NFC West

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is reportedly facing a three-month recovery period from his foot injury.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Garoppolo will have to stay off the foot for at least six weeks.

"That would mean Garoppolo would be fully cleared with no restrictions just prior to the start of free agency. Unlike this past offseason, when shoulder rehab affected his free-agent choices, there would be no issues this time," Rapoport added.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Dec. 9 that Garoppolo would not need surgery after suffering a broken left foot in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins. Shanahan acknowledged that the 31-year-old faced a lengthy recovery, but he said there was "a way outside chance" that he could return at some point in the postseason.

Prior to his injury, Garoppolo helped propel San Francisco to first place in the NFC West. He started the year as the backup to second-year quarterback Trey Lance before the 22-year-old suffered a broken ankle in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Garoppolo came off the bench and led the 49ers to a 27-7 victory. Overall, San Francisco went 7-3 with Garopplo as the starter.

In his 11 appearances during the regular season, Garoppolo threw for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. He was a steady presence on a San Francisco team that boasts one of the best defenses in the league as well as a strong rushing attack.

In Garoppolo's absence, rookie Brock Purdy stepped in and threw for 210 yards, two touchdowns and an interception when he replaced Garoppolo in Week 13 against Miami. Purdy will make his first NFL start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is reportedly expected to be among the top candidates for head-coaching vacancies this offseason.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported there's a belief within the 49ers that Ryan is "in line" to become a head coach after spending the last two seasons leading the San Francisco defense.

The Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders interviewed Ryans for their head-coaching vacancies last offseason. Ryans declined a second interview with the Vikings in favor of spending a second season as a defensive coordinator.

A two-time Pro Bowler over the course of his 10-year NFL career, Ryans joined the 49ers in 2017 upon his retirement. He's quickly moved up the coaching ranks, going from a quality control assistant to defensive coordinator in the span of four years.

Unsurprisingly, Ryans has developed a player-first reputation and coaches with the same type of infectious positivity he exhibited during his playing career.

"The game of football is fun. I want guys having fun out there, flying around and most importantly, our guys have to be confident," Ryans told reporters last month. "And you're confident when the energy is high. Everybody's smiling, everybody's having fun. If we're making plays right, that enthusiasm is going to be high, the energy is going to be high and that's when turnovers happen. That's when big hits happen, that's when big plays start to happen when everybody is just bought in and playing for each other."

The Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts already fired their head coaches and will be looking for a new full-time coach this offseason. The Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos also appear to be good bets to make coaching changes.

That said, the coaching market will likely be quieter this offseason than in recent years. Twenty teams have made coaching changes since the end of the 2019 season, and there were 10 vacancies last offseason. Denver's Nathaniel Hackett is the only coach hired last offseason in serious jeopardy of losing his job. Houston's Lovie Smith may also have a warm seat, but it's unlikely the Texans will want two one-and-done coaches in a row.

Baker Mayfield's dramatic, game-winning drive against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night appears to have won him the starting spot going forward.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Friday that Mayfield is expected to serve as the starting quarterback for the final four games of the season.

Mayfield impressed in his first action with the Rams on Thursday night—just two days after joining the team—finishing 22-of-35 for 230 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. He was sacked four times.

Most importantly, he led the Rams on a 98-yard scoring drive with no timeouts in just a minute and 35 seconds, throwing a touchdown pass to Van Jefferson to secure a 17-16 victory.

This TD from @bakermayfield ➡️ @VanJefferson12!

📺 @NFLonPrime | 📲 https://t.co/4beUdmlymg pic.twitter.com/xska07A2VD

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 9, 2022

For a player who went from being traded by the Cleveland Browns in the offseason to the Carolina Panthers to being cut midseason in favor of Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker, Thursday's performance was the ultimate redemption arc.

"I don't know if you can write it any better than that," Mayfield told reporters after the game. "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 was one written on a very fast deadline, given his arrival in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

"I was really impressed," head coach Sean McVay told reporters. "I don't know if I would say surprised because I've always been a fan of the things that he was capable of, but to say that I expected this, certainly exceeded our expectations. But it was a lot of fun watching him go to work tonight."

And it appears to have earned him four more chances to go to work as the team's QB1. For Mayfield, it will be something of an audition tape for teams around the league as he hits free agency after the season, providing perhaps one last chance to prove he can still be a starter in the NFL.

Liam Coen is leaving his gig as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams to go back to the University of Kentucky.

Per ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Coen is taking the same position with the Wildcats on head coach Mark Stoops' staff.

Mortensen noted Coen helped assists in Baker Mayfield's rushed preparation for the Rams' game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night. Mayfield didn't officially join the team until Tuesday when he was claimed off waivers.

Despite the short week and quick turnaround time, Mayfield took over at quarterback for the Rams' second offensive possession of the game. He turned in one of his best performances of the season, finishing 22-of-35 for 230 yards and one touchdown.

The touchdown pass was a 23-yard toss to Van Jefferson with nine seconds remaining that gave Los Angeles a 17-16 victory.

