After losing to the Miami Dolphins in Week 11 despite being up 10-0 late in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said last week that some changes would be made on the offensive side of the ball for their Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints.
The change that ended up happening was that they decided to give starting left tackle Greg Robinson a break, as he was inactive for the game despite not being injured.
Robinson, who the Rams drafted second overall out of Auburn in 2014, had started 35 consecutive games for the Rams at left tackle before the break.
He has struggled a bit with penalties this season though, so Fisher felt a week off to regroup could help the 24-year-old.
According to Myles Simmons of TheRams.com, Robinson will return to his starting spot this Sunday against the New England Patriots:
“Guys, sometimes in their career, need a break,” Fisher said Monday. “I know he refocused, he recharged, he rebooted and he’s ready to go.”
Robinson was not bitter about being bench last season, as he said he used the break to the best of his ability:
“It was the decision they made, and all I can do is just accept it. And it wasn’t like I could tell them, ‘No, I’m not sitting down,’” Robinson said after Wednesday’s practice. “So, if it was smart for him to allow me to take a break, I feel like I used it to the best of my ability, and just accepted what was at task, and just tried to move on.”
The game was in Robinson’s hometown of New Orleans though, so it couldn’t have been easy for Robinson to watch the game in street clothes while 50 of his family members were there to see him play.
It must have been even more difficult for him when his replacement at left tackle, Rodger Saffold went down with an injury in the second quarter but Robinson could not go in to replace him.
Fisher may have been smart to give Robinson a break though as his 28 penalties over the last two seasons are the most in football.
