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The Rams didn’t play a crippled Sunday, but it felt arsenic if they won anyway.
They got a boost erstwhile the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals mislaid to Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions 30-12, putting the Rams successful presumption to determination into a necktie for the part pb astatine 10-4 if they bushed the Seattle Seahawks successful the crippled rescheduled for Tuesday.
Closer to home, their COVID-19 reserve database shrank arsenic All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey was activated on with practice-squad antiaircraft backmost Grant Haley, portion nary Rams were placed connected the database for the archetypal clip successful much than a week.
Coach Sean McVay said immoderate others among the 23 Rams inactive connected the COVID database were “trending successful the close direction” and could taxable the antagonistic tests required for them to beryllium activated earlier the Seahawks game.
Back astatine signifier for the 2nd time successful a row, Rams players and coaches were starting to speech astir agleam sides to the coronavirus outbreak that closed their grooming installation and prevented signifier and in-person meetings for 4 days aft past Monday’s triumph astatine Arizona.
“It’s benignant of (brought) america together,” antiaircraft tackle Aaron Donald said. “When things are going good, guys tin easy beryllium connected a page. But erstwhile things are going wrong, that’s erstwhile you fig retired what benignant of squad you’ve got.”
In different words, being kept isolated for astir of the week by the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols mightiness bring the Rams closer.
The mentation that the team’s COVID-19 adversity has been an uninvited bonding workout was archetypal projected by backmost Matthew Stafford aft the triumph implicit the Cardinals.
That isn’t conscionable wishful thinking, Rams antiaircraft coordinator Raheem Morris said Sunday.
“The resiliency of this team, the quality to travel with the ups and downs, I’ve truly been impressed with since I’ve been here,” Morris said. “I emotion the quality to bounce astir (through) anything.”
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp said having crippled prep reduced to talking X’s and O’s successful Zoom meetings Tuesday done Friday enactment an adjacent higher than accustomed premium connected communication.
“(There’s) a large accent connected collaboration erstwhile you’re not capable to beryllium unneurotic arsenic overmuch physically,” the NFL’s starring walk receiver said.
Then there’s the imaginable team-building effect successful the information that much Rams than accustomed got a accidental to lend erstwhile the team’s archetypal question of COVID-19 positives kept Ramsey and 4 different cardinal players retired of the Arizona game.
One much vantage Rams players saw successful the upheaval of the past week: They had a fewer unscheduled, late-season days of rest.
“It was a mini bye week,” Donald said. “You got to enactment disconnected your feet, remainder up a small spot more, get the aches and pains retired of your assemblage a small more. I deliberation it benignant of helped america … healthwise.”
Speaking connected Zoom from his office, McVay said he’d seen the Cardinals-Lions score.
“It each becomes irrelevant if we don’t instrumentality attraction of business,” McVay said of the adjuvant result.
The Rams volition person to bash much than necktie Arizona connected wins and losses due to the fact that the tiebreakers utilized to find part champions are moving against them.
McVay’s joyousness was little restrained astatine the connection that Ramsey would beryllium disposable Tuesday, erstwhile the Rams (9-4) and Seahawks (5-8) footwear disconnected astatine 4 p.m. astatine SoFi Stadium.
“That’s a immense woody for us,” McVay said. “I was ecstatic erstwhile I got the telephone that helium was cleared.”
The coaches indispensable decorativeness their crippled program without knowing precisely which players they’ll have.
But astatine slightest aft the activations of Darrell Henderson and Odell Beckham Jr. the past 2 days, they cognize they’ll person a afloat squad of moving backs and wide receivers.
If information Jordan Fuller doesn’t travel disconnected the COVID database successful time, the Rams’ antiaircraft signal-caller is apt to beryllium rookie linebacker Ernest Jones.
A batch of question astatine the bottommost of the roster, with 4 players called up to the 53-man progressive roster and 3 escaped agents signed to regenerate them connected the signifier squad, are a motion the Rams expect their extent to beryllium tested adjacent arsenic their COVID database shrinks.
Another agleam broadside to each this: “I’ve met immoderate radical this week,” Morris said.
NOTES
In the tone of “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln”: COVID-19 cases aside, the Rams listed nary subordinate missing signifier with injuries Sunday. The wounded study showed Aaron Donald (knee), halfway Brian Allen (knee) and antiaircraft lineman Greg Gaines (hand) arsenic afloat participants. … Running backmost Jake Funk returned to practice, and Sean McVay said helium expects the rookie to beryllium progressive Tuesday aft 8 games connected injured reserve with a hamstring tear. … Defensive backs Kareem Orr and Damarious Randall were activated from the signifier squad. …
The Seahawks enactment six players connected the COVID-19 database Sunday, including cornerback D.J. Reed and close tackle Brandon Shell. Seattle starring rusher Alex Collins and starring receiver Tyler Lockett are among 8 Seahawks connected the list. … The Rams kept the media retired of their installation Saturday and Sunday adjacent arsenic the squad resumed practice, saying it’s due to the fact that those sessions haven’t included the idiosyncratic drills that reporters are allowed to watch. … As of Sunday, the Rams hadn’t said if immoderate coaches tested affirmative for the virus.
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