Week 14’s Thursday Night Football matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders could’ve almost doubled as a dramatic movie.
Just days ago, quarterback Baker Mayfield was released after a poor stint with the Carolina Panthers, and it looked like he perhaps had only one more shot at resurrecting his NFL career.
The Rams picked him up, and he had literally a couple of days to familiarize himself with his new teammates and playbook before taking the field for them.
Early on, he struggled as the Rams fell behind 16-3, but he led them to a come-from-behind win by leading a last-minute touchdown drive that started near his own end zone.
Mayfield not only shined brightly, but he may have earned himself another chance to prove himself next season.
He will be a free agent at the conclusion of this year, and at age 27, he is still young enough that a number of teams may be willing to take a chance on him.
But he also had some help on Thursday.
Ben Skowronek Did His Part As Well
With All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp out because of ankle surgery, second-year man Ben Skowronek had to step up and produce.
In his best performance of the season, he had 89 yards and seven catches, and two of those catches came during L.A.’s game-winning drive.
The first of those two catches was good for a 32-yard gain that put the Rams into Raiders territory.
BIG BEN SKOWRONEK#LVvsLAR on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/m65o43ZLpv pic.twitter.com/0RRRc8cKRa— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2022
The Rams may still have no real shot at making the playoffs, but they should have the opportunity to build some momentum and develop some players for next season.
