The 2019 NFL season has taken a tumultuous turn for the Los Angeles Rams following their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6.
The Rams are now in the midst of a three-game losing streak while dealing with a number of key injuries on both sides of the ball. The defense was already dealt a significant blow with linebacker Clay Matthews out for a month.
Cornerback Aqib Talib has now been placed on injured reserve with a rib injury and will need to miss at least eight weeks before he is able to return. Meanwhile, left guard Joseph Noteboom has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee.
It is safe to say that these are hardly ideal circumstances for a potential resurgence. Regardless, head coach Sean McVay knows this team will have its work cut out moving forward.
McVay acknowledged the recent turn of events and multitude of injuries as simply another challenge for the Rams to overcome, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website
“It’s been unfortunate, but it is something that a lot of teams have to deal with,” McVay said. “We’re certainly not going to make any excuses.”
McVay also addressed the prospect of Los Angeles potentially looking to bring in outside help near the trade deadline:
“Those are things that (GM) Les (Snead) and I would discuss,” said McVay, when asked if the injuries at offensive line and cornerback will make the Rams more aggressive than they would’ve been with the deadline approaching. “Really, if we felt like it was somebody that in the short-term, but then also you have a long-term perspective on, would help us, those are things that we’re always looking into. (Les) does a great job of having a pulse for the entirety of the league and guys that might be available.
“But when I say that, I don’t think we’re looking outside to fill that void immediately. We’re looking, really, potentially outside for guys that would come in and bring maybe veteran depth, not come in and play.”
McVay’s comments indicate that the Rams are still hoping to get plenty of bang for their buck and are not trying to spend more than they need to for simply an immediate solution. Regardless, there is no question that Los Angeles will need to make some serious adjustments if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.
They already started that process on Tuesday when they made two separate trades, first acquiring offensive lineman Austin Corbett from the Cleveland Browns, and then trading cornerback Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens for linebacker Kenny Young. The moves saved the Rams some cap space, so there may be more moves coming in the near future.
