Although the Los Angeles Rams were able to pull out a win against the Carolina Panthers in the 2019 NFL season opener, they took their fair share of hits on the defensive side of the ball.
The most notable was that of safety Eric Weddle, who was forced to exit the game after taking a knee to the side of the helmet from running back Christian McCaffrey that left him bleeding. He is not the only key piece dealing with some bumps and bruises this week.
Defensive end Michael Brockers and outside linebacker Clay Matthews had been listed on the initial injury report while nursing their respective injuries heading into Week 2. Fortunately, head coach Sean McVay does not appear to be too concerned about their status.
According to ESPN’s Lindsay Thiry, McVay is hopeful that they will both be available to play against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon:
Sean McVay said Thursday that he’s “optimistic” that DE Michael Brockers (Shoulder) and OLB Clay Matthews (Back) will be available Sunday against the Saints.
McVay has since strongly indicated that Weddle’s status against the Saints will not be in jeopardy. It appears the same can be said for both Brockers and Matthews.
This is certainly an encouraging update for Los Angeles as they get set to host a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game. They will need all the help they can get in order to try and contain the high-powered Saints’ offense that is coming to town.
There had been plenty of concern regarding the state of the linebacker corps coming into the season. However, they were able to come up big in the victory against the Panthers thanks to the efforts of Matthews and Cory Littleton. The veteran was extremely active in his Rams debut after finishing with three combined tackles and a sack while Littlton’s knack for making plays helped secure the win.
Brockers had a much tougher time getting to the quarterback after registering just two tackles in the game. Regardless, his experience in dealing with this Saints’ front could pay huge dividends for the defense in Week 2.
Quarterback Drew Brees managed to show once again why he is one of the NFL’s elite after willing his team to a last-second victory against the Houston Texans. The Rams will need to find a way to generate plenty of pressure if they hope to make Brees feel uncomfortable in this star-studded showdown.
