The preseason has been a rollercoaster ride for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett. Many will remember and laugh at his four interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys in his first game back from a year-long mental health hiatus. His supporters will cling to his game-winning touchdown in the final moments of that same game.

But the bottom line is that no matter what you think of the quarterback, Bennett will play a very important role for the Rams when the regular season begins. Key backup Jimmy Garoppolo is suspended for the first two weeks, and that means that if anything were to happen to Matthew Stafford, Bennett would be playing important minutes for LA.

All of Bennett’s appearances at the professional level have come in the preseason, and it can be difficult to evaluate individual performances when most of the players on the field at the same time as Bennett are either backups, on the practice squad, or no longer on the roster altogether. Just because we saw Bennett throw four interceptions in a single game, it’s easy to assume he’ll continue to be prone to turnovers when given the opportunity when the final score on the scoreboard matters.

What would a Stetson Bennett start look like in the regular season and would the quarterback perform better if he was surrounded by players like Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Rob Havenstein and others?

Take the preseason with caution

There are plenty of backup quarterbacks who have previously shown flashes of promise but have looked inept this preseason, including Easton Stick, Trey Lance, Jarrett Stidham, Nate Sudfeld, Tyler Huntley, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Now, that’s not exactly a group of MVP candidates at the quarterback position, but for the most part, these are professionals who have solidly earned a spot on the roster over the course of their careers.

The hard thing about the preseason is that everyone looks bad – even the quarterbacks who have something to work with. Sean McVay had success for years keeping his starters out of tryouts, and nearly every team in the NFL has adopted that approach to some degree.

If you have concerns about the Los Angeles Chargers’ pass-catching corps and Justin Herbert, shouldn’t we reserve judgment when Easton Stick throws passes to Simi Fehoko, Jaylen Johnson, and Jaret Patterson? For Bennett, the same goes for Xavier Smith, Drake Stoops, Sam Wiglusz, and JJ Lapp. How can you believe the video and then try to extrapolate the performance of the same player when he’s surrounded by a supporting cast that the coaches would never let on the field in the preseason?

Preseason is important, especially for players on the fringes of the squad. Don’t get me wrong.

But just because Stetson Bennett throws four interceptions or Trey Lance has five interceptions doesn’t mean we should write them off or write the obituary of their careers.

How might the Rams plan to support Bennett?

Throws on the run

We’ve seen that Bennett is at his best in tryouts when he’s coming out of the pocket – whether spontaneously or intentionally – and extending plays with his legs. Take Miller Forristall’s game-winning touchdown against the Cowboys, for example. If Bennett had to play a full regular-season game, I’d want to use him in pure drop-back scenarios as little as possible. It’s also an important element for quarterbacks under 6′ who may have trouble looking over the offensive line and throwing to the middle of the field.

A concentrated load of running game

The Rams have invested a lot of money in the interior of the offensive line, and if they have to rely on Bennett in the early weeks of the season, Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson will have to earn their money. Los Angeles’ backfield should also now be a dual threat with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Establishing the running game would help set up plays, and that is another element of getting the quarterback out of the pocket and moving. If the defense doesn’t play honestly, McVay and Bennett could take advantage of their opportunities to throw the ball deep.

Hard-fought yards after the catch

With Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Jordan Whittington, the Rams may have one of the best receiver groups in the NFL when it comes to gaining more yards after the catch point – and getting those receivers involved in jet motions and screens would also be beneficial. We’ve seen precision from Bennett on the short parts of the field, and that helps receivers catch passes on the run, allowing them to break through pass reception.

Complementary football

It goes without saying that missing Matthew Stafford would put pressure on new defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s defense, and if the Rams want to have a chance to win a game with Bennett, they’ll need to get stops and likely turnovers on defense. Can McVay pick the right positions to be aggressive on fourth downs and at the goal line and get a win at the rim?

Can the system maximize a QB in the short term?

We’ve seen Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers run their offense with great efficiency despite never having a great quarterback under contract. In Shanahan’s first season with the team, Brian Hoyer was very productive in some moments before the team acquired Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots later in the year. Garoppolo won a lot of games during his time in San Francisco, but his time elsewhere shows that he was a cog in a machine capable of doing more than just being the most important part.

We haven’t really seen Sean McVay forced to make lemonade out of lemons the way Shanahan did with the 49ers. Sure, we’ve seen stints with John Wolford and Bryce Perkins at quarterback, but all three of the other signal callers who have started games during the rest of his time in Los Angeles are former No. 1 picks: Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield.

Can McVay prove he’s capable of running an efficient offense with one hand tied behind his back like his 49ers counterpart?