The Rams are the first team in the NFC to clinch a playoff berth this season following their 41-34 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Rams were firing offensively with quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing for 368 yards and two touchdowns. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum each rushed for over 70 yards and added touchdowns of their own — all of which pairs nicely with Puka Nacua‘s 181 receiving yards.
Unfortunately, receiver Davante Adams left the game in the fourth quarter due to a hamstring injury. His status for the massive Week 16 matchup with the Rams is in serious jeopardy.
This brings up the question: In a tight race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, how does this injury change things for the Rams going forward?
Adams’ Impact This Year
The Rams signed Adams this past offseason to a two-year, $46 million deal. The team was looking to pair another talented receiver with their superstar Puka Nacua after the departure of veteran receiver Cooper Kupp.
This signing has worked out tremendously for the Rams this year, as Adams has been a valuable red zone threat for Stafford. Adams currently leads the NFL in receiving touchdowns and averages 56.4 yards per game. Adams also leads the league in red zone targets with 31.
When it comes to sports, a player’s best ability is their availability, and up until now, Adams has fit that criteria perfectly, playing in all 14 games for the Rams so far this season. He has proven that he’s still got some juice left in the tank.
Availability for Week 16
The Rams find themselves with a short week playing on Thursday against their division rival, the Seattle Seahawks (11-3). The winner of this matchup will rise to the top of the NFC West and, likely, the NFC, at least for the time being.
Rams reporter for ESPN, Sarah Barshop, reported that Adams is remaining optimistic that he can suit up on Thursday. Los Angeles has yet to officially rule him out, leaving the door open until “all the way up to game time” for a decision. Adams did not practice on Tuesday.
Following the team’s Week 15 victory, Stafford said: “(Adams) is an outstanding football player, a huge part of our offense and a guy that has put it in the end zone a bunch for us this year…I have a lot of faith and trust in the other guys that we have in our locker room and our coaching staff to put us in a great position.”
Filling the Void
The Rams are no strangers to injuries in their wide receiver room. Earlier in the season, Nacua missed their Week 7 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to an ankle sprain. In that game, Stafford turned to Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson to lead them to a 35-7 victory in London.
Now the tables have turned, and Adams will be missing time, meaning Stafford will look to rely on Nacua and Parkinson, along with the Rams’ impressive run game.
Parkinson will try to fill that red zone void for the Rams. In their previous game against the Detroit Lions, Parkinson hauled in five catches on seven targets, along with 75 yards and two touchdowns.
The Rams have an impressive backfield duo with Williams and Corum. Williams isn’t scared of the spotlight, as he’s been the Rams’ workhorse back for some time now, Corum on the other hand, has shown flashes of stardom in his second season, having 621 rushing yards and five touchdowns, including his first 100-yard game in Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals.
https://twitter.com/CookemE_/status/2000990402636341525
How does this affect the NFC’s first seed?
Losing Adams would be a huge blow for the Rams, and they’ll need their other playmakers to step up as they’re in a tight race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
A win against the Seahawks this week would give them some breathing room, but a loss could cost them, knocking them down to a Wild-Card team. That would mean the Rams would need Seattle to lose two of their last three to reclaim the division.
Leave a comment