Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Rob Havenstein (79) in a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Rams expect RT Rob Havenstein (shoulder) to return for playoffs

Los Angeles Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein is expected to play in the wild-card playoff game against the visiting Minnesota Vikings next Monday, head coach Sean McVay said on Monday.

Havenstein hasn’t played since the Rams’ 19-9 victory over the host New York Jets on Dec. 22. He injured his shoulder in practice and missed the last two regular-season games as Los Angeles finished 10-7 and won the NFC West.

McVay said he discussed Havenstein’s health with vice president of sports medicine and performance Reggie Scott on Monday.

“(Havenstein’s) made great progress, (but) you want to make sure that you don’t leave yourself susceptible throughout the course of the week in practice to any sort of setbacks, while also making sure that you get it tested accordingly,” McVay said. “And so those will be things that we’ll be cognizant of. But, I know he’s really chopping at the bit, ready to go, ready to help lead and do his thing and play the way that he’s capable of.”

Havenstein, 32, has started all 11 games that he has played this season for 97 percent of the offensive snaps. He missed the season opener against the Detroit Lions with an ankle injury, then missed a three-game stretch in November with more ankle issues.

The Rams selected Havenstein in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft when the franchise was in St. Louis. He has started all 141 regular-season games and all 11 playoff games that he’s played in his Rams career.

–Field Level Media

Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (22) warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Rams RB Blake Corum (fractured forearm) done for season

Los Angeles Rams rookie running back Blake Corum fractured his right forearm during Sunday’s 30-25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and will miss the postseason.

Corum was seen wearing a sling on the arm during the second half of the contest.

“He broke his forearm, he fractured his forearm, so unfortunately,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters. “He’s a tough, resilient guy. He’s gonna be a really good player for us for a long time, but he will miss the postseason.”

Corum carried twice for 10 yards and caught one pass for 12 yards before exiting.

Starting running back Kyren Williams (1,299 yards, 14 touchdowns on the ground) was one of the Rams who didn’t play Sunday.

Corum, a third-round pick out of Michigan, rushed for 207 yards and caught seven passes for 58 yards this season.

The fourth-seeded Rams (10-7) will host either the Detroit Lions or Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 13 in an NFC wild-card game.

–Field Level Media

Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) scrambles away from Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (0) and throws for a touchdown in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Seahawks notch season-ending win over playoff-bound Rams

Geno Smith threw four touchdown passes, including a 16-yarder to Noah Fant with 3:19 remaining, as the Seattle Seahawks completed their season with a 30-25 victory against the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon in Inglewood, Calif.

The Seahawks (10-7) finished with the same record as the Rams (10-7), but the division was decided last weekend because Los Angeles had the edge in the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. The Rams will get the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Smith completed 20 of 27 passes for 223 yards. Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh combined for 108 yards rushing, with Fant and fellow tight end AJ Barner each making five receptions and scoring once.

The Rams rested several starters, including quarterback Matthew Stafford. Jimmy Garoppolo, making his L.A. debut, was 27-of-41 passing for 334 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Garoppolo threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Johnson with 12:43 remaining, but he misfired on a two-point conversion attempt that would’ve tied the score.

The Rams’ Joshua Karty kicked his fourth field goal, a 38-yarder with 7:29 left, to give Los Angeles a 25-24 lead — its first of the game.

A limping Smith led the Seahawks on an eight-play, 70-yard drive for the decisive score, with Fant making a leaping catch before being upended at the goal line.

Garoppolo guided the Rams to Seattle’s 9-yard line in the closing minute, but his pass on fourth-and-3 fell incomplete.

The Seahawks led 17-13 at the half as the teams traded scores.

Smith opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jake Bobo.

Karty kicked a 37-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 7-3.

Seattle extended its lead as Smith avoided the rush and threw a 20-yard scoring strike to DK Metcalf.

Garoppolo tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Tyler Higbee to pull the Rams within 14-10.

Jason Myers kicked a 56-yard field goal for Seattle, and Karty answered with a 58-yarder on the final play of the half.

Karty added a 57-yarder midway through the third quarter to pull the Rams within 17-16.

