The Los Angeles Rams will be without two of their key starters on offense in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Wide receiver Puka Nacua is set to miss Sunday’s game with a sprained ankle while right tackle Rob Havenstein will miss his third consecutive game with an ankle injury.
Nacua left in the second quarter in Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens after coming down in pain in the back of the end zone. The Rams wide receiver went up for a contested ball and immediately left the game. While he returned in the second quarter, playing just six snaps, it was in a very limited capacity.
As for Havenstein, this is the third straight game that the starting right tackle has missed. Havenstein last played in the Week 4 win against the Indianapolis Colts, but has been out ever since.
It’s very possible that the Rams are playing it cautious with Nacua and Havenstein with the bye week coming up. The Rams will have two weeks off following their trip to London. After a game against the New Orleans Saints out of the bye, the Rams will have important games against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rams will need both players healthy for that stretch of games.
In place of Nacua, the Rams will likely be relying on a committee of players. Wide receiver Tutu Atwell looks to be trending in the right direction as he was a full participant in practice on Thursday. The Rams will be relying on Jordan Whittington to fill that role as well, especially on early downs where he provides more value in the run game as a blocker. Additionally, the expectation will be for wide receiver Davante Adams to carry the load as the number one wide receiver in the offense.
At right tackle, it will be Warren McClendon making his third consecutive start. While the Rams would prefer Havenstein, this is valuable experience for McClendon. With Havenstein getting older, there are questions on who could replace him. If McClendon continues playing well, he will be the leader of that discussion.
The Jaguars are coming off of a loss in Week 6 to the Seattle Seahawks, but are 4-2 on the season. This won’t be an easy matchup for the Rams and without two starters on offense, it won’t get any easier.
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