After the Los Angeles Rams missed 19 tackles in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, one thing became very clear: they miss Ernest Jones. It’s rare for a rookie linebacker to be missed the way Jones was on Sunday, but they really could’ve used him in the middle of the defense.
Troy Reeder missed two tackles and Travin Howard missed one himself, too, but there were whiffs all over the field for Los Angeles.
The Rams will have to clean that area up for Monday’s game against the Cardinals, but unfortunately, Jones won’t be there to help. Sean McVay told reporters that while there’s a chance Jones could still return from IR in the playoffs, it won’t be this week.
“Yeah, there’s a chance later on if we’re able to continue to advance,” he said. “It won’t be something that would be potential for this week, but if we’re fortunate enough to handle our business, then that could be a conversation that’s revisited whether it’s the following week or the week after.”
Jones was playing well before suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 16 against the Vikings. He made 53 total tackles in his last eight games since taking over as a starter, also picking off two passes and sacking the quarterback once.
He became an important player on defense despite only being a rookie, which is why the Rams hope to get him back sooner rather than later.
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