The Seahawks responded with a 4-yard TD pass from Smith to Barner with 3:00 left in the third to make it 24-16.

Second-year Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba made four catches to equal Tyler Lockett’s franchise single-season record of 100 set in 2020. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams had two sacks to become the first Seahawk with double-digit sacks (11) for one season since Frank Clark (13) in 2018.

–Field Level Media

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse (8) sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Seahawks chase 10th win in finale against stingy Rams

Not surprisingly, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams will take different approaches into Sunday’s regular-season finale in Inglewood, Calif.

The Rams (10-6), who already have clinched the NFC West title, plan to start backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to rest 16-year veteran Matthew Stafford for the postseason. Coach Sean McVay announced that move Wednesday, though he said the Rams haven’t decided which additional starters will get a break.

For the Seahawks (9-7), who even with a win Sunday would lose the tiebreaker against the Rams, first-year coach Mike Macdonald said it will be business as usual.

Macdonald deflected questions about why the Seahawks fell short of the playoffs at his weekly news conference.

“Right now is not the time to diagnose all that type of stuff,” he said. “Right now is the time to, let’s go to work this week, let’s make the best of this opportunity. We’ve got one more opportunity to keep taking the field as a team. Put our best foot forward, get to 10 wins. Let’s focus on that. And then once the season’s over, which is going to happen earlier than we want, we’ll digest all that stuff and make the proper conclusions and all that type of thing.”

Macdonald said he had no plans to rest any veteran players.

“We are going to go play to win the game,” he said.

After finishing 9-8 each of the past two seasons, the Seahawks would like to get to 10 wins.

“There’s a standard here of what we’re trying to establish and show off our football character of what type of team we are, what type of people we are, and how we’re going to play,” Macdonald said.

Second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba needs five catches to surpass Tyler Lockett’s franchise record of 100 receptions set in 2020 and defensive lineman Leonard Williams needs one sack to become the first Seahawk with double-digits since Frank Clark in 2018. Quarterback Geno Smith can still earn three $2 million escalators in his contract with 10 wins, 4,282 passing yards (he’s 185 away) and a completion percentage better than the 2022 season’s 69.75 (he’s at 70.23 percent).

The Rams would get the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs with a victory or could drop to No. 4 with a loss.

After a 1-4 start, they have won nine of 11 games to claim the division title. They did so with a 13-9 victory against Arizona last Saturday that was clinched by Ahkello Witherspoon’s last-minute interception.

“We didn’t do a whole lot great, to be honest with you,” said Stafford, who passed for 189 yards. “Didn’t run it great. Didn’t throw it great. But found a way to get a win and get enough points.”

The Rams have scored more than 21 points just once during their five-game winning streak. But the defense, under first-year coordinator Chris Shula, has held its past three opponents to fewer than 10 points, the first time the franchise has accomplished that feat since 1975.

“I want to make more plays to make sure they don’t have to do as much as they did (against Arizona), but I’m proud of them,” Stafford said of the Rams’ defense. “It’s awesome to watch where they were in training camp to where they are now. Shula is doing a hell of a job. We all knew he would. Those guys are playing hard for him.”

The Rams had just one player miss practice to start the week, offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (shoulder). The Seahawks were a bit more banged up Wednesday with offensive tackle Abraham Lucas (abdomen/knee), tight end Brady Russell (foot) and cornerback Josh Jobe (knee) sitting out.

–Field Level Media

May 28, 2024; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks Matthew Stafford (9) and Jimmy Garoppolo (11) look on during OTAs at the team training facility at California Lutheran University. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Rams to rest QB Matthew Stafford; Jimmy Garoppolo gets start

The Los Angeles Rams are resting quarterback Matthew Stafford and will start Jimmy Garoppolo for the regular-season finale on Sunday against the visiting Seattle Seahawks.

Rams coach Sean McVay made the announcement Wednesday after giving an indication Monday that he planned to rest most of the team’s key starters.

The Rams (10-6) have won the NFC West by virtue of a tiebreaker should they lose to the second-place Seahawks (9-7). Los Angeles will be at home for the wild-card round, either as a fourth or third seed in the NFC playoffs.

