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Lindsey ThiryESPN
THOUSAND OAKS, California – If all goes to plan against the Arizona Cardinals, reserve quarterback John Wolford will lead the Los Angeles Rams to a playoff berth.
As an added bonus, Wolford probably won’t need to listen to head coach Sean McVay and his teammates will no longer mispronounce his name, and can delete the LinkedIn account that recorded his previous financial career.
“I know I can spin it, I know I can make the throws, and mentally it’s about making the right decisions to give us the best chance of winning,” Wolford said on Wednesday. “I’m confident going into this week.”
Wolford will make his NFL debut in the absence of quarterback Jared Goff, who underwent surgery on his hand thumb on Monday and has been sidelined for at least a week.
To secure a playoff spot, the Rams (9-6) must beat the Cardinals (8-7) at SoFi Stadium, or the Chicago Bears (8-7) must lose at home to the Green Bay Packers (12 -3), who play for the NFC’s best overall seed.
“It’s something you’ve dreamed about all your life,” Wolford said of making his first NFL start with a playoff spot at stake. “But I’m not going to get too caught up in the moment.”
During a 15½ minute video conference with reporters on Wednesday, Wolford appeared calm and answered questions with candor. He admitted to sleeping less than usual on the night he found out he was going to start, but said he has since gotten back into routine.
He cleared up some confusion about how to pronounce his last name – it’s ‘Wole-Ford’, although he said he doesn’t care if it’s mispronounced, something McVay did during Wolford’s two-year stint with the team. As for a LinkedIn account he created as a freshman at Wake Forest when a career with the NFL seemed unlikely and he planned to go into finance, his profession was updated this week to read “Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. “
“If things go well this Sunday,” said Wolford, “I might just delete it.”
McVay, receiver Robert Woods and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley – whose unit faces Wolford as he leads the scout team – expressed confidence that the inexperienced QB can lead them to victory on Sunday.
“John Wolford has the full respect of our entire team, coaches and players, for how he performs on the practice field, in the meetings and in the weight room,” said Staley. “I think that’s rare when you can have the respect of your teammates without actually playing in an NFL game.”
When asked what skills he possessed that could be different from Goff’s, Wolford – who is listed at six feet and 200 pounds – pointed to his speed and agility.
“I don’t want to beat Jared’s athleticism, he’s a great athlete, he’s an NFL quarterback,” said Wolford, “but I think I’m a little faster than him and can play with my legs a few more times.”
“I think John has a set of skills that will be fun watching him perform our offense and make things come to life differently,” said McVay. “Every man has a creativity in his game, but I think he will do well by spreading and making good decisions.”
The Rams did not train on Wednesday, but instead held a walk-through.
“Great communication, great command of what we’re trying to do,” said McVay of Wolford’s presence in training. “A lot of understanding and ownership of the first parts of the game plan.”
Practices are scheduled to resume Thursday and Friday as the Rams prepare for Sunday’s game without both lead rusher Darrell Henderson who was on the injured reserve, and receiver Cooper Kupp, who moved to the reserve / COVID-19 list this week was moved.
Woods said Wolford, who turned 25 on October, has no lack of confidence and is known as one of the last players to leave the practice field on a daily basis after meeting requests from receivers who want a few extra balls in their path. But even Woods isn’t sure what to expect from a game from Wolford, who went undeveloped in 2018 and signed with the Rams practice squad last season after throwing 14 touchdowns in the now-folded Alliance of American Football League.
“I haven’t seen him in an NFL, or a live game, I’ve seen him a few advance announcements, and watched his highlight tape on YouTube,” said Woods. “I checked to see what he could do, but he just came out here expecting John to make plays.”