The Los Angeles Rams seemed to find semblance of their former selves after pulling out a relatively ugly game against the Chicago Bears in Week 11. Sitting at 6-4, the Rams are still in position to nab one of the two Wild Card spots in the NFC playoff picture, but they will need to go on a serious run down the stretch to do so.
The Rams decided to feature Todd Gurley and the run game against the Bears as the team was missing two of its three featured wideouts in Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods. They were dealing with a concussion and personal reasons, respectively.
Cooks, in particular, has been missed on the field as Los Angeles does not have another receiver on the roster who has his speed and ability to take the top off a defense like he can. However, he is reportedly on track to return in Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens, a welcomed sign for Jared Goff and the offense.
The wide receiver’s status for the remainder of the 2019 NFL season was truly in limbo and there was some chatter about whether or not his reoccurring concussions would force him to think about potentially walking away from football. However, according to Stu Jackson of TheRams.com, retiring was never an option:
“Just thankful for the team putting me in the right position and looking out for my best interest, taking every step I needed to take so I’m comfortable going back out there on the field,” he said.
Concussions have become an increasingly prevalent topic around the NFL in recent years and we have seen several players retire due to the frequency of suffering them. Although he is only 26 years old, Cooks has already suffered four concussions in his pro career, with two of them coming this season and no one would have blamed him if he seriously considered hanging it up.
He stressed that people should not be concerned about his health though as he saw multiple specialists and was ruled healthy enough to play:
“It’s one of those things that I’m taking game-by-game, but no, I don’t know think you should be concerned because I’m not,” Cooks said.
Despite the ordeal, it is obviously good news that he has been practicing in full and seems past the concussion that cost him two weeks of game action. Josh Reynolds did a great job of filling in and helping the offense find its rhythm, but Cooks’ return should once again help open up the field and allow Sean McVay to dial up some of his patented passing plays.
With Woods also looking likely to return, it seems the Rams are trending upward, but they have one of their toughest games of the season when the Baltimore Ravens and MVP candidate Lamar Jackson come visit the Coliseum. It is going to take a full team effort to pull off the upset and keep their postseason hopes alive.
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