Following their Week 10 bye, the Rams have eight regular-season games remaining.
As the Rams prepare for Week 11 against the Seahawks and the rest of the regular season, theRams.com has identified five storylines for fans to keep an eye on.
1) Stafford expected to start vs. Seahawks; other reinforcements on the way
On Monday, Rams head coach Sean McVay stated that he expects Matthew Stafford (right thumb), Rob Havenstein (calf), Ernest Jones (knee), and Bobby Brown III (knee) to return this season. McVay stated last week that running back Kyren Williams (ankle) is likely to return in Week 12.
McVay said last week that those returns will allow Los Angeles to play more consistently, like they did earlier this season.
“We’re talking about a lot of significant names that have been big time contributors for us that we have not had,” McVay said on the morning of Nov. 6. “Those guys are very, very important cogs in the big picture.”
Stafford was able to throw in individual drills and grasp the football during Monday’s practice, according to McVay. Stafford is expected to start against the Seahawks on Sunday, according to McVay.
Brown has been on Injured Reserve since Oct. 11 and was designated for return to practice on Monday.
2) A new backup quarterback
During their bye week last week, the Rams dismissed Brett Rypien and signed Carson Wentz.
McVay stated on Monday that bringing in Wentz would be “a chance to upgrade the quarterback room.” They are optimistic about Stafford’s comeback this week, but they welcomed the opportunity to add another experienced player to the mix.
3) Will the starting secondary stay the same?
Leading up to Week 9 against the Packers, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris hinted at possible changes at outside cornerback, and the Rams ended up starting Cobie Durant instead of Derion Kendrick, with Quentin Lake filling in for Durant.
Durant, however, suffered a shoulder injury against the Packers and was replaced by Duke Shelley.
4) Opportunities for other rookies
Speaking of the secondary, McVay was asked by Voice of the Rams J.B. Long on his coach’s program last week about rookies banging on the door with a chance to break into the rotation, and he mentioned Tre Tomlinson and commended his efforts as a special teams player.
McVay also expressed hope that defensive back Jason Taylor II would be released from the injured list at some point.
And, as mentioned in the rookie check-in article, outside linebacker Ochaun Mathis has seen some action at edge and on special teams, so it will be interesting to see whether he sees an increase in playing time over these next eight weeks.
5) Will the Rams get other tight ends involved to help Higbee?
Higbee has been “fighting through a lot of stuff,” according to McVay, and is “playing with something that restricts his hand on his right thumb.” McVay also stated that the Rams were attempting to strike a balance between removing an experienced contributor like Higbee and bringing in players like Brycen Hopkins and Davis Allen.