RT Rob Havenstein and Kevin Dotson are expected to play according to Sean McVay
While the Los Angeles Rams have received plenty of unfortunate news over the last week in regards to injuries, there does appear to be at least some good news for the offensive line ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. Sean McVay says RT Rob Havenstein and RG Kevin Dotson are expected to play. Havenstein missed the season opener against the Detroit Lions with a foot/ankle injury. Dotson finished the Week 1 contest but was seen leaving the game in a walking boot.
Sean McVay says Rob Havenstein is expected to play Sunday. Warren McClendon would move to LT.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 13, 2024
RG Kevin Dotson (foot/ankle) is also expected to play Sunday, per Sean McVay.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 13, 2024
The Rams are 1.5 point road underdogs to Arizona according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and having Havenstein and Dotson healthy should help keep Matthew Stafford upright and prevent him from being under immense pressure like he was last week in Detroit. The Cardinals second of two first round picks, Darius Robinson, missed the team’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills. That leaves Arizona with Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck at EDGE rusher versus LA.
Los Angeles’ offensive line, while makeshift, should be as follows when the team takes the field in Week 2:
LT – Warren McClendon
LG – Jonah Jackson
C – Beaux Limmer
RG – Kevin Dotson
RT – Rob Havenstein
McClendon started at right tackle against the Lions and had a rough outing in his first career start. He’ll slide to the left side and make his second career start at a second position, which doesn’t seem to be an ideal treatment for a young player. Meanwhile rookie Beaux Limmer will make his first career start at center. Jonah Jackson is back to playing the position he was signed to play when the Rams handed him a significant free agent contract this spring, though Jackson was supposed to play center to start the year after Los Angeles abandoned their experiment to transition Steve Avila from guard to center.
Over the past week the Rams have added Darious Williams, Puka Nacua, Avila, and Joe Noteboom to injured reserve. All of these players must miss a minimum of four games, though the timeline could be longer depending on the individual’s recovery schedule. It may be some time before LA is back at full force.
Can the Rams pull out the road upset over Arizona on Sunday afternoon? Their short-handed offensive line must protect Matthew Stafford if they hope to keep pace with Kyler Murray and a potent Cardinals offense.
