Although the Los Angeles Rams’ receiving corps was shorthanded without Gerald Everett, Tyler Higbee managed to fill the void quite nicely during the win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.
Rams head coach Sean McVay has seemingly put an emphasis on getting the tight ends more involved in the passing game. While Higbee may be the starter, Everett has largely served as the more prolific receiving option in the 2019 NFL season.
Fortunately, Higbee was still able to show off his prowess as a pass-catcher with seven receptions for a career-high 107 yards and a touchdown in the 34-7 win over Arizona. It is safe to say that his performance did not go unnoticed by the coaching staff.
McVay shared plenty of praise for Higbee’s skill set as a complete tight end during his postgame press conference:
“He just made plays, capitalizing on his opportunities. He’s a complete player, you could see how capable he is as a run-blocker and then when he gets his opportunities, he shows up in the passing game. A lot of YAC yards he ended up making, big third down where he comes on a crossing route, made a couple of plays on the play-action game, so he was outstanding. He showed why he’s a true, complete tight end today.
While there may have been some doubts about Higbee’s versatility, he certainly managed to show signs of becoming a complete tight end against Arizona. The onus will fall on him to prove that he is capable of producing on a consistent level.
There is no question that Higbee shares quite a rapport with quarterback Jared Goff both on and off the field. It is clear that their chemistry has paid huge dividends for when Goff is looking for a safety net underneath in the passing game, but it is up to Higbee to show up with that mentality every week.
Even if Higbee is able to continue improving in both areas, his targets will likely always be capped by Everett’s presence. After all, the latter has enjoyed his fair share of breakout performances this season as well.
Regardless, having too many weapons for Goff is a good problem to have, especially during times where one of them may be injured. It will be interesting to see if Higbee can follow up with another stellar performance if Everett is absent for the Rams’ Sunday Night Football showdown with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14.
