5 games that will define Panthers QB Baker Mayfield’s 2022 season

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams – Week 6

In mid-October, the Carolina Panthers will fly west to Los Angeles to take on the defending Super Bowl champions. The Rams flipped the script on how to build a team by trading away draft picks and signing high-profile athletes to short-term contracts while developing guys from within, which paid off in the biggest way possible.

Many thought mortgaging the future for immediate gains was a risky strategy. But the Rams proved the doubters wrong as Sean McVay’s squad hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.

SoFi Stadium is state-of-the-art and a drastic change from Bank of America Stadium. As the Carolinas are hitting cooler fall weather this time of year, LA will still be in the mid-70s, which is something Baker Mayfield and his teammates must be ready for.

Playing under the glitz and glamor of SoFi Stadium, dealing with jet lag, and facing a team whose roster has been retooled but is still lethal points to a tough matchup. One that the Panthers will be heavy underdogs for, one suspects.

If Mayfield can get through this game unscathed with a nice stat line, the Oklahoma product will demonstrate to general manager Scott Fitterer that he is able to hang with the best and pick apart a top-tier defense. Whether this can be accomplished or not is another matter.