WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Rams endured more injuries during their Week 2 divisional game in Arizona last weekend, losing star wide receiver Cooper Kupp (ankle) for an "extended period," said head coach Sean McVay, along with safety John Johnson III. They join wide receiver Puka Nacua, offensive lineman Steve Avila, offensive lineman Jonah Jackson and others among those unable to play in this weekend's home opener against the 49ers.
McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford met with reporters on Wednesday to discuss the team's path forward and the upcoming matchup with San Francisco. On Thursday, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and defensive coordinator Chris Shula also spoke with the media. The full press conference can be viewed below.
Here are a few of the most significant quotes and talking points:
"(Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey) are great players that are tremendous assets for them... But they've got a lot of other guys that they are doing that with as well, you look at the way their backs have stepped in and done an amazing job of continuing to produce at a really high level in the first two games... With those two guys out, I'm hopeful that they'll be okay, but I'm not sad that they're not playing against us." - McVay
San Francisco has been one of the most complete offenses in football for a number of years, and it's a unit McVay is very familiar with. Even without two of their top producers in Samuel and McCaffrey, McVay praised head coach Kyle Shanahan's ability to utilize the skill sets of his weapons to exploit defenses, and that isn't limited to those two top guys.
McVay said that tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are "nightmares" to prepare for, and called wide receiver Jauan Jennings "a very underrated player." He added that 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster does "as good a job as anybody" at preparing his unit for each matchup. Even without Samuel and McCaffrey, McVay said the Week 3 game against San Francisco will be "a challenge."
Without two of their biggest rushing threats, McVay acknowledged that Shanahan has done a good job of mixing things up to gain an advantage. As far as starting 0-2 is concerned, McVay said they can't control the past and he likes how the team has come in "with a good look in their eye."
"Just try to be as clear and concise as I possibly can. The way some of these guys might run routes might be different than how Puka and Cooper run them... It's body language. I don't mean they run completely different route trees, (it's) more in the fact that the way they might separate is going to be different." - Stafford
Stafford said that the body type and skill set of every receiver makes the minutiae of their routes different. Getting as many reps as possible with them will help Stafford adjust to their respective styles so that they don't miss a beat on Sundays. Last week, he was preparing for life without Nacua. This week, and for the foreseeable future, he's preparing to be without both his top two wide receivers.
The biggest thing for Stafford is "trust." Developing a rapport in practice helps him build that trust not just with his receivers, but with his rookie center, Beaux Limmer, and backup offensive linemen as well. That's something he's focusing on this week before taking on a tough 49ers defense.
Stafford said, at the end of the day, "whoever they put in there, I trust those guys."
"As coaches, you try to identify issues as far as, 'is there anything that we can do schematically to put guys in better positions?' And then with players, 'is there anything that we have that is slowing them down?'" - Shula
After allowing 41 points to the Cardinals this past weekend, Shula has tried to address the tackling issues in practice, a setting where players can't fully tackle. To do that, he reviewed the scheme to see how they can put players in a better position and then individual player assignments to see if anything is impeding their ability to make tackles.
Shula also talked about Kam Kinchens stepping up in the absence of John Johnson III, who was just placed on Injured Reserve. He said Kinchens is a "really mature rookie" and has been since he stepped in the building. Shula complimented his ball skills and communication, saying that they are "excited" to see him get more action on Sunday.
"That's the key word is continuity, right? And anyone we get back right now, we'll take, obviously... I'm just happy for the player (Alaric Jackson) that he gets to be out there doing what he loves to do. So it's good to get him back, and again, he's working some combinations with a guy that he hasn't worked a lot of camp combinations with." - LaFleur
After serving a two-game suspension, Jackson, the Rams' starting right tackle, is back with the team. LaFleur said Jackson has been able to work with people he didn't practice with much during training camp, which likely means OL Logan Bruss, who is next up at left guard on the Rams' unofficial depth chart after injuries to OL Jonah Jackson and OL Steve Avila.
With respect to the wide receivers stepping in for the injured Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, LaFleur said that Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell and Tyler Johnson have played a lot of NFL football, so "you know it's not too big for them on Sundays." LaFleur also gets that sense of confidence from rookie Jordan Whittington, a sixth-round pick out of Texas in the 2024 draft. Plus, having Jimmy Garoppolo back has been helpful due to his history with the 49ers.
"Any time you got a little more information when you've been in the locker room... Just having Jimmy back right now has been great, and, you know, it's a benefit," LaFleur said.
