After starting the season off 3-0, the Los Angeles Rams have suffered a bit of a setback by losing back-to-back games to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams put up a solid performance against the Seahawks considering it was a road game on a short week, but it was not enough as Greg Zuerlein missed a potential game-winning field goal attempt, resulting in a 30-29 loss.
Not only did the Rams lose the game, but they also lost a couple of key players due to injury. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was the noticeable one as he left in the fourth quarter due to a head injury after making a circus catch and is now in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
It appears that Clay Matthews was also injured as head coach Sean McVay revealed on Friday that he suffered a broken jaw after being kicked in the face by Seahawks running back Chris Carson and is expected to miss a month of action, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Rams HC Sean McVay said LB Clay Matthews broke his jaw as he was trying to make a tackle on Seahawks RB Chris Carson toward the end of the game and will need surgery.
“He’s going to be out for an extended period of time.” Not certain how long, but it will be at least a month.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) October 4, 2019
The news comes at a rough time considering not only has the Rams defense struggled their last couple of games, but Matthews has been one of their best players so far this season.
Los Angeles signed Matthews this past offseason after he spent 10 years with the Green Bay Packers, being named a Pro Bowler six times. He appeared rejuvenated being back home in Southern California, recording a team-high six sacks in the first five games of the season. Matthews also has 19 total tackles, including seven for loss, and two forced fumbles.
While Matthews is out, Samson Ebukam is expected to see a majority of the time at outside linebacker in his place. Other players will need to step up as well if the Rams defense wants to get back on track and play how they did to start the season.
