THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams head coach Sean McVay on Tuesday announced starting center Brian Allen and wide receiver Ben Skowronek both suffered calf strains against the Packers that are severe enough to sideline them the rest of the season.
Allen exited Monday night's game after Los Angeles' second offensive play with his calf injury. It is unclear at what point in the game Skowronek sustained his.
"Both of those guys got their calves pretty good," McVay said during a video conference with reporters.
From their original starting combination in Week 1, Allen is the second Rams starting offensive lineman to suffer a season-ending injury this season, joining left tackle Joe Noteboom, who sustained a torn Achilles against the Panthers in Week 6. Starting left guard David Edwards is on Injured Reserve.
For Allen, it's also a frustrating end for to what had already been an injury-filled 2022 season. He underwent a knee procedure in Week 2 that caused him to miss the Rams' next five games. He returned in Week 8, then missed Weeks 11 and 12 due to a left thumb injury that required surgery and swelling in his knee before coming back in Week 13.
Coleman Shelton, who started at right guard Monday night, replaced Allen after Allen left the game and will remain the Rams' starting center the rest of the season, per McVay. Shelton and right tackle Rob Havenstein are the Rams' lone two healthy offensive linemen out of those who started in Week 1 against the Bills.
"Brian, being so instrumental on the interior parts of the line, the communication," McVay said. "Coleman does a nice job stepping in, but other guys, it has an effect on the totality of the unit. That's a challenge for sure, especially with the amount of moving parts we've had at the quarterback position. But it is what it is, and you continue to handle it accordingly."
Meanwhile, Skowronek's injury is a big hit to an already-depleted wide receiver rotation playing without its top two players in Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson II. Skowronek was enjoying a career season statistically and had also displayed his versatility with his usage as a fullback out of 11 personnel.
Without Kupp and Robinson, that rotation had primarily been Van Jefferson, Skowronek and Tutu Atwell, with Brandon Powell mixed in as well.
"That's a tough loss for Ben, because he's done a good job of getting a lot of opportunities to grow and mature as a receiver, and really a complete player on this team," McVay said. "That'll be tough to miss those last three games for him."
Additionally, linebacker Jake Gervase will miss the rest of the season due to an ankle sprain sustained against the Packers.
As for defensive lineman Aaron Donald's status, McVay said Donald hasn't been medically cleared to play yet and that they're still taking things a week at a time with him.
"And a lot of entails, 'Okay, what kind of progress is he making? Where is he at with the progress with his ankle?'" McVay said.
