How Once Injury-Ridden Rams Now Have Very Little Standing In Their Way

The Los Angeles Rams are going into Sunday against the New York Jets healthier than they have been the entire season. With most of their roster ready to go, is there much in the Rams' way?

Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) celebrates his touchdown scored against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams are squaring up against the New York Jets at 10 a.m. PST on Sunday, Dec. 22, hoping to secure another road game and inch the wins in their record up by one. The Rams are currently 8-6 and their playoff chances have increased exponentially.

The team has won four out of their last five games and seven out of their last nine, a complete turnaround from their first five weeks, where they went 1-4.

The beginning of the season saw a team that was plagued with injuries, causing them to lose some valuable players, such as Rams tight end Tyler Higbee and receiver Puka Nacua. Receiver Cooper Kupp went down early in the season with an ankle injury, costing the Rams some games.

Going into November, though, Nacua and Kupp returned to the field. Meanwhile, Higbee remained on injury reserve, and eventually, cornerback Cobie Durant joined him, another defensive loss for the team after Derion Kendrick and Darious Williams went down as well.

However, as the Rams prepare for their road game against the New York Jets on Sunday, the team now has the depth that they didn’t have at the start of their journey — Higbee is back, Durant is back and the team is as deep as ever, which they will need going into this match.

“There are still three games left. All we can play is this one game, finish up [practice] today the right way, and be ready to go on Sunday against a team that's playing really well,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Friday.

“Their record is not in the least bit reflective of what a quality football team this is, what a quality coaching staff they have in regards to the problems they present, the schemes, and the way they put these guys in the right spots. We’re excited about it, but it is great to be able to have these guys healthy,” he finished.

In the absence of some of the Rams’ more utilized players, hidden gems have certainly stepped up, showcasing the true depth that the team has going into their final games of the season.

From receivers like Tutu Atwell to veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who was brought back after Durant was injured, the Rams have more than the big names to rely on going into the weekend.

“Some of the continuity that we’ve been able to establish or a lot of the young guys being able to accumulate that experience has been so beneficial for us. They’ve put themselves in a position to be able to play meaningful football in the month of December, which is all you can really ask for and what you want,” McVay said.

Frankly, the Rams need to bring home this win against the Jets to continue their path as playoff hopefuls. And walking in with the most healthy squad they have had this season, they can definitely pull it off.

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