Baker Mayfield's arrival is another 'unprecedented' chapter in the Rams' season

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- As Los Angeles Rams manager Sean McVay was answering questions astir backmost Baker Mayfield connected Wednesday afternoon, helium paused to bash the math.

"It's 12 o'clock close now," McVay said. "Literally helium conscionable got present astir 14 hours ago, erstwhile we ended up starting to conscionable with him."

As McVay discussed whether Mayfield could play against the Las Vegas Raiders connected Thursday night, 2 days aft the Rams claimed him disconnected waivers, helium said helium thought Mayfield would beryllium "capable of it if we ask," but that "it would beryllium unprecedented."

The information is, truthful overmuch of this play has been "unprecedented" for the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Rams person dealt with injuries to respective presumption groups including quarterback. Matthew Stafford is out due to the fact that of a spinal cord contusion and not expected backmost this season. Backup John Wolford is besides connected the wounded study with a cervix injury. The Rams' 3-9 grounds is the worst 12-game commencement by immoderate squad coming a Super Bowl victory. Los Angeles turns to Mayfield successful the hopes it tin salvage thing -- whether it's Thursday nighttime (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) oregon for the last 4 games.

The Rams person not officially been eliminated from playoff contention, but according to ESPN Stats & Information, they person a 0.0% accidental to marque the postseason. Now, Los Angeles tin fundamentally usage the remainder of the play to measure for 2023 and beyond.

One of the reasons the Rams brought successful Mayfield, violative coordinator Liam Coen said, was not lone to measure him successful their offense, but besides to assistance measure the remainder of the discourtesy for the Rams, a portion without wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson.

Mayfield is coming disconnected 7 games with the Carolina Panthers, wherever helium had a full QBR of 18.2, the worst successful the NFL this play among qualified quarterbacks and the 2nd worst ever among 521 qualified passers since tracking of the stat began successful 2006, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Still, McVay said helium thinks the Rams volition beryllium capable to execute their evaluation, due to the fact that it won't beryllium exclusive to what happens connected the tract during games.

"It's the play rhythm, it's the regular rhythm, however you practice, however you conscionable and past however you enactment yourself successful a presumption to play good successful that model of time," McVay said. "Then conscionable immoderate of the abilities that helium has gives you an accidental to beryllium capable to spot immoderate antithetic things comparative to the accomplishment positions, and possibly unfastened up definite portions of your playbook."

McVay wouldn't perpetrate to whether Mayfield could beryllium with successful Los Angeles agelong term. "We consciousness bully astir our country and the backmost that we person for the aboriginal of the Los Angeles Rams, which is Matthew Stafford," Coen said. "But, [we] consciousness evidently beauteous bully astir idiosyncratic to travel successful present and vie astatine a precocious level for us."

The Rams person 2 backup quarterbacks connected the roster close present -- Wolford and Bryce Perkins -- but neither has won a crippled since taking implicit for Stafford. Wolford, who has been with the Rams since 2019, volition beryllium a escaped cause aft this season.

If Mayfield is consenting to backmost up Stafford adjacent season, this proceedings play could pb to filling an important request for Los Angeles going forward.

McVay said the Rams weren't actively looking to adhd to their backmost room, but "when you person a subordinate of his caliber travel disposable and you look astatine conscionable the circumstances successful the concern surrounding our backmost room, we felt similar it was the close determination for us."

"I've ever respected his crippled [and] liked a batch of things that helium brings to the table," McVay added. "... [He's an] incredibly crisp guy. It was bully to beryllium capable to beryllium astir him, but really, we felt similar it upgraded our backmost room. It gives america a accidental to person him successful the building, and we'll spot however it goes."