Week 15 Injury Report
With meaningful December football being played, keeping key players healthy is crucial during this final stretch of the season. The Rams had some injury scares in a physical game against the Eagles. Amongst it all, they’re still very healthy going into Seattle for an important game that could very well decide the NFC West. Here’s how the Rams fare with key players’ injuries before going to face the Seahawks this Sunday:
Cornerback Kayvon Webster – Out
Starting Corner Back Kayvon Webster has been put on injured reserve since suffering a ruptured Achilles’ tendon in the 43 – 35 loss to the Eagles. This could prove to be detrimental to the Rams secondary against the Seahawks. Second-year corner Troy Hill will get the start in Webster’s place. This will be a great but also very difficult test for Hill. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will be looking for any and all exploits in the secondary that he can take advantage of, and if he makes quick work of Hill, it’ll be a very long day for that whole defensive unit. He’ll also get some much-needed help from cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, whose expanding role in this defense will compensate for players lost to injuries.
Wide receiver Robert Woods – Active
The once leading wide receiver for L.A. looks to be ready to suit up and play in Seattle this Sunday. He was a full participant at practice after nursing a shoulder injury for 3 weeks. With Quarterback Jared Goff getting Woods back in the mix, this could prove to be huge for the Rams aerial attack as Seattle is missing key parts of their Legion of Boom, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. It also should be noted that star Linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, as well as lockdown safety Earl Thomas, are all listed as questionable.
Oustide linebacker Connor Barwin – Active
A very good sign for the defense is that their starting outside linebacker was a full participant in practice. It didn’t turn out like a short recover as he hoped, but it’s looking like the longer recovery has helped and the veteran will see the field this Sunday. He’ll be key in helping this defense shut down Russell Wilson, a true test no matter how long you’ve been in this league.
Left tackle Andrew Whitworth – Questionable
“Big Whit” is currently nursing an injury to his MCL he sustained during the game against the Eagles. Head coach Sean McVay said during a presser that they want to “be extra smart with him and his knee, but he was able to come back in the game”. To say that the Pro Bowl Tackle is vital to the offense is simply an understatement. He provides so much more than just blocking on Jared Goff’s blindside. He’s a mentally strong leader that brings a different sort of momentum to this offense. To have Whitworth healthy would be absolutely huge for this offense in their biggest game of the season. It doesn’t look like he’s to let a minor knee injury stop him from battling with his teammates.
Notables
Linebacker Mark Barron and center John Sullivan took their veteran rest days this week, per usual. A knee injury sustained against the Eagles kept right tackle Rob Havenstein limited in practice. He’ll be fine and cleared for Sunday, per McVay.
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– Andrew Irvin is a Staff Writer for Full Press Coverage Rams. He covers the Los Angeles Rams. Like and follow on Follow @drewage_ Follow @FPC_Rams and Facebook.