WOLFORD ‘CONFIDENT’ BEFORE DEBUT
QB likely won’t have receiver Kupp at his disposal vs. Arizona
On a day Rams coaches and teammates expressed confidence in John Wolford, the starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals did the same.
Wolford will lead the Rams — and take his first NFL regularseason snaps — in place of injured Jared
Goff at SoFi Stadium. A playoff berth could rest on the outcome.
“I’m confident in my capabilities as a player,” Wolford said Wednesday during a videoconference with reporters, adding, “I know I can make the throws and then, mentally, it’s about making the right decisions and giving us the best chance to win.
“So I’m confident going into this week, and I’m glad
the team’s rallying around me, and it will be fun.”
It also could be challenging for Wolford and the Rams on several levels. Wolford’s inexperience might be magnified because of the absence of key players on offense, most notably receiver Cooper Kupp.
Kupp, who has a team best 92 catches, was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, and coach Sean McVay indicated Wednesday that Kupp will not play against the Cardinals.
NFL protocols prohibit teams from revealing if a player was put on the list because of a positive test or because of a close contact. Some teams such as the Rams also put players on the list for precautionary reasons as they continue to test.
Asked if the Rams had any positive tests Wednesday, McVay said, “I’m not able to say that kind of stuff.”
Even if an unnamed player tested positive?
“I cannot say that,” he said. “Hey, you’ll find out (Thursday).”
According to the Rams injury report, defensive linemen Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers did not participate Wednesday because of “non-injury related” reasons. Wednesday is typically a veteran’s day off for Donald. Brockers is typically off Fridays. While McVay dealt with game-planning around injuries and COVIDrelated issues, Wolford and his teammates remained focused on preparation.
“He’s as disciplined a guy that I’ve been around in terms of having that rhythm, that process, that routine that’s in alignment with getting yourself ready to go,” McVay said of Wolford.
With Kupp probably sidelined against the Cardinals, Robert Woods, Josh Reynolds and rookie Van Jefferson will be the starting receivers. McVay also could increase the roles of tight ends Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett and Johnny Mundt.