New Orleans came in already missing Alvin Kamara, who's expected to be out for at least a month after an MCL sprain in a joint practice with Dallas, and it got worse when Devin Neal went to the locker room during the first half with an undisclosed issue. On the Rams' side, Puka Nacua sat out Thursday's joint practice with the Saints, and left tackle Alaric Jackson has been managing a blood clot issue that matters far more than any August score. None of it stopped Los Angeles from cashing as the favorite.
What actually decided the game had nothing to do with an injury report. Bennett was the best player on the field, finishing 14 of 31 for 181 yards and adding 2 rushing touchdowns as he pushes to lock down the No. 2 job behind Stafford. Wilson, by contrast, never got New Orleans' offense out of its own way, and the Saints didn't put a single point on the board.
Bennett's line is the one the Rams will point to when roster cuts come, and 2 rushing scores against a real NFL defense — even a backup-laden one — is hard to argue with. For New Orleans, the alarm bells are all in the backfield: Kamara's already ticketed for a chunk of the season, Neal left this game banged up, and Kendre Miller and Travis Etienne are what's left to carry the load into Week 1.
A 34-0 preseason final doesn't carry much regular-season weight, but shutouts still sting. New Orleans walks away with real questions at running back before the games start counting, while the Rams got exactly the answer they wanted at backup quarterback.