What of LA Rams backup quarterback John Wolford?

Wolf vision

Perhaps the more subtle but just as critical element was the way Wolford continued to train his eyes downfield. Even as the pocket collapsed and he moved away from pressure, he continued to look downfield for an open receiver. It was this ability that truly set the wheels in motion at all levels of the Rams organization.

Wolford completed deep passes in that game. One sailed for 38 yards. Another arced 27 yards.  Another one rocketed for 26 yards. Not all deep passes found their mark. But when they did, the defense had to adjust.  After all, the game plan was pretty straightforward. Crowd the box, stop the run, win the game. They didn’t really count on Wolford finding receivers downfield.

And another light bulb flashed over McVay’s head. The offensive game plan that led the NFL in scoring simply needed a tweak. If the Rams could find the right quarterback who could move in the pocket, had a quick release, continued to look downfield, and could threaten defenses with a deep ball, the scoring slump would end.

So how does Wolford fit as Matthew Stafford’s backup?  He’s actually a good fit. The trade-off is Stafford’s accuracy with Wolford’s mobility. For the Rams’ goal of winning Super Bowl LVI, Stafford is the obvious choice to make that happen.

The LA Rams were unhappy with Goff. But with Stafford, don’t look for open competition at quarterback. Instead, the Rams will be focusing all their energies to acclimate Stafford to the Rams offense, and the Rams offense to Stafford.  But don’t look for John Wolford to be going anywhere. In many ways, he is the reason for the Rams’ sudden roster upheaval.