Ben Skowronek had played 30 regular-season and postseason games in his career prior to last week’s win over the Raiders, but he never put up numbers like the ones he had against Las Vegas. And oddly enough, he was playing with a quarterback who had never thrown him a pass in a game before.
With Baker Mayfield under center, Skowronek caught a career-high seven passes for 89 yards – one more catch and 23 more yards than he’s had in any other game. The biggest play of the night came when Skowronek made a leaping grab over a Raiders defender for a gain of 32 yards on the Rams’ game-winning drive, giving them a fighting chance late in the fourth quarter.
Mayfield spoke to Peter King about the whirlwind that was his first 48 hours with the Rams, and he pointed to Skowronek’s catch as a defining play – and also one that gives him confidence throwing No. 18’s way.
“Those are the moments in a two-minute drill, somebody’s gotta make a play,” Mayfield said. “Catching it right on top of the DB’s head, with the safety bearing down on him? That’s a guy I’m gonna trust, a lot.”
BIG BEN SKOWRONEK#LVvsLAR on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/m65o43ZLpv pic.twitter.com/0RRRc8cKRa— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2022
Mayfield and Skowronek will have a full week to practice together this time around as they prepare to face the Packers on Monday night. That will hopefully lead to some greater chemistry, building on what they’ve already developed in their short time together as teammates.
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