The Los Angeles Rams headed into FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland this past weekend slightly shorthanded. Starting right guard Austin Blythe and tight end Tyler Higbee both missed the 20-13 win over the Browns with injuries.
Both players suffered injuries during the Rams home opener against the New Orleans Saints. Blythe incurred a sprained ankle while Higbee ended up with a bruised lung.
Although neither player is fully ready for action, head coach Sean McVay is hopeful that both players will be ready for the Rams’ Week 4 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, via TheRams.com:
“They’re both making good progress,” McVay said during his Monday evening press conference. “They’ll still be day-to-day, but the anticipation and hope is they’ll be able to play this week.”
Signs indicate that Blythe might return before Higbee. Blythe got in a limited practice last Friday, while Higbee did not practice at all.
In their place, Gerald Everett filled in at tight end while Jamil Demby took on the right guard spot, his first career start. Everett had a decent game, hauling in two receptions for 15 yards. Rams quartervack Jared Goff typically favors his receivers over his tight ends, which is tough to argue against with guys like Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Brandin Cooks manning those spots.
While Demby has been good for the team in his limited playing time, McVay wants to get his regular seven lineman back together as soon as possible. Cohesion amongst the offensive line should help to keep Goff better protected as he has already been sacked two more times than he was at this time last year.
Despite being shorthanded against the Browns, McVay reported that no additional injuries came out of that game:
“We came away pretty clean,” McVay said. “Nothing different than just the typical bumps and bruises, but guys are feeling good.”
The Rams stayed mostly healthy throughout the course of the 2018 season and so far in 2019, they haven’t had any season-ending injuries to key players. The hope is to keep it that way, which is why none of the starters played in the preseason and some guys are having their workloads managed throughout the regular season.
