Recently waived Baker Mayfield had the dream debut for the Los Angeles Rams, as a fantastic final drive handed them a 17-16 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The new Rams quarterback only signed on Tuesday, but after John Wolford initially started the game, Mayfield came in towards the end of the first quarter. In extraordinary scenes, Mayfield was negotiating with Sean McVay and reading the plays from his wrist - trying to leads the Rams offense despite barely knowing their playbook.
The Raiders led for almost the entire game, scoring on their first three drives and holding a 13-point lead over the Rams until there were just four minutes left to play. Cam Akers then ran into the endzone to give the Rams a chance, before Mayfield then threw the game winning touchdown with seconds to go.
The former no.1 draft pick was claimed off waivers by the Rams just three days ago after he was released by the Carolina Panthers. Mayfield completed 22 of his 35 passing attempts and threw for 230 yards, but saved his best moments until last.
After Daniel Carson put the Raiders 16-3 up with a field goal with 12 minutes and 20 seconds to play, Mayfield led a nine-minute 75-yard drive, which resulted in Akers rushing into the endzone. Even with that seven-point haul, it still wasn't looking good for the Rams on their next offensive drive.
With little time on the play clock and no timeouts to go, Mayfield stepped up and engineered a 98-yard drive, completing five of his six throws on an 80-yard dash before the eventual game-winner. It was a brutal blow for the Raiders who came into the game on a hot winning streak, but in Mayfield's own words, it was a "damn good story."
"I don't know if you could write it any better than that," Mayfield said. "Obviously, we'd like to be a little bit more stress-free, but it's a pretty damn good story, I'll be honest with you. It's special.
It's been a tough time for Mayfield, as the former no.1 pick and Cleveland Browns star was traded to the Panthers in 2022, and then later released after becoming their third-choice quarterback. He's been given a shot at the Rams due to Matthew Stafford's injury, and he's willing to get as much as he can out of it.
"I'm just looking to be the best version of me possible," Mayfield added. "Learning and improving in the system, trying to take away from a great group of guys that have had a lot of success... take in as much as I can and let the pieces fall where they may.
"I can't control the future. I know I have the next four games here. Trying to build on that and just be the best version of me and improve."
The Rams were 3-9 heading into the game, and it's not just Mayfield that was emotional after the victory as head coach McVay claimed 'he forgot what winning was like'. McVay hailed Mayfield after the game, as he said: "You can't say enough about Baker Mayfield and the leadership, the resilience, the competitiveness.
"What a quick study. He just got here five minutes ago and figured out a way to be able to do some special things tonight. Man, you forget what winning is like, and it sure is fun."