A victory over Seattle could move Los Angeles from fourth to third and a game against either the Washington Commanders or Green Bay Packers. A loss to the Seahawks and a win by Tampa Bay (9-7) over the New Orleans Saints would boost the Buccaneers to the third seed, and the Rams would host the loser of the Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions as those teams battle for the top seed.

Stafford, 36, has started all 16 games and completed 340 of 517 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

The first overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft by Detroit, Stafford has passed for 59,809 yards, 377 touchdowns and 188 interceptions in 222 games (all starts) for the Lions (2009-20) and Rams (2021-present).

He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023.

Garoppolo, 33, is in his first season with the Rams after signing as a free agent in March and has not appeared in a game. He has thrown for 15,494 career yards, 94 TDs and 51 picks in 81 games (63 starts) for the New England Patriots (2014-16), San Francisco 49ers (2017-22) and Las Vegas Raiders (2023).

New England selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Eastern Illinois.

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA;   Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) carries the ball to the 5-yard line in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Late interceptions help Rams defeat Cardinals, extend win streak

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a pass in the end zone with 37 seconds left to preserve the Los Angeles Rams’ 13-9 win Saturday over the Arizona Cardinals in Inglewood, Calif.

Witherspoon made a diving catch after the ball bounced high off the helmet of Arizona tight end Trey McBride on the pass attempt by Kyler Murray.

The Rams (10-6), who lead the NFC West by one game, have won five straight games, while the Cardinals (7-9) have lost five of their last six games. Los Angeles could clinch a playoff berth on Sunday depending on the outcome of other games, and will have a chance to clinch the division next weekend against second-place Seattle (9-7).

Matthew Stafford threw for 189 yards while completing 17 of 32 pass attempts without a touchdown or interception. Puka Nacua finished with 10 receptions for 129 yards.

Murray was 33 of 48 for 321 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

McBride made 12 catches for 123 yards to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his three NFL seasons. Despite leading the Cardinals in catches and yards, his touchdown catch on Saturday was his first of the season.

Arizona running back James Conner, who gained 4 yards on four carries, did not play in the second half because of a knee injury.

Los Angeles took a 13-9 lead with 6:33 left on a 25-yard field goal by Joshua Karty, and Arizona had two chances to take the lead.

First, Murray engineered a drive that went to the Los Angeles 40. On fourth-and-10, his throw to the end zone was intercepted by Kamren Kinchens, who returned the ball to the Arizona 11 with 3:02 left.

The Rams punted after a three-and-out, and the Cardinals took possession at their 36 with 2:01 remaining.

The Cardinals drove to the Los Angeles 5 before Murray’s pass went high to McBride, hit his helmet, and Witherspoon made the pick.

Neither team scored until 3:23 remained in the second quarter. The Rams drove 60 yards on nine plays and cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown by Kyren Williams.

Los Angeles got a 53-yard field goal from Karty to make it 10-0 with 27 seconds left before halftime.

Arizona scored on the first possession of the second half when Murray threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to McBride, cutting the lead to 10-6. The point-after attempt was blocked, eliminating the chance to tie the game late with a field goal.

A 28-yard field goal by Chad Ryland cut the lead to 10-9 with 14 minutes left in the game.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) runs with the ball against New York Jets defensive end Micheal Clemons (72) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Rams on rise entering matchup with hurting Cardinals

Riding a four-game winning streak, the Los Angeles Rams are playing some of their best football as they close in on a possible NFC West title.

The Rams will aim to maintain their impressive form Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals in Inglewood, Calif.

Los Angeles (9-6) is coming off a 19-9 road win over the New York Jets last week in freezing temperatures after trailing 9-6 entering the fourth quarter while being outgained by nearly 100 yards.

The Rams matched their largest margin of victory this season. They have won eight of 10 games since their bye week, when they were 1-4.

“You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” Los Angeles coach Sean McVay said this week about persevering through the early-season struggles. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship.

“Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.”

The Rams have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay. The franchise endured 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before McVay took over in 2017, when he was only 31 years old.

A productive running game led by Kyren Williams has provided support for quarterback Matthew Stafford during the Rams’ winning run in December.

