Rams Announce Bad News Before Facing Buccaneers on ‘Sunday Night Football’
The Los Angeles Rams had plenty of roster items to address before they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 12, including with 2021 Super Bowl champions
They joined versatile veteran safety Quentin Lake on injured reserve. There remains hope for all three players. Still, these are significant blows to a Rams team gearing up for a postseason run.
The reality is that the Rams will miss all three players on the field.
Rams Lose Super Bowl Champions to Injured Reserve
GettyRob Havenstein #79 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during the game against the
It was an ominously busy day for the Rams. They placed Lake on IR with the elbow injury that he picked up in Week 11 against the
The Rams ruled Higbee, who exited early in Week 12, questionable in the third quarter.
He never returned, though. Meanwhile, Havenstein finished the contest, and Rams head coach Sean McVay did not mention him during his day-after press conference injury updates.
McVay said that Havenstein’s issues are an accumulation of ankle and knee issues from the wear and tear of a season. Havenstein and Higbee have already missed time due to injuries. The Rams have already played and won games without the veterans.
That leaves them in a better position than it might otherwise seem.
Rams Youngsters Must Step Up
The Rams are equipped to withstand the loss of Havenstein and Higbee, arguably better than they are to replace Lake, whose status McVay said they would continue monitoring as he recovers from a dislocated elbow. None of the three can return until Week 16 against the Seahawks.
LA will turn to former fifth-round draft pick (2023) Warren McClendon in Havenstein’s place. McClendon has already started three games this season.
The Rams will likely rely on a platoon to replace Higbee, just as they did with him healthy.
Veterans Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen could lead the way. However, the Rams had seen rookie second-round pick Terrance Feguson become more involved in the offense before a step back in Week 11.
One thing the Rams cannot replace, no matter how well the fill-in starters perform, is the loss of leadership on the field in all three of Havenstein, Higbee, and Lake.
Rams HC Sean McVay Gets Honest About Losing Key Trio
GettyLos Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks on before a game against the Indianapolis Colts.
McVay did not mince words about what the Rams would miss without Havenstein, Higbee, and Lake, and what they expect of the players who replace those three.
“No. 1, those guys are going to be here. They’re going to continue to uplift and elevate those guys. There is a lot of guys that we have confidence in. You don’t replace players like that; You don’t expect others to be able to do that. You expect the guys that are getting opportunities to step up to be the best versions of themselves. And this is something that you deal with, and it’s an unfortunate – it’s one of my least favorite parts of this business,”
“They’ll still be here. They’ll still be able to affect and influence things in a positive way. And even though I know all three of those guys would be chomping at the bit to be out there, they’re everything that’s right about this place, and they’ll contribute in their own ways.”
Despite that, on the field, the Rams will miss their injured vets.
“Those are tough losses,” McVay said. “But you look around this league, and we’ve had to deal with things like this before. And there is a lot of confidence from the guys that have been asked to do different things that’ll be elevated to be able to go deliver, and play to the best of their ability. Not try to be Q, not try to be Rob, not try to be Higs. But be the best versions of themselves, and that’s what we’ll do.”
Dolphins’ draft slide might actually save them from a major mistake
The Miami Dolphins were sitting nicely with a top-five draft pick, but back-to-back wins have dropped them to 11th in the latest order. Fans are not happy, but there is a silver lining they are not thinking about and should be.
When teams typically draft that high, it's because they have a quarterback issue. It is safe to argue that the Dolphins do indeed have one of those with Tua Tagovailoa
The problem, however, is that there are no elite quarterbacks in this year's upcoming class.
If the Dolphins end the season with a top-five draft pick, they will be under pressure to draft a quarterback who will eventually replace Tagovailoa. If they stay outside of the top five, the next GM is going to be able to start building his roster the way he wants.
Dolphins are avoiding the pressure to overdraft a quarterback that may not be their answer
We can't be certain who will be making the draft decisions next April, but given the contract of Tagovailoa and the unlikely interest in trading him, Miami is going to need players at other positions they can build around.
Miami has gaping holes in the secondary, and drafting a top cornerback makes sense, but so does fixing the offensive line. Chris Grier failed to deliver quality picks throughout his nine years with the Dolphins. The ones he did hit on, he let leave in free agency rather than pay them.
The next GM is going to have their own vision, but hopefully not the same results. If they want to beef up the interior offensive line, fans will be ecstatic, even if it means they don't have a new franchise QB to root for.
Being put in a position where they almost have to take a player at a position simply because that's what the pressure tells them to do is immediately starting on the wrong foot. Mid-round draft picks may not have been Grier's forte, and it may not be the next GMs either, but it might be much easier to trust that person with a lower pick than watch them waste a top one simply because they feel they have to go quarterback.
