On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Rams entered their contest against the Denver Broncos already down Puka Nacua, the star receiver is dealing with a hip/groin issue. His absence required the team's other pass catchers to step up in meaningful ways.
Despite the loss, the passing offense was humming, with six different players accounting for Matthew Stafford's 390 passing yards. On top of that, the team added 116 rushing yards, using their 13 personnel offense to help bridge the production gap left by Nacua.
Their efforts are recorded on the stat sheet, but exemplified by the words of their quarterback. Players dealt with fatigue after running 82 offensive plays, while the tight end room dealt with continued injuries. Terrance Ferguson injured his
ankle and tried to play through it before exiting for good in the second quarter. Colby Parkinson hurt his shoulder and left the game before coming back in.
Battling through pain, even having to limp through plays at times, the tight end room held the line, something Stafford spoke on after the game.
“‘Higs’ did a hell of a job stepping in there. Colby was battling his a-- off to be out there. It was unbelievable the effort that he had, and really ‘Ferg,' for whatever we could get out of him as well. So proud of those guys. Happy to be in the huddle with those guys."
Stafford expressed his trust and belief in his teammates over the past few weeks, even while working through issues with their operation. Their willingness to keep fighting is why their quarterback continues to thrive in the worst of game scenarios.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Matthew Stafford commends 'unbelievable' toughness of 2 Rams TEs
