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The Thursday Night Football matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams just got a lot more interesting with news that the Rams claimed quarterback Baker Mayfield off of waivers on December 6.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said it’s possible that Mayfield could play in a new system with just two days’ notice.
“I’m not sure the systems that he’s been in — the terminology and all that kind of stuff,” Carr told reporters on December 6. “There’s some systems where you could possibly do that. … More power to him, but I’m focused on their defense because their defense is pretty good.”
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a Rams source said “there’s a shot” that Mayfield could play as soon as December 8 against the Raiders.
“Team is in the process of sending the playbook to Mayfield to make sure he can study the offense on his flight to Los Angeles,” Schefter tweeted on the afternoon of December 6.
Mayfield was waived by the Carolina Panthers on December 5 after Mayfield asked for his release when told he would not start or be the backup in Carolina, according to ESPN’s David Newton. The Rams, who placed starter Matthew Stafford on injured reserve on December 3, have lost two straight games with backup John Wolford. He has thrown three interceptions and just one touchdown and fumbled three times.
Mayfield Has Never Beaten the Raiders
Mayfield arrived at the Rams’ facility at 8:30 p.m. on December 6, according to NFL Network’s Kayla Burton, who reported that offensive coordinator Liam Coen said Mayfield’s availability for Thursday Night Football was “to be determined.”
He is 0-2 in two starts against the Raiders, both as a member of the Cleveland Browns. In 2018, he was 21-of-41 for 295 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions, and in 2020, he was 12-of-25 for only 188 yards with no touchdowns.
But, according to Burton, the Rams “have a spark” with Mayfield.
“They have a spark that they believe is this locker room with Baker Mayfield being there — being the playmaker that he is, bringing a competitive drive and also adding some depth,” Burton said on December 7. “And we do know this: That he and [head coach] Sean McVay seem to have a pretty good relationship … as those two were supposedly on a plane ride together [at the 2018] and shared some good conversations.”
This season, Mayfield has thrown for 1,313 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions for the Panthers. His 57.8% completion percentage ranks 34th in the league, ahead of only the New York Jets’ Zach Wilson.
The Raiders (5-7) are in third place in the AFC West, but they have won three in a row and are still in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Raiders Can’t Get Cocky
The Rams can never be counted out. McVay is one of the brightest coaches in the NFL and they still have playmakers. Jalen Ramsey and Bobby Wagner aren’t going anywhere. The Raiders have proved this season that they can compete with any team and can lose to any team. The Indianapolis Colts managed to beat Las Vegas at home just a few days after hiring Jeff Saturday to replace Frank Reich as head coach. If there’s any team that the Rams should feel comfortable getting weird against, it’s the Raiders.
Josh McDaniels can’t afford to lose this game. The Raiders are on a winning streak and now there is talk about the team getting back into the playoff race. Losing to the Rams would almost crush those dreams completely. The Raiders can’t be getting cocky yet regardless of the winning streak.
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