The Los Angeles Rams were humbled in a 37-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football that dropped them back under .500 for the season.
The Rams were hoping to get back starting right tackle Rob Havenstein for the matchup, but he missed a third consecutive game due to an ankle injury.
The 32-year-old’s void was felt as the Rams offensive line struggled to contain the Eagles’ pass rush, leading to Matthew Stafford getting sacked five times.
Head coach Sean McVay provided some positive updates as Havenstein is on track to play in Week 13, while Tyler Higbee will return to practice this week, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Sean McVay says they'll see how practice goes, but OL Rob Havenstein is "trending" toward returning against the Saints this week.
TE Tyler Higbee will return to practice this week, but McVay indicated it's unlikely he's available for Saints game.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) November 26, 2024
If Havenstein returns on Sunday as expected, the Rams’ offensive line will be at full strength for the first time this season. Steve Avila was recently reinstated from injured reserve, joining Alaric Jackson and Kevin Dotson as key holdovers from last year.
As for Higbee, he is getting closer to playing in his first game since tearing his ACL and MCL during the Rams’ playoff loss to the Detroit Lions last January.
The nine-year tight end out of Western Kentucky would give Stafford another option in the passing game, along with Pro Bowl wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, and running back Kyren Williams.
While Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Hunter Long have tried their best to fill in for Higbee, none of them are the receiving threats that he can be for the Rams when healthy.
Sean McVay: Rams will ‘come back swinging’ after ‘humbling’ loss to Eagles
The Rams’ margin for error moving forward is very thin, but they are still very much in the NFC West postseason mix. They will look to bounce back in a road matchup against the struggling New Orleans Saints.
“Yeah, exactly that. You get yourself up off the mat. You look at the things that we can control, you look at the things that we can correct, and you just go back to work,” McVay said.
“I don’t know any other way to go about it other than to say, ‘Tonight it didn’t go down for us and there are a lot of reasons for it.’ You do give Philadelphia the credit that they deserve. But we’re going to come back swinging. I know that much.”
