The Los Angeles Rams were down several key players in their loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football as wide receiver Davante Adams, right guard Kevin Dotson and left tackle Alaric Jackson did not suit up.
The team was also without right tackle Rob Havenstein and tight end Tyler Higbee, who remain on injured reserve.
Some reinforcements could be on the way as the Rams designated Higbee to return on Wednesday, opening his 21-day practice window. L.A. now has three weeks to activate him or he will remain on IR for the rest of the season.
Higbee could potentially play against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18, but even if he doesn’t, Rams head coach Sean McVay is confident the 33-year-old will be back for the playoffs, via Wyatt Miller of TheRams.com:
Rams head coach Sean McVay said that tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle) returned to practice on Wednesday, but his status is still up in the air for the Rams’ Week 18 game against Arizona.
“We’ll see how the week progresses,” McVay said. “If he is able to go, it’ll be great to be able to get him some snaps before the playoffs end up starting, and if he’s not, then we’ll hope that the playoffs will represent for sure him being ready to go.”
Higbee has missed the last six games due to an ankle injury. He has caught 20 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns this season.
With Higbee sidelined, the Rams have leaned heavily on their other tight ends in 13 personnel formations. Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson have all benefited with more playing time.
Sean McVay: Rams starters will play in regular-season finale
Unlike the previous two seasons when they rested key starters in the regular-season finale, the Rams plan to have all of their healthy players suit up against the Cardinals.
“Oh, we’re playing. They’re playing,” head coach Sean McVay said after the team’s loss to the Falcons.
When asked if the Rams’ poor stretch had anything to do with his decision, McVay said he always envisioned the starters playing against the Cardinals.
“They were going to play anyways,” McVay said. “We need to play. We need to play better football. I don’t know what the consequences are as far as those different types of things, but we’ve got to play better.”
It’s hard to fault McVay for wanting to play the starters in the Rams’ final game of the regular season against the Cardinals as the team simply hasn’t played up to standards these past two weeks.
What isn’t clear yet is whether the Rams starters will be on a snap count or if they will play the full game. The former seems to be the more likely scenario, especially if L.A. jumps out to a big lead over the Cardinals or the San Francisco 49ers defeat the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday in a game that will decide the NFC West winner.