WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Between the raucous primetime crowd and the suddenness in which he had to enter the game, it's understandable that Rams rookie offensive lineman Beaux Limmer had some nerves.
"Beaux Limmer's first snap was a little high and hot, but he had some juice, which I can imagine," quarterback Matthew Stafford said postgame Sunday, smiling. "First snap in the NFL, pistol (formation) on the road, here we go, we handled it. The rest of the day was smooth operating."
"It's unbelievable," Limmer told theRams.com. "I mean, it's definitely the craziest crowd I've ever been a part of. So going into that first snap, definitely nerves were elevated more than more than usual, but after the first snap it's just football."
Fortunately for Limmer, he'll have a full game week to prepare for the next time he's in the starting lineup, which will likely be this Sunday against the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Limmer is the expected starting center after Jonah Jackson slid over to left guard in wake of Steve Avila's knee injury, which landed Avila on Injured Reserve yesterday.
Those injuries and changes in the season opener couldn't have been foreseen last month. But, in hindsight, Limmer's snaps at center in preseason games, and especially with the first team offense in joint practices with the Houston Texans, proved more valuable than Los Angeles may have realized.
"It started with preseason games, and then got an opportunity to work with the first team, with Matthew and all them in Houston," Limmer said. "And then this last game in Detroit, just kind of all that stacks on, stacks on, stacks on. I'll have a full week of practice with them this week, and hopefully just continue on what I had from last week and get better this week."
Stafford's poise and clear communication in the midst of all those changes was critical for the Rams against the Lions. That type of leadership from the 16-year veteran helps a rookie like Limmer play with confidence.
"Having someone like him behind me, if I ever make a wrong call, he's going to get it right," Limmer said. "So that gives me a lot of confidence."
Head coach Sean McVay said Limmer has "answered the bell" every time he's gotten opportunities, and sees that trend continuing against the Cardinals.
"I was really pleased with him in that atmosphere, that environment (at Ford Field) to handle it the way that he did," McVay said. "I wouldn't say that I was surprised though based on what I've seen from him. It was impressive and yes, he will get some work moving forward. I have a lot of confidence in Beaux."
