3 ways Robert Woods' injury could hurt Rams' Super Bowl ambitions
Robert Woods is unfortunately out for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL that happened during Friday's practice. Woods' injury couldn't have come