Williams, a Pro Bowl selection last season, has a career-high 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on 303 carries following his 122-yard game against New York.

Arizona (7-8), which has dropped four of its past five games, was eliminated from playoff contention with a 36-30 overtime loss to the host Carolina Panthers last week.

The Cardinals may have to play their last two games without running back James Conner, who came out in the third quarter last week with a knee injury after producing 117 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon said on Monday that Conner wants to continue playing despite his injury and the Cardinals’ out-of-contention status.

“If they’re healthy enough to play, they’ll play,” Gannon said in general of his injured players. “We’re gonna play who we think gives us the best chance to win.”

Conner has never played a full season in his eight years in the NFL, missing at least one game due to injury each year.

He has a career-high 1,090 rushing yards. His 410 receiving yards are close to his career-high total of 497 set in 2018.

Right tackle Jonah Williams and left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. were both placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to knee ailments.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray completed 20 of 32 pass attempts for 202 yards with one touchdown and an interception in the loss at Carolina. Murray also rushed eight times for 63 yards and a TD.

Conner was his top receiver with 49 yards on four receptions.

Gannon plans to play Murray in the last two games. The Cardinals close with a home game with the San Francisco 49ers next week.

“He gives us the best chance to win,” Gannon said. “He’s gonna play.”

Arizona safety Joey Blount (ribs) and cornerback Elijah Jones (ankle) did not practice Wednesday, while Conner was limited.

For the Rams, right tackle Rob Havenstein (shoulder) was the only player on the Wednesday injury report. He was listed as limited in practice.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee catches the ball a touchdown pass as New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams (56) tackles during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Tyler Higbee scores in return as Rams jolt Jets

Tyler Higbee caught the tiebreaking touchdown catch in his season debut and Kyren Williams rushed for 122 yards and one score to help the Los Angeles Rams notch a 19-9 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday at East Rutherford, N.J.

Kamren Curl made a key strip-sack of Aaron Rodgers early in the fourth quarter to set up the go-ahead score as the Rams (9-6) won for the eighth time in their last 10 games.

Los Angeles took sole possession of first place in the NFC West, pending the results of the Seattle Seahawks game against the Minnesota Vikings later Sunday.

Matthew Stafford was 14-of-19 passing for 110 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Rams.

Aaron Rodgers completed 28 of 42 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown, the 499th of his career, for New York (4-11). Davante Adams caught seven passes for 68 yards and a touchdown for the Jets, who lost for the 10th time in the past 12 games.

Curl delivered his strip-sack of Rodgers and Jared Verse recovered at the Jets’ 21-yard line with 11:42 remaining in the game.

Three plays later, Stafford hit Higbee on an 11-yard touchdown play to give Los Angeles a 16-9 lead with 10:11 remaining. Higbee was playing in his first game since tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee 11 months ago in a playoff loss against the Detroit Lions.

Joshua Karty’s 45-yard field goal with 5:17 remaining increased the lead to 10.

The Jets attempted to rally but Anders Carlson’s 49-yard field goal was wide right with 1:57 left. Then Xavier Gipson muffed the catch of a punt 23 seconds later and Jordan Whittington recovered for the Rams to seal it.

Carlson snuck a 21-yard field-goal attempt inside the left upright as time expired to give New York a 9-6 halftime lead. Both teams missed extra points after their first-half touchdowns.

The Jets moved 99 yards on 14 plays on their first drive. Rodgers connected with Adams on an 11-yard scoring play with 23 seconds left in the opening quarter.

New York went for it on fourth-and-1 on its own 33 midway through the second quarter and Breece Hall was stuffed for no gain. The Rams took advantage of the short field as Williams scored from the 2 to tie it with 6:22 left in the half.

The Jets took another gamble when they were at the Rams’ 13-yard line in the third quarter. This time, Rodgers’ fourth-and-4 throw to Adams was incomplete with 5:19 left as New York possessed the ball for the first 9:41 of the second half without scoring.

Los Angeles answered with a 13-play drive that concluded with Karty’s 38-yard field goal to tie it at 9 with 12:44 remaining in the game.

