Rams Shut Out Saints 34-0 in NFL Preseason Week 2 as Stetson Bennett Scores Twice and Alex Cook Runs Back 100-Yard Pick-Six

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, the Los Angeles Rams blanked the New Orleans Saints 34-0 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in NFL Preseason Week 2 — a dominant home performance built on two rushing touchdowns from quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, a 100-yard interception return for a score by safety Alex Cook, and a clean defensive night that held New Orleans scoreless despite 293 total yards of offense. The Rams improved to 2-0 in exhibition play; the Saints fell to 0-2 after opening the preseason with a 24-20 home loss to Jacksonville.

Kickoff was 3:00 p.m. CT (4:00 p.m. ET). The teams had held joint practices in Los Angeles before the game, and the Saints traveled west after a Week 1 defeat at the Caesars Superdome. For the Rams, the shutout extended momentum from a 1-0 preseason start and offered Sean McVay’s staff more evaluation tape before roster cuts.

Editor’s note: This article draws on game data and reporting from ESPN, New Orleans Saints.com, therams.com, and CBS Sports, August 22, 2026.

Game at a glance

Detail	Information
Date	Saturday, August 22, 2026
Venue	SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
Week	NFL Preseason Week 2
Kickoff	3:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. ET
Final score	Rams 34, Saints 0
Quarter lines	LAR 3-17-7-7, NO 0-0-0-0
Records	Rams 2-0 (1-0 home); Saints 0-2 (0-1 away)
Total yards	Rams 405, Saints 293
Penalties	Saints 12 for 96 yards; Rams 7 for 60 yards
Time of possession	Rams 31:48, Saints 28:12

How the scoring unfolded

Los Angeles opened the scoring late in the first quarter when kicker Harrison Mevis drilled a 26-yard field goal, capping a 14-play, 63-yard drive that consumed 5:39.

The Rams broke the game open in the second quarter. Bennett punched in from the 1-yard line on a 9-play, 48-yard march, then added an 8-yard rushing touchdown on an 11-play, 56-yard series — his second score of the half showcased his mobility on a designed run to the pylon. Mevis closed the half with another 26-yard field goal as time expired, finishing a 10-play, 77-yard drive and sending the Rams to the locker room ahead 20-0.

New Orleans moved the ball at times but could not finish drives. In the third quarter, Spencer Rattler threw an interception near the goal line that Alex Cook returned 100 yards for a touchdown, pushing the lead to 27-0. Rattler had connected with C.J. Donaldson on a 32-yard completion earlier in the drive that reached the Rams’ red zone, but the turnover wiped out the Saints’ best scoring chance of the afternoon.

Jarquez Hunter sealed the margin in the fourth quarter with a 12-yard rushing touchdown on an 11-play, 66-yard drive, making the final 34-0.

Quarter	Scoring play	Drive	Score
1st	Mevis 26-yd FG	14-63, 5:39	3-0
2nd	Bennett 1-yd rush (Mevis kick)	9-48, 4:30	10-0
2nd	Bennett 8-yd rush (Mevis kick)	11-56, 4:13	17-0
2nd	Mevis 26-yd FG	10-77, 1:34	20-0
3rd	Cook 100-yd INT return (Mevis kick)	—	27-0
4th	Hunter 12-yd rush (Mevis kick)	11-66, 5:06	34-0

Stetson Bennett’s dual-threat night

Bennett handled the bulk of the Rams’ quarterback reps and finished 19-of-31 for 181 yards without a passing touchdown or interception. Where he made his mark was on the ground: two rushing scores on two carries for 9 yards, including a pylon dive and a speed run that therams.com highlighted as a signature preseason moment.

Backup Tyler Simpson added 8-of-12 passing for 73 yards in relief duty. Among the receiving corps, C. Daniels led Los Angeles with eight catches for 68 yards, while Tyler Scott and Austin Bachman each contributed chunk plays in the passing game.

For a Rams team that leaned on Matthew Stafford during its 2025 regular-season push, Bennett’s efficient management of the offense — and his ability to convert short-yardage and red-zone opportunities with his legs — gave McVay a useful data point in the backup quarterback competition. Preseason statistics do not carry into September, but a 20-0 halftime lead built largely on Bennett’s runs was a clear statement in a game Los Angeles controlled throughout.

