Stetson Bennett bounced back from an afternoon that included four interceptions to throw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Miller Forristal with four seconds left in the game, and Los Angeles beat Dallas 13-12 in the preseason opener for both teams.
Bennett led the Rams on a 13-play, 70-yard drive that included a side-arm throw to Forristal on fourth down from the Dallas 6-yard line. Los Angeles' day appeared to be over when Bennett appeared to throw his fifth interception on the final play before the two-minute warning, but Dallas was called for holding and it was voided.
Bennett played the full quarterback role, completing 24 of 38 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. Rams rookie Joshua Carty made two field goals.
Bennett, who led the University of Georgia to two national championships, was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round last year but sat out the regular season due to mental health issues.
Trey Lance passed for 188 yards in his first game for Dallas, and the Cowboys got four field goals from Brandon Aubrey.
Lance was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft by the San Francisco 49ers and played in eight games, four of which were starts, over his first two seasons. He was traded to the Cowboys in August of last season for a fourth-round pick but did not play in any games. Lance entered the game on the second series and played the rest of the game, completing 25 of 41 passes and orchestrating three scoring drives.
Denver Broncos 34-30 Indianapolis Colts
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw one touchdown pass and led Denver on a long scoring march to end the first half and start the second half, and the Broncos cruised to a 34-30 victory in Indianapolis.
Nix, the 12th overall pick in April's draft, completed 15 of 21 passes for 125 yards and rushed three times for 17 yards before leaving the game midway through the third quarter and being replaced by former New York Jets starter Zach Wilson. Veteran Jarrett Stidham took the start and finished the game 4 of 7 for 57 yards and one interception.
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Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is chased out of bounds during a game against the Colts. Photo: Mark Lebrueck/USA Today Sports
But in his first NFL game, Nicks may have taken the lead in the battle for Denver's starting spot, as he was certainly the most efficient of the three and proved the difference primarily against Indy's reserve defense.
For the Colts, it was all about seeing second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and 2021 NFL rushing king Jonathan Taylor in the same backfield, as injuries limited the duo to just two snaps all of last season. They played just two series together and didn't produce much. Richardson, in his first appearance since suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder last October, completed 2 of 4 attempts for 25 yards and ran one for one yard. Taylor had 4 yards on two carries.
