Five Spot: Andrew Whitworth could be back for Rams postseason run

Veteran left tackle ahead of schedule in rehab from left knee injury

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Some news and notes on the Los Angeles Rams as they host the New York Jets in Week 15.

1. In the video, Andrew Whitworth is doing pass blocking drills just a month removed from tearing the PCL and MCL in his left knee.

Whitworth, who turned 39 years old last week, is ahead of schedule in his possible return to the field.

According to Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, Whitworth could be back for his team’s regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 3, but more realistically will return for the playoffs.

While working his way onto the field, Whitworth also has done some impressive things off of it, evidenced by his Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination by the Rams.

“Andrew is doing great,” McVay said. “He continues to amaze me. He’s somebody we could potentially really push to have him play whether it’s the Cardinals game or next week. But I think the most important thing is, let’s take it a day at a time.

“If we’re fortunate enough to get an opportunity to play after the regular season, I think that’s the goal, but nothing's guaranteed for us. We haven’t done anything yet. I think he could really push it, but the goal is when Andrew comes back to be the Andrew Whitworth that we know. If you said, what does that look like? I think you could really push it and maybe say the last game against Arizona. But I think what would be more ideal is if we get an opportunity to play after the regular season, seeing him in that first game.”

Checkin’ in on Big Whit 👀#WPMOYChallenge + Whitworth pic.twitter.com/35OEWaUWDT

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 18, 2020

Joe Noteboom has done a nice job replacing Whitworth at left tackle. The Rams are 3-1 in Whitworth’s absence, showing how much quality depth they have along the offensive line. L.A. has used just three different offensive line combinations and started six players up front this season, as the offensive line has been a strength for this year’s team.

However, Whitworth was having a Pro Bowl-caliber season before his injury and his return to the field will make the offensive line better as the Rams try to make another deep postseason run.

2. Rookie Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson will take the field for the first time when father, New York Jets receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, is on the opposing sideline.

The younger Jefferson said Sunday will be the culmination of a lot of hard work with his father over the years to get to this point where he’s on an NFL field.

Shawn Jefferson played 13 years in the NFL, including stops with the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions. He finished with 470 career receptions for 7,023 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns.

“I think my dad’s going to be happy,” Van Jefferson said, when asked how his father will react to seeing him on the field Sunday. “But my dad is not an emotional type of person. I think he’s just happy that I’m out there and I’ve achieved one of my goals in life.

“I think this is what we both expected. This has been a goal of mine since I’ve been a kid. He knew that, and he supported my dream.”

3. For now, the Rams are not interested in creating a playoff bubble, should they make the postseason.

The NFL recently announced that teams may not require players or staff to stay in a hotel, except the day before a game. The plan for the league remains for higher seeds to host games at their home stadiums.

Still, with the spike in COVID-19 cases nationally and California a hot spot in the country, McVay said the organization considered creating a bubble for their players.

“There’s certainly a thought,” McVay said. “But then to be able to activate a plan like that, I think it is really important, the mental health of it, enabling players to still be able to feel like, all right, how much normalcy in a very non-normal time can we have them still go home and be with their families and come back?

“I think they’re making good decisions. When you really learn about some of the instances and incidents that we’ve had, it’s not because our guys aren’t doing good things, making sound decisions off the field and trust our players. I trust what they’re doing, I trust our group. I think we want to try to keep it as normal as possible, while not being naive to the fact that this is a volatile thing. I certainly have had my eyes open to that within the last couple of days, especially.”

4. They said it: “Their coverages, these guys are as tight as you can ask DBs to be on. They're phenomenal as far as when that ball is thrown, they’re breaking on the ball, they are making a lot of plays on the football, they're creating turnovers. It just seems like a group playing violent, playing aggressive and creating chaos for the opposing offense.” – New York Jets head coach Adam Gase on how the Rams are playing defensively.

5. Did you know: Aaron Donald’s 84.5 career sacks ranks second in team history, trailing Leonard Little (87.5) by three sacks for tops on the all-time list in franchise history.