Thursday's win snapped a six-game losing streak for the defending Super Bowl champions.

Coen returns to Kentucky after leaving the program following the 2021 season. He was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Wildcats during his first stint.

Stoops fired Rich Scangarello as offensive coordinator on Nov. 29 after one season with the Wildcats. Their 22.1 points per game ranked 106th out of 131 FBS programs.

This marks the sixth time in Stoops' 10 seasons as Kentucky head coach he has made a change at offensive coordinator.

Kentucky's offense ranked 36th in the nation with 32.3 points per game with Coen as coordinator in 2021.

Rams head coach Sean McVay brought Coen back to the NFL after Kevin O'Connell, the team's offensive coordinator from 2020-21, was hired as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

This was Coen's second run with the Rams. He was originally hired by McVay in 2018 as assistant wide receivers coach. The 37-year-old served in that role for two seasons before being taking over as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020.

Fans weren't the only ones baffled by the Las Vegas Raiders' defensive play-calling at the end of Thursday's 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield told reporters after the game he was "completely shocked" when the Raiders cornerbacks lined up in press coverage on his touchdown pass to Van Jefferson with nine seconds remaining.

OMG. TOUCHDOWN RAMS!#LVvsLAR on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/m65o43ZLpv pic.twitter.com/lpAk8bVIJ6

— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2022

The touchdown capped off an eight-play, 98-yard drive that began with 1:45 left in regulation.

There is a defense of Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's decision to play the cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage. Jamming the receivers at the snap could have disrupted the timing, allowing the pass rush to get home against a Rams offensive line that has been suspect all season.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, Sam Webb didn't do anything to disrupt Jefferson's route and Mayfield dropped a dime for the touchdown.

Another problem with Graham's call is the Rams were out of timeouts. They were either going to take a shot to the end zone or a quick out to the sideline that would get them closer and stop the clock to run another play.

If the Raiders guarded the sideline and kept everything in front of the end zone, they probably would have won.

While the Raiders will once again look back on blowing another double-digit lead, Mayfield and the Rams get to celebrate something positive for what feels like the first time all season.

The Rams entered Thursday having lost six consecutive games. Mayfield wasn't even on the roster until Tuesday when he was claimed off waivers. He finished 22-of-35 with 230 yards and one touchdown.

Baker Mayfield joined the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday. By Thursday, he was a hero.

Against all odds, Mayfield led the Rams on a 98-yard, game-winning touchdown drive—in a minute and 35 seconds with zero timeouts—to catapult them to a shocking 17-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

This TD from @bakermayfield ➡️ @VanJefferson12!

📺 @NFLonPrime | 📲 https://t.co/4beUdmlymg pic.twitter.com/xska07A2VD

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 9, 2022

.@bakermayfield’s been on the team for two days.#LVvsLAR on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/m65o43ZLpv pic.twitter.com/IBLV37Ufgh

— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2022

Baker throws a strike on 3rd & 13 🎯#LVvsLAR on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/m65o43ZLpv pic.twitter.com/QffBAxFzMS

— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2022

Mayfield finished 22-of-35 for 230 yards and one touchdown with zero interceptions. He was sacked four times.

And NFL Twitter was beside itself:

Joining the team on Tuesday and winning a game on Thursday at the quarterback position is absolutely incredible.

There are some positions that you can plug into a new team/system somewhat easily. QB has to be by far the hardest.

Damn impressive Baker.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 9, 2022

Truly unbelievable performance by Baker Mayfield. Just led a 98-yard game-winning drive in his 56th hour as a Ram.

— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) December 9, 2022

There’s no reason the Rams should have won tonight. A remarkable performance by Baker Mayfield. So damn impressive.

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) December 9, 2022

Words I thought I’d never tweet: That was a simply inspiring performance by Baker Mayfield. Incredible.

— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) December 9, 2022

@bakermayfield MY BOY HAS ICE IN HIS VEINS🥶🥶🥶🥶

— timthetatman👑 (@timthetatman) December 9, 2022

#MoxieMayfield is BACK

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 9, 2022

Baker ain't even unpacked his toiletry bag in his bathroom yet and just embarrassed the Raiders on a 98 yard drive to win the game.

— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) December 9, 2022

Baker Mayfield…how?

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 9, 2022

Just think about how weird this was:

I want to see how far this Baker logic stretches. Wake him up early Sunday morning and tell him he has to start for the Texans in a few hours.

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) December 9, 2022

Baker Mayfield arrived in LA two days ago and is running a hurry-up offense. He hasn't been perfect tonight, but impressive in moments.

— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) December 9, 2022

Sean McVay has Baker Mayfield reading T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland for a three yard gain on second down https://t.co/6qOzuFDzbV

— The Falcoholic (@TheFalcoholic) December 9, 2022

#Rams Baker Mayfield and Sean McVay (kneeling in front of the bench) have been in non-stop communication throughout these defensive possessions.

You can only imagine how much "on-the-go learning" is happening for Mayfield right now between him and this playbook.

