The Los Angeles Rams were able to take care of business with John Wolford under center in Week 17 to keep their season alive.
Although his day against the Arizona Cardinals may have gotten off to a rough start after throwing an interception on his first pass attempt, Wolford managed to bounce back to get the job done. He finished the game completing 22-of-38 passes for 231 yards while rushing for a game-high 56 yards.
While starting quarterback Jared Goff is expected to eventually make his return from a thumb injury, Wolford’s play has now led to plenty of speculation regarding head coach Sean McVay’s plans under center. It appears he is in no rush to reveal who it will be either.
McVay provided a positive update on Goff but declined to speak on whether or not he will be back under center versus the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round, per ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry:
Sean McVay says he has not determined who the starting quarterback will be between Jared Goff and John Wolford, as Goff continues to recover from thumb surgery.
"Jared is preparing himself to play" and is "continuing to attack his rehab"
McVay says Goff has thrown passes.
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 5, 2021
Sean McVay says he won't answer the question this week about who is starting at quarterback.
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 5, 2021
It is easy to see why McVay has opted to be coy about the status of his starting quarterback. Not only is he taking steps to ensure that Goff is good to go, but it also forces the Seahawks to game plan around both players.
Wolford’s 9.3 yards per carry provided a sneak peek at the type of mobility under center that this offense sorely lacks with Goff. It added a different dynamic to McVay’s approach that ultimately paid dividends at crucial moments in the 18-7 win over the Cardinals.
Seattle will be tasked with having to prepare for either Goff’s arm or Wolford’s legs in this tiebreaker between NFC West rivals. For now, McVay is going to take as much advantage of the situation as he can.
Of course, the decision likely comes down to the status of Goff’s surgically-repaired thumb. It will be interesting to see which of these quarterbacks will be tasked with taking the Rams to the promised land, or if maybe both see time throughout the game.
