THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams, relatively healthy throughout the course of their upstart season, will now be without their most productive receiver for at least the next two games.
Robert Woods sprained his left shoulder late in Sunday’s 24-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that he is “probably going to be out a couple weeks.”
The Rams hope it’s no more than that, but McVay called the two-week timeline an “optimistic approach.” McVay added “there was a chance” Woods’ shoulder injury could’ve required surgery and jeopardized his season, “but I think we got good, positive news back on that.”
Woods leads the Rams in targets (70), receptions (47) and receiving yards (703), and is tied with Sammy Watkins for the team lead among receivers in touchdowns (four).
McVay called it “a big loss.”
“Clearly from a production standpoint the last couple of weeks, you’re losing a significant player,” McVay said of Woods, who has compiled 16 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns over the past two games. “But I think what he represents, week in and week out, just by the way that he goes about his business, as well. He contributes; he plays like a complete receiver — underneath, intermediate, down the field. That’s a significant loss for us. But there are guys that we do have confidence to step up and fill that void.”
The Rams will have to make up for Woods’ absence “by committee,” McVay said. Watkins and rookie slot receiver Cooper Kupp will probably draw more targets, but the likes of Pharoh Cooper, Josh Reynolds and Mike Thomas could factor in, as well.
Someone else who will probably be a lot more involved is Tavon Austin, the fifth-year Rams receiver who has been used mainly as a backfield decoy and had only two offensive snaps on Sunday.
Austin’s role will now be “a combination” of being a threat out of the backfield and lining up as a traditional receiver, McVay said. Lance Dunbar, a change-of-pace running back, could theoretically replicate what Austin was doing out of the backfield. But Dunbar has been serving as Todd Gurley‘s backup while Malcolm Brown rehabs from an MCL injury.
Woods injured his shoulder with just over two minutes left in Sunday’s game, when he caught a pass across the middle of the field and was brought down by Vikings safety Harrison Smith.
The Rams also lost two cornerbacks on Sunday, with Kayvon Webster in concussion protocol and Nickell Robey-Coleman nursing a thigh injury. That, coupled with Troy Hill‘s hamstring injury, forced the little-used Dominique Hatfield into action, and he was subsequently burned by Vikings receiver Adam Thielen on a 65-yard touchdown.
Hill is expected back this week, but McVay isn’t yet certain about Webster or Robey-Coleman.
The Rams are 7-3 and led the NFC West heading into the Seattle Seahawks‘ Monday Night Football game against the Atlanta Falcons. But they’re facing the toughest portion of their schedule. Los Angeles’ next game will come at home against the 8-2 New Orleans Saints. Before their regular season wraps up, the Rams will also host the 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles and travel to face the 6-4 Tennessee Titans and 6-3 Seahawks.
The Rams rank second in the NFL with an average of 30.3 points per game, but they have also benefited from having all of their offensive starters healthy for each of their first 10 games.
That will now change.
“When guys get injured, that calls for the next man up,” McVay said. “And that’s what you see around the league. We have been fortunate in that manner, that we haven’t had a lot of guys miss games that have been in those starting roles. But it looks like that’s going to end up occurring.”