Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams could be without wide receiver Davante Adams on Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks. While the assumption seems to be that the Rams will be without Adams until the playoffs, according to head coach Sean McVay, the Rams aren’t ruling out Adams for Thursday night’s game.
“After Sunday’s game, Rams coach Sean McVay said Adams was “optimistic” about the injury, but cast doubt on whether the receiver would be able to play on the short week. McVay said Tuesday that the Rams were going to give Adams “every chance” to be able to play in Seattle, adding that the team will take it “all the way up to game time” before making a decision.”
Adams was initially seen as being out until the playoffs, but his status has since moved to week-to-week. That’s certainly a positive for the Rams wide receiver. Still, given that the injury was something that Adams re-aggravated, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams play it safe with Adams. They will need him to be 100 percent for the playoffs.
McVay keeping Adams’ availability open appears to be a mental game to force the Seahawks to prepare as if the Rams will have Adams on the field on Thursday night. However, if he does play, it would likely be in a limited capacity.
If Adams does miss time, especially on Thursday, the question becomes who replaces Adams. At the end of the day, there isn’t a one-for-one swap for Adams. The Rams rank third in red zone scoring this season, and that is in large part because of Adams. McVay’s offenses have consistently struggled in the red zone. Only in 2019 and 2023 did the Rams rank inside the top-10 in red zone touchdown percentage. Again, the Rams are third heading into Week 16.
As fun as the idea of bringing back Odell Beckham Jr. in a limited capacity would be, it’s not something that’s going to happen at this stage. The Rams are rightfully happy with their receiving room and it’s time for the depth to step up.
The Rams have been a heavy 13-personnel team since Week 7. By utilizing three tight ends, the Rams primarily have just one wide receiver on the field at a given time. That adds importance to the tight end position and both Ferguson and Parkinson have played well in recent weeks. Following Adams’ injury, Parkinson had one catch for 11 yards and a touchdown. With that said, the Rams did utilize Parkinson out wide on the perimeter against the Lions. He’s shown that he can win in that spot. He’s also made key plays in the red zone. After Adams, Parkinson and Nacua are tied for second on the team with six touchdowns.
Similarly, this is where Terrance Ferguson could be utilized as well. The Rams have tried to get Ferguson involved in the offense. Unfortunately, Stafford and the Rams rookie simply...
