Rams Could Finally Get A Defensive Lift At The Perfect Time

Myles Garrett's return from injury could be a game-changer for the Rams as they prepare for a crucial showdown against the Washington Commanders.

Myles Garrett is on track to make his return for the Los Angeles Rams this weekend, and the timing could hardly be more important.

According to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport from NFL Network and ESPN, the star edge rusher is expected to come off injured reserve and be available for Sunday afternoon’s road game against the Washington Commanders. Garrett is working back from arthroscopic knee surgery, and the expectation is that he will be activated for Week 8.

Garrett already got a taste of his new team in the season opener, playing 40 snaps in a rough 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia before landing on injured reserve. He practiced all week and now appears ready to bring two months’ worth of frustration into a matchup with Jayden Daniels and the Commanders.

Sean McVay could choose to manage Garrett’s workload carefully, but the Rams also know they need impact plays right away. The hope is that Garrett can tilt the game without being asked to shoulder everything at once.

That debut, by any standard, was unusually quiet for a player the Rams acquired in June with big expectations. Now, after time spent rehabbing and studying film, Garrett is set up for a chance to deliver the kind of dominant performance fans have been waiting for.

The Rams sit at 4-4, and the schedule is about to get serious. They face the Green Bay Packers at 5-3, the Kansas City Chiefs at 5-2 and the 49ers at 6-1 from Weeks 12-14, then finish the regular season with two games against the Seattle Seahawks, who are also 4-4, in the final three weeks. Garrett has the next two matchups and a bye to get ready for that stretch.

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It is the kind of split-duty solution teams usually try only when they feel they need to get creative, and the Rams are clearly hoping it brings some order to a unit that has had mixed results lately. Whether this becomes a short-term fix or something more lasting will depend on how well the arrangement holds up once the games start piling up. [Read more 🡒]

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Rams May Have To Wait On The Receiver Help They Need

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The Rams have publicly shown trust in their current receiver group, even with the obvious statistical concerns and the injury issues that have made the room feel thinner than they would like. Receiver remains one of the clearest needs on the roster, though, so the question now is whether the team can find an affordable upgrade or simply has to ride with what it has and hope the market cools off. [Read more 🡒]