–Field Level Media

Dec 1, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) throws the ball as New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (95)  and defensive end Haason Reddick (7) tackle during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jets All-Pro DT Quinnen Williams (hamstring) to miss start vs. Rams

New York Jets All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is inactive for Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Rams after missing practice all week because of a hamstring injury.

His streak will end at 34 consecutive games started and played since his last deactivation for a Dec. 18, 2022, home game against the Detroit Lions, according to the team. He was downgraded from questionable for the game in East Rutherford, N.J.

Williams, who turned 27 on Saturday, has started all 14 of New York’s games this season and has 35 tackles (eight for loss), 17 quarterback hits and six sacks.

The Jets selected Williams with the third overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He has 288 career tackles (52 for loss), 97 QB hits, 39 sacks, one interception, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 88 games (84 starts).

He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023 and was first-team All-Pro in 2022.

The Jets (4-10) inactive list also includes safety Jaylin Simpson, offensive linemen Jake Hanson and Xavier Newman, and cornerbacks Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Michael Carter II. The latter already had been ruled out because of a back injury.

The Rams (8-6) announced their inactive players: quarterback Stetson Bennett, wide receiver Tyler Johnson, cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., running back Cody Schrader, and offensive linemen Dylan McMahon and Warren McClendon Jr.

–Field Level Media

Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Rams can’t afford stumble against Jets, Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers acknowledges he could be down to the final three games in his Hall of Famer career.

The New York Jets have been colossal disappointments this season with Rodgers displaying a decline in his skills. Yet the 41-year-old veteran will be back on the field Sunday when the Jets host the Los Angeles Rams in East Rutherford, N.J.

New York (4-10) defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend for just its second win in the past 11 games. Jets coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas both lost their jobs during a horrendous season that began with the belief that the team was a playoff contender.

A five-game losing streak before the halfway point of the season ended that chatter.

And Rodgers knows that his future hangs in the balance. There is no guarantee he will be with the Jets in 2025.

“I’m going to take some time after the year — unless I get released right away — but I’ll still take some time whether or not I want to play,” Rodgers said. “But I’ll take some time to get away from it, either way.”

Rodgers enjoyed a strong outing in the 32-25 road win over Jacksonville last week, passing for 289 yards and three touchdowns.

Davante Adams, the former favorite target of Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers, had nine receptions for 198 yards and two TDs.

The two scoring receptions made Adams the 12th player in the NFL history with 100 or more receiving touchdowns. His total is at 101 entering the game against the Rams.

“Historic, magical,” Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said of Adams’ feat. “To get his 100th TD — I feel honored to have seen it.”

Los Angeles (8-6) is tied with the Seattle Seahawks atop the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals one game behind.

The Rams overcame a 1-4 start to win seven of their past nine games. They have won all four road games during the latter stretch, including a 12-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 12.

Los Angeles has division showdowns with the Cardinals and Seahawks to finish the regular season. A stumble against the Jets would rate as a huge blow.

The game at the Meadowlands comes with an early start for a West Coast team, but the Rams navigated that situation while beating the New England Patriots on Nov. 17.

Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford said the kickoff time should never be an issue.

“Once you (go to the East Coast) once, you kind of understand what it’s about,” Stafford said. “I kind of like it. You wake up and go play. I’m an early riser anyways, I’m up early anyways, so our body clock time of 10 a.m. doesn’t affect me too much.”

Stafford has been able to stay healthy this season, and the 36-year-old has passed for 3,463 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Rodgers has thrown for 3,255 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

“When you look at both Matthew and Aaron, consistency is the truest measurement of performance and these guys have consistently had the ability to prepare week in and week out,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “… It’s two greats, two guys I look at as Hall of Famers.”

Los Angeles activated tight end Tyler Higbee this week to make his season debut. Higbee has been sidelined since tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee 11 months ago in a playoff loss against the Detroit Lions.

Rams cornerback Cobie Durant (lung contusion) was limited in practice on Wednesday.

New York placed safety Jalen Mills (fractured collarbone) on injured reserve Wednesday. He got hurt against the Jaguars.

Star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (hamstring) didn’t participate in the Wednesday walkthrough for the Jets. Also sitting out were cornerback Michael Carter II (back) and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle).

–Field Level Media