John Wolford shaky under pressure: Five takeaways from Rams’ loss to Texans

Rams quarterback John Wolford eludes Texans defensive lineman Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to pick up a first down Friday.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Coach Sean McVay’s decision to play Wolford in the first half and Bryce Perkins in the second introduced a dose of quarterback intrigue.

Was it a chance for Wolford — Jared Goff’s and Matthew Stafford’s backup the last two seasons — to simply get some game reps? Or was it a move to give Perkins a shot at a fair comparison for the role as Stafford’s backup?

“It’s definitely something that we’re continuing to evaluate,” McVay said after the game.

Wolford completed 14 of 22 passes for 142 yards. He was sacked five times.

It marked Wolford’s first extended playing time since 2020, when he started the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, and then started and played most of the first quarter in a wild-card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.

McVay said this week that he wanted to see Wolford command the offense, sustain drives and score points.

Rams quarterback Bryce Perkins leaps over the Texans’ Terrence Brooks, left, and Derek Rivers.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Rams managed two field goals.

“Overall, I felt like he had good command, made good decisions, saw the coverages the right way,” McVay said. “And then there were some instances where we could help him out a little bit more. But I thought both he and Bryce did a nice job.”

Perkins was coming off a solid performance against the Chargers, positioning him for a run at an opening-game roster spot for the second year in a row.

He started slowly, his first two passes falling incomplete.

But on the first play of his second possession, he slipped a tackle in the backfield and completed a 14-yard pass to tight end Roger Carter Jr.

Perkins finished 11 of 13 for 123 yards.

After the drive stalled, the Rams’ Duron Lowe forced a fumble on a punt return, and Carter scooped the ball and ran into the end zone for a touchdown.