Rams 34, Saints 0: Bennett's Two Rushing TDs and a 100-Yard Pick-Six

August 22, 2026 - Inglewood - Stetson Bennett dove to the pylon for one touchdown and scrambled for another. By halftime the Los Angeles Rams led 20-0. Alex Cook's 100-yard interception return in the third made the rest a formality.

Final: Rams 34, New Orleans Saints 0. Sean McVay rested every key player again. New Orleans sat its presumptive starters for a second straight preseason game after a week of West Coast joint practices. The backups still got blanked.

Bennett owned the first half. The Saints' QB fight stayed murky.

Bennett went 19 of 31 for 181 yards and played the entire first half. Harrison Mevis hit from 26 twice. Bennett's 1-yard plunge and 8-yard scramble made it 17-0 before the half-ending kick. McVay liked the command and the legs. Bennett said the red-zone reminder was simple: if the throw is not there, take off.

Ty Simpson entered midway through the third: 8 of 12, 73 yards. Jarquez Hunter scored from 12 in the fourth. Los Angeles finished with 405 net yards to New Orleans's 93.

Zach Wilson started for the Saints and went 6 of 12 for 55 yards with an interception to AZ Hamilton. Spencer Rattler played the second half against the bottom of the Rams' depth chart, moved the ball better, and still donated two goal-line turnovers. Neither separated in the backup fight behind Tyler Shough. Matthew Stafford never needed to leave the sideline.

Cook's 100-yard return, then another goal-line gift

Rattler drove out of halftime before his goal-line throw to Treyton Welch was picked and taken the length of the field by Cook, a safety who had not played in the NFL since 2023. 27-0.

On the next possession New Orleans reached the Rams' 10 again. Wesley Bailey forced a fumble from Ty Chandler at the 2. Tanner Brown missed a 39-yard try in the final minute that would have avoided the shutout. The Saints lost the turnover battle 3-0 and drew 12 penalties for 96 yards, including two 12-men flags.

Alvin Kamara went through a pregame workout after spraining his knee Tuesday. Kellen Moore said the veteran could be out about a month and that the staff would let the injury take its course.

AthX Engine, if this were a regular-season card

AthX Engine NFL scoring on Saturday's verified lines:

Bennett's two rushing touchdowns are 6 fantasy points each plus rush yards. Cook's 100-yard pick-six is a defensive score. Hunter's 12-yard rushing TD is another 6. Mevis's 26-yard field goals are modest kicker scores under AthX Engine distance rules. Wilson's interception is a negative on the QB card. Preseason games are not stored as AthX Engine weekly lines yet.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay when Stafford, Shough, and Kamara are actually in September plans.

Track Stafford, Kamara, and the Rams and Saints on the marketplace. New Orleans visits Dallas on Friday. Los Angeles stays at SoFi as the road team against the Chargers on Thursday.

*Sources: ESPN recap, Saints.com, NFL.com schedules. Information only; not financial advice.*