The Los Angeles Rams (8-6) will hit the road this Sunday to take on the New York Jets (4-10) at Metlife Stadium in another pivotal game thats weighs heavy on the Rams' division title chances. There are a few leading factors to consider this week as the Rams go for their fourth-straight win.
In this episode of the Los Angeles Rams Insider Podcast, Rams on SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh takes a deeper dive on the most important storylines heading into Week 16. There are a few injury updates on both sides, a newcomer looking to shine, and one Ram nearing a historic accolade.
The Rams released their first injury report ahead of Sunday. After a brutal start to the season with multiple key guys getting injured, the Rams are growing healthier as only five players were listed and four were full participants in practice.
The biggest name on the injury report was starting tight end Tyler Higbee who has missed the entire season to this point with a nasty knee injury that he suffered in the NFC Wild Card game last year in Detroit. He was fully healthy last week, but the Rams decided to rest him for one more game.
This week, Higbee continues to be a full participant in practice and the odds of him making his season debut are extremely high. Head coach Sean McVay told the media that they will evaluate Higbee throughout the week to determine the volume of snaps he will receive.
Second-year cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. was picked up a few weeks ago and has yet to make an appearance in a game for the Rams. He was cut by the Washington Commanders, who drafted him in 2023, and the Rams were quick to grab Forbes.
With cornerback Cobie Durant missing last week and still dealing with a chest injury, many thought Forbes may get his first snaps against the 49ers, but did not end up in the game.
McVay provided a reasoning for Forbes' lack of action early in his Rams career as veteran cornerbacks Darious Williams and Akhello Witherspoon have shined recently and have spent the past few years with the team. Williams earned his first interception of the season agains the 49ers.
One Ram is nearing a historic milestone, but may not reach that goal this week unless he has a monstrous game. 16-year veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford is just 490 passing yards away from reaching 60,000 career passing yards.
Stafford would join names such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and many more legendary NFL quarterbacks. With three games left in the regular season, Stafford should be able to reach that number and continue to prove why he is one of the more elite passers in history.
A few injuries may help the Rams this week as their division rival Seattle Seahawks (8-6), maintain the same record as its shaping up to be a two-team race for the NFC West down the stretch. The Seahawks are severly banged up and key offensive injuries may derail them this week.
Quarterback Geno Smith injured his knee, but was a full participant in practice on Wednesday while running backs Kenneth Walker III (calf) and Zach Charbonnet (oblique) both did not practice early in the week. Walker has missed the past two games and they cannot afford to let Charbonnet fall too.
The Seahawks are back at home this week to face the Minnesota Vikings (12-2). If those three key guys are not available, the Rams' chances of taking a one-game lead over the Seahawks in the division race would be much more likely if the Rams take down the Jets to improve to 9-6.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Los Angeles Rams Insider Podcast: Top Storylines Ahead of Week 16 vs. Jets.