Alex Cook’s 100-yard pick-six

Cook’s third-quarter return was the night’s loudest individual play. Signed by Los Angeles less than a month before kickoff, the veteran safety entered the game competing for a reserve roster spot behind starters on the depth chart. Against Rattler, he read a throw near the goal line, intercepted it, and raced the length of the field for six.

The NFL shared the play widely on social media, and Cook’s touchdown came one week after he logged four tackles in a 20-12 preseason win over Kansas City. A 100-yard defensive score is the kind of highlight that forces personnel staff to rewatch tape when final roster decisions loom. With one preseason game remaining, Cook gave himself a compelling case in a crowded safety room.

Saints move the ball but cannot score

New Orleans’s box score looked more competitive than the scoreboard suggested. The Saints outgained the Rams in several stretches and finished with 293 total net yards, yet they were shut out for the first time in a preseason game under head coach Kellen Moore.

Zach Wilson started at quarterback per the Saints’ halftime update, and Spencer Rattler also saw extensive action. Wilson went 6-of-12 for 55 yards with one interception; Rattler finished 14-of-23 for 141 yards with one pick. Combined, New Orleans’s quarterbacks threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns.

The ground game was balanced but modest: Kendre Miller (6 carries, 22 yards), Tyler Chandler (6 carries, 21 yards), and Rattler (5 carries, 21 yards) led a rushing attack that never reached the end zone. C.J. Donaldson was the top receiver with four catches for 51 yards, including the 32-yard grab that set up the third-quarter drive that ended in Cook’s return.

Penalties and turnovers proved costly. New Orleans was flagged 12 times for 96 yards, and a fumble by Chandler near the Rams’ goal line in the third quarter — recovered by Los Angeles — underscored a recurring theme: field position and execution in the red zone. The Saints’ official game recap described the loss as a night when turnovers and penalties compounded an otherwise workable yardage total.

Moore and his quarterbacks entered the summer with an open competition behind starter Tyler Shough, who did not play in this exhibition. Saturday’s shutout loss does not settle that race, but it raised questions about ball security and finishing drives before the Saints host their final preseason tune-up.

Context and what comes next

The Rams and Saints met in the regular season at SoFi Stadium on November 2, 2025, when Los Angeles rolled to a 34-10 victory behind 281 passing yards and four touchdowns from Stafford in Shough’s first NFL start. Saturday’s 34-0 preseason rout echoed that scoreline without Stafford on the field — a reminder of how deep Los Angeles’s roster looked against a Saints team still sorting its backup quarterback pecking order.

For the Rams, a second straight preseason win — and a shutout at that — builds confidence heading into the final exhibition week. McVay’s defense did not allow a point, and the offense scored in every quarter. Mevis was perfect on extra points and 2-of-2 on field goals.

For the Saints, the road trip west produced joint-practice reps and a harsh scoreboard lesson. At 0-2, New Orleans must tighten red-zone execution and cut penalties before roster cuts accelerate. Shough’s absence kept the focus on Wilson and Rattler, but neither delivered a turnover-free night.

Both teams face Preseason Week 3 action and final roster reductions before the 2026 regular season opens in September. Exhibition results do not predict September outcomes, but the Rams left SoFi Stadium with far more answers than their visitors.

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Discussion

Saturday at SoFi was a shutout on the board and a split screen in the stat sheet — Los Angeles scored on defense and special teams while New Orleans moved the ball without finishing.

1. The Saints had 293 yards and 28-plus minutes of possession but zero points. Do two quarterback interceptions and 12 penalties explain the shutout, or does this point to a deeper red-zone problem for Kellen Moore’s offense?

New Orleans’s best drive ended with Alex Cook’s 100-yard return — the kind of swing that turns a competitive yardage night into a blowout.

2. Stetson Bennett ran for two touchdowns and managed the game without a turnover, while Alex Cook’s pick-six may have saved a roster spot. Which Rams preseason storyline from this game matters most when the regular-season depth chart is set?

Share whether you read this as a Saints offensive failure, a Rams defensive statement, or both.

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