With Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson out for the remainder of the 2022 season, head coach Sean McVay has gotten a better look at the Los Angeles Rams’ younger receivers.
In the win against the Las Vegas Raiders, it was Ben Skowronek who came to the rescue with a big day receiving. Skowronek recorded career-highs in both receiving yards and receptions, going for seven catches and 89 yards.
His biggest play of the night came in the fourth quarter during what would be the game-winning drive where he came down with a contested ball over a defender. The wideout broke down what he was thinking during the play ,via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“Catch the ball, I guess,” Skowronek said, when asked what was going through his mind as he was completing the play. “It’s something I’ve done my whole life playing receiver, being able to win those contested catches, deep balls, stuff like that. I haven’t been able to do it so much in the NFL yet, so it feels great, but at the end of day, it was like, ‘make a play.’ There’s no other option but to make a play.”
Alongside Skowronek, head coach Sean McVay also discussed what he’s seen from Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell:
“I think just confidence, I think getting opportunities,” said Rams head coach Sean McVay, when asked what he’s seen from Jefferson, Skowronek and Tutu Atwell over the last two weeks. “You watch Van, has always been a guy that’s produced and made a lot of big plays and key moments for us going back the last couple years. But I think him getting comfortable playing like the guy that we know after just kind of returning from the injury. Tutu, it’s awesome to watch his growth and maturation and his comfort and confidence and his play swagger and same thing with Ben. He got into a rhythm, he made a couple key critical catches, thought the third down that almost got us down in a scoring position when we turned it over was huge, but he really was able to capitalize on that momentum and confidence is a powerful thing and it can compound quickly, and I think that’s what you’re seeing from those guys.”
The trio of young receivers came up with plays when the team needed them most, which bodes well for them heading into next season. The Rams may not make the playoffs, but they can at least create some positive momentum heading into the offseason.