— Kayla Burton (@Kay_Breezy22) December 9, 2022

There aren't many times in professional sports when coaches, fans or pundits willingly settle on "well, they tried their best" as a satisfactory evaluation of a performance. These athletes are paid millions of dollars to win. Wherever you fall on the contrived "performance trophy" debate, they most certainly aren't handed out in the NFL.

But in this case, given the circumstances, "well, he tried his best" would have sufficed. Had the Rams lost, nobody would have blamed Mayfield.

Instead...heroics. Magical, hardly believable heroics.

Mayfield didn't just save the Rams; he saved the viewing experience for everyone else. This was not an aesthetically pleasing football game for 58 minutes. Mayfield's counterpart, Derek Carr (11-of-20 for 137 yards and zero touchdowns with two interceptions), didn't exactly raise the collective understanding of what peak quarterbacking could be.

But in those final two minutes, Mayfield provided us with a far more compelling story. It's been a struggle for him over the past two years, but he reminded us of the potential that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.

It may be a blip in an otherwise disappointing season for Mayfield and his team for the past two days. But it certainly was a memorable one.

Geno Smith spent the previous seven years in the NFL as a journeyman backup quarterback for the New York Jets, New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks.

But when asked on Thursday if that time was frustrating for him, he instead offered some perspective.

"My tough times would be a dream to someone else," he told reporters.

The way Geno Smith has carried himself all season, showing humility during a dream professional season and never lamenting having to wait this long for this chance has been inspiring.

So much respect for him. https://t.co/md2CKraCCb

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 8, 2022

Smith has been a revelation in the 2022 season, throwing for 3,169 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing a league-leading 72.7 percent of his passes. The Seahawks, in turn, are 7-5 and in the hunt for a playoff berth.

The 32-year-old has faced his fair share of adversity to get to this point. But he's trying to keep it all in perspective.

The New England Patriots have struggled on offense all season long, and it has resulted in the team sitting last in the AFC East with a 6-6 record.

The Patriots are traveling to face the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night, and they must find a way to win in order to stay alive in a tough AFC playoff race. However, the Cardinals don't seem too concerned with a lackluster New England offense coming to town.

Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph told reporters Thursday that he believes the New England offense has taken a conservative approach this year, which doesn't surprise him because Matt Patricia, a defensive specialist, is calling the plays.

To be clear, Joseph was saying it would be how most defensive coaches would call an offense.

"Let's not turn the ball over, get four yards a play, try to burn clock, that's what they are doing. ... They are going to be patient."

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) December 8, 2022

The Patriots enter Monday's game averaging 318.9 yards per game, which is one of the worst marks in the NFL. They're averaging 214.0 yards passing and 104.9 yards rushing per game.

Arizona's defense, meanwhile, is allowing 356.2 yards per game, including 110.8 rushing (eighth-best).

If Patricia continues taking a conservative approach. New England may be out of the postseason for the second time in three seasons.

Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner won't face criminal charges for tackling a fan who ran onto the field during a game against the San Francisco 49ers.

A spokesperson for the Santa Clara Police Department told TMZ Sports that no charges were being filed with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office following an investigation.

The incident occurred in the first half of San Francisco's 24-9 win over the Rams on Oct. 3. Alexander Taylor ran on the field with a smoke bomb as part of an animal rights protest.

Wagner tackled Taylor, who was taken away by security guards. Taylor filed a police report Oct. 4 saying he suffered multiple injuries, including a concussion, as a result of being tackled by Wagner.

A spokesperson for Direct Action Everywhere, the animal rights organization Taylor was representing, told TMZ a police report was filed because a "blatant assault" took place.

"I'm aware of it," Wagner told reporters when the police report was filed. "[But] I'm more concerned about the security guard who got hurt trying to chase him."

Wagner is in his first season with the Rams after signing a five-year contract in March. He has started all 12 games in 2022 and has tied a career high with five sacks.

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay says the team is not concerned with how Baker Mayfield will fit in the remainder of this season.

"As far as him, there are no concerns," McVay told reporters Wednesday.

The Rams claimed Mayfield off waivers from the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday. McVay has not ruled out the 2018 No. 1 overall pick playing in Thursday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders, noting he's leaning toward Mayfield being active.

It would be unorthodox for any quarterback to take snaps just two days after being signed by a team, but the Rams are in an unenviable position at quarterback. John Wolford and Bryce Perkins have started the team's last two games to little success; it would be hard to imagine Mayfield being much worse.

That said, you could argue the Rams would be setting up Mayfield for failure by playing him before he's had time to get acclimated to the offensive system. Anyone would struggle to memorize the Rams playbook on such short notice, even in small packages.

The more logical scenario would see Mayfield acting as a sort of emergency quarterback in case of injuries before taking over as the starter in Week 15.

The Rams' title defense has already gone up in smoke, as the team sits 3-9 amid a rash of injuries to star players. Mayfield getting an extended look in what amounts to the season's garbage time makes some sense—just not Thursday.