It’s never easy losing a starter to injury, especially one that will keep him out multiple weeks. The Los Angeles Rams will get a taste of that in the next three weeks after placing Darious Williams on injured reserve Tuesday.
Williams sprained his ankle in the Rams’ win over the Seahawks in Week 5 and will now miss at least the next three games. Sean McVay didn’t make it seem like his absence will stretch longer than three weeks, but even being without Williams for that long will be tough.
The silver lining is that the next three weeks make up the easiest part of the Rams’ schedule. Here are their upcoming opponents and their records this season.
- Giants: 1-4
- Lions: 0-5
- Texans: 1-4
The Giants have actually been decent throwing the ball with Daniel Jones this season, ranking eighth in passing yads and sixth in net yards per attempt. But Jones may not be on the field Sunday afternoon after he suffered a concussion in Week 5 against the Cowboys.
Kenny Golladay isn’t expected to play this week, either, leaving the Giants without one of their top playmakers. That makes covering their receivers a much easier task for the Rams.
The Lions, led by Jared Goff, aren’t a very threatening passing attack. They’re just 23rd in passing yards and 29th in net yards per attempt, with Goff throwing seven touchdown passes and three picks. The Rams shouldn’t have much trouble covering Detroit’s wideouts, even without Williams.
Then there are the Texans, who could have Tyrod Taylor back by Week 8. But between Taylor and Davis Mills, Houston is 28th in passing yards and 18th in net yards per attempt – not exactly impressive numbers. Brandin Cooks is a playmaker for the Texans, but they have no true No. 2 receiver; Cooks has 44 targets, and David Johnson ranks second on the team with 16.
The Rams would rather not go three weeks without their second-best corner, but if Williams were to miss time, there’s no better stretch than the upcoming three games.
So long as Robert Rochell and David Long Jr. can step up and play relatively well in the next month or so, the Rams will be just fine. They’re still expected to go 3-0 in their next three games against these weaker opponents.
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