The current focus for the Los Angeles Rams is getting all of their key players healthy for the playoffs, and they now have one more injury to monitor with Kevin Dotson.
The right guard sprained his ankle early in the Week 16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and was not able to return to the game. It appeared that Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall stepped on his foot, which led to a one-game suspension by the league.
Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed that Dotson actually hurt his ankle earlier in the play, but his status is now in jeopardy for Week 17, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Rams head coach Sean McVay on Friday said offensive lineman Kevin Dotson sustained an ankle sprain in the team’s Thursday Night Football loss to the Seahawks.
That injury occurred in the first quarter of Thursday night’s game at Lumen Field in Seattle. Dotson did not return after being carted back to the locker room.
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall stomped on Dotson while Dotson was down on the ground – an act for which the NFL announced it suspended Hall one game without pay – and while McVay said the injury occurred before Hall’s act, “it certainly didn’t help the matters and it was definitely not stuff we want in our game.”
McVay said Dotson’s status will “be possibly in doubt for the Falcons game.”
The good news is that Dotson appears to have avoided a serious injury that would keep him out of the playoffs. Considering the Rams played on Thursday Night Football and don’t play again until they travel to take on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 17, Dotson has around 10 days to see if he can get his ankle right.
L.A. has already locked up a playoff spot though and after losing in Seattle seem unlikely to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. With that, the Rams will be cautious and make sure Dotson is 100% healthy before returning to avoid it becoming a more serious issue.
If Dotson is unable to play in Week 17 then Justin Dedich, who has filled in admirably for injured lineman all year, would get another start at right guard.
Rams’ Davante Adams could miss another week
Another key Rams player dealing with an injury is Davante Adams, who sat out in Week 16 against the Seahawks with a strained hamstring. Similar to Dotson, the Rams will be cautious with Adams as he is unlikely to play in Week 17 as well.
