Just 72 hours before he took the field on Thursday night, Baker Mayfield was still a member of the Carolina Panthers. But the quarterback was released, claimed by the Los Angeles Rams, and then on the field leading a dramatic comeback victory in an extremely short time period.
Mayfield went 22-of-35 for 230 yards and the game-winning touchdown throw to Van Jefferson with 10 seconds remaining as the Rams snapped their six-game losing streak with a 17-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Mayfield led back-to-back touchdown drives of 75 and 98 yards in the fourth quarter to come away with the victory.
Following the game, Mayfield reflected on the whirlwind last few days, admitting it has been hectic but he is thankful for the opportunity, via Rams reporter Stu Jackson:
“It’s been pretty hectic. It’s been a lot of emotions to be honest with you,” Mayfield said postgame. “A lot of things that… some tough decisions, but everything happens for a reason. I’m thankful. I just prayed about it and it worked out, you know? I just, right now, I just have a lot of emotions, but I’m really, really blessed. I’m really thankful right now, especially just the guys here that welcomed me in and helped me do the crash course here.”
This opportunity with the Rams is certainly one Mayfield has been looking for, but the situation he was put in was not easy. For a quarterback to have to learn a new offensive system just days before taking the field is unbelievably daunting. But Mayfield’s constant changing of coaches actually helped him in this instance as he noted:
“I used to not necessarily complain about the fact that I had that many different offensive systems and having to learn that, but it came in handy when having to learn a crash course and being able to relate certain things,” Mayfield said. “Sean’s protection scheme is similar to (Browns offensive line coach) Bill Callahan’s, who I had in Cleveland, so terminology with that…that knocks out a big chunk of the learning curve and just trying to learn all the motions and the terminology for that. It’s tough, but those guys did a great job of helping me out and communicating when I got off the field on the sideline and just talking about the plays that were coming up.”
Sometimes a negative can turn into a positive and that was the case here as Mayfield was able to call back on his time in many different systems to help acclimate to Sean McVay’s. Now he will have a little more time to get comfortable as he tries to provide a jolt to what has been an awful Rams season so far.
