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Lindsey ThiryESPN
THOUSAND OAKS, California – If all goes as planned against the Arizona Cardinals, linebacker John Wolford will lead the Los Angeles Rams to a playoff spot.
As an added bonus, Wolford probably won’t have to listen to head coach Sean McVay and teammates mispronounce his name and will be able to delete the LinkedIn account that recounted his previous financial career.
“I know I can spin it, I know I can make throws and then mentally, it’s about making the right decisions to give us the best chance of winning,” Wolford said Wednesday. “I’m sure I’ll be in this week.”
Wolford will make his NFL debut in the absence of defender Jared Goff, who underwent surgery on his thumb on Monday and will be eliminated for at least a week.
To win a playoff spot, the Rams (9-6) must win at SoFi Stadium against the Cardinals (8-7), or the Chicago Bears (8-7) must lose at home to the Green Bay Packers (12-3). who plays for the overall NFC standings.
“It’s something you’ve dreamed about all your life,” Wolford said of his first NFL start with a playoff spot in the game. “But I won’t be too caught up right now.”
During a 15-and-a-half-minute video conference with reporters on Wednesday, Wolford appeared calm and answered questions honestly. He admitted that he slept less than usual the night he learned he would start, but said he has since settled back into the routine.
He clarified some confusion about how his family name is pronounced – it’s “Wole-ford”, although he said he’s not bothered when it’s mispronounced, which McVay did during his internship. Wolford’s two years with the team. As for a LinkedIn account he created as a freshman at Wake Forest, when a career in the NFL seemed unlikely and he intended to get into finance, his occupation was updated this week to read: “Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams” .
“If it goes well this Sunday,” Wolford said, “maybe I’ll delete it.”
McVay, receiver Robert Woods and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley – whose unit faces Wolford as he leads the scout team – have expressed confidence that an inexperienced QB will be able to lead them to victory on Sunday.
“John Wolford has the full respect of our entire team, coaches and players, because of the way he behaves on the training ground, at meetings and in the weight room,” Staley said. “I think it’s a rare thing when you can have the respect of your teammates without actually playing in an NFL game.”
When asked what skill sets he had, which could be different from Goff’s, Wolford – who is listed at 6-feet-1 and 200 pounds – showed his speed and agility.
“I don’t want to beat Jared’s athletics, he’s a great athlete, he’s the NFL defender,” Wolford said, “but I think I’m a little faster than him and I can play a few more games with my feet.”
“I think John has a set of skills that will be fun to watch as he executes our offense and how things come to life differently,” McVay said. “Every guy has a creativity in his game, but I think he will do a good job, distributing and making good decisions.”
The Aries did not train on Wednesday, but took a walk.
“Great communication, great command of what we’re trying to achieve,” McVay said of Wolford’s presence in training. “A good understanding and ownership of the initial parts of the game plan.”
Training is scheduled to resume on Thursday and Friday as the Rams prepare to enter Sunday’s game, without both Darrell Henderson who was placed on the injured reserve and receiver Cooper Kupp, who has been moved to the reserve list / COVID-19 this week.
Woods said Wolford, who turned 25 in October, does not lack confidence and is known to be one of the last players to leave the training ground after meeting the demands of the receivers who want to throw a few extra balls. But not even Woods is so sure what to expect in a Wolford game, which was undefined in 2018 and he signed with the Rams training team last season, after throwing 14 touchdowns. in the league of the American Alliance Football League.
“I haven’t seen him in the NFL, or at a live game, I’ve seen him for a few pre-seasons, I’ve watched him on his YouTube video,” Woods said. “I checked him to see what he could do, but just coming out here and expecting John to make pieces.”