the Rams drove the length of the field and on 4th & goal with seconds remaining, Bennett somehow twirled out of a sure sack, scrambled for his life and threw a brilliant pass across his body for a TD and the win. I was happy for him, because the other 59+ minutes of the game were so sad for him. More on that in a moment.
The Rams sit their starters and run all their backups and soon-to-be-cut players in the preseason -- and that group played OK, energized here...just the 4 picks thrown by the offense held them back most of the game.
Dallas, aided by the 4 picks, couldn’t score an offensive TD...they have their own issues for sure. I’m still sitting on the theory that Dallas is the worst team in the NFC East and are going to finish last in the division. In fact, I started to bet lightly on it because the odds are so favorable to place such bets...with WSH/NYG as the 1-2 at the top, either way, followed by Philly then Dallas – you get some good odds to throw a couple bucks at it.
Scouting Notes from the game:
-- First and foremost, we need to talk about Jordan Whittington’s (6-74-0/9) debut. And all I can say is ‘wow’. I get why all the hysteria from the Sunday game. I didn’t see it until Tuesday night, and it was maybe undersold on how good it was.
The guy is legit. He’s better than his Texas teammates by a mile...Xavier Worthy or Adonai Mitchell. Criminally underutilized at Texas. Whittington does look like Puka Nacua 2.0...only better...because he’s faster. Now, we need to see more to know just ‘how excited’ to get here – but this is really happening.
The issue for FF is...Puka already exists. The Rams will have both of these guys into the future now. Who will be ‘the guy’? Is there room for two?
And who will their QB be? We’re in the last year or two of Stafford...what will the Rams do at QB ahead? It’s not Stetson Bennett. It’s likely not Jimmy Garoppolo. The QB means everything to guys with the skills of Puka-Whittington.
The issue for FF 2024 is...how’s Whittington ever going to get enough snaps to matter this season? This WR group will be Kupp-Puka led...then I thought Demarcus Robinson was the easy #3 WR, and he will be to start...but Whittington is the #4 with a bullet who will take snaps from Robinson and spell Kupp-Puka.
In 2025, Kupp and Robinson could be moving on...but what if they don’t and the Rams just have this stunning WR trio/group with another Stafford run? Great for the NFL...bad for FF to figure out.
Worse case, for 2024, Whittington is the Puka/Kupp handcuff.
Other ramifications of the rise of Whittington...
Good for Matt Stafford...what a WR group of talent he has.
Bad for Colby Parkinson/the TEs here...the WRs are too good.
Good for my Rams bets on the OVER on 2024 things.
Puka’s Dynasty value is brought down...as we’ve been pitching all year. Nothing against Puka, but this is a stacked WR group.
Whittington is pretty infectious a personality, and is keen to learn from de facto WR coach Cooper Kupp: https://youtu.be/PqtSQyD5wyU?si=QdC_vETP66n-LcL6
-- I heard so many negative things about Trey Lance’s (25-41 for 188 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 6-44-0) performance in this game, from the mainstream, and there’s so much negativity on Lance’s summer...I just assumed I would watch him fail on tape here...but he was fine.
He’s not perfect, but you could get away with Lance as an emergency starter...and have hope for winning games. He’s not Tom Brady or even Dak Prescott, so people judge him harshly by that measuring stick, but he’s a different kind of QB asset...a runner/thrower...he has all the tools to be that dual threat guy...he’s just a bit erratic throwing the ball, and probably always will be -- but in this game they kept it fairly simple...he made the right/simple reads...he delivers the ball on a frozen rope...and when things breakdown he can run out of it – which gets defenses on their heels a bit. He had a couple misfires, but nothing ridiculous like Stetson Bennett showed.
After watching this game, I declare: Trey Lance is not FF-dead yet. Just like Malik Willis is not FF-dead yet. They just stylistically look not-like what people want in a QB. Reports of their demise are premature.
With a ready-made/built contender team like the Rams...you’d want a Cooper Rush or Jimmy G. to be the stable backup plan. But when you are fading away...like the Cowboys, then a Trey Lance could be a curveball to shake up the offense and confuse defenses and maybe win some games and be a QB1 for FF if thrown into the fire...because of his runner tally potential.
The problem is...the Cowboys think they’re good. So, Rush will get the nod in any crisis in 2024.
Heads are getting ready to roll in Dallas soon.
-- Stetson Bennett (24-38 for 224 yards, 1 TD/4 INT) did have a 4-pick game...and a 5th pick on that final, game-winning drive. It was bad...really bad. All the official picks were essentially him throwing the ball right to the defense...like he didn’t see them there, or worse...almost like he sought them out. Most of the picks were thrown to defenders without any receiver even being nearby. It was really weird/awful.
All I can do is go on the info/evidence we got here: struggled/up-and-down in the 2023 preseason, then took the 2023 season off for mental health issues...then returns to action here and plays the single worst QB play of the Week 1 preseason 2024. I’m writing him off. He can get written back on if he does something radically positive, but I think I’ll just close this book and not think about him again.
Actually, we can use this to bet against him in the preseason.
Week 2, the Rams are +1.5 dogs vs. the Chargers. Well, maybe we can wait a week because the Chargers are a disaster as well...or very light on LAC.
-- Cowboys WR/TE report...
Dallas had a bevy of #3-4-5 WR candidates going in this game. No one really stood out/a lot of them looked the same.
I guess Jalen Brooks (2-49-0/2) impressed with a nice ‘contested catch’ in the game? For whatever that is worth.
Jalen Cropper (4-26-0/6) didn’t look like an NFL impact WR.
TE Luke Schoonmaker (0-0-0/2) has fallen far from grace.
Not impressed with any of this group, per se. All are fringe NFL things.
-- Cowboys RB report...
Rico Dowdle (3-14-0) started this game with the B-team, because he’s not a ‘protected’ starter that Dallas is keeping fresh for the 2024 season to be their surprise starter and star. He’s like any old backup RB trying to prove himself.
Late in the game, UDFA Nathaniel Peat (2-5-0, 1-0-0/1) came in for some touches...and there’s nothing FF-here.
Dallas really has just Zeke and a collection of RBs who wouldn’t make most team’s rosters. It’s bizarre.
-- Rams RB report...
Boston Scott (15-68-0, 3-10-0/3) took a majority of the touches and was so good here. He’s just a solid NFL RB that always gets overlooked. I’m not saying he should be a starter, but he’s a nice #3 RB...especially here because he’s Kyren Williams-like. He could take that role over in an emergency and do good things with it.
On the other hand, we’re watching the final days of Zach Evans (12-28-0, 1-24-0/1) in the NFL. He’s not good. He’s headed to the UFL in the future because that’s all he’s got.
-- Two IDP notes...
Markquese Bell (9 tackles, 1 PD) was starting for Dallas last year, but with Mike Zimmer in as D-C...it looks like Bell is getting pushed back to a backup role.
Rams rookie SAF Kameron Kinchens (1 tackle) didn’t stand out in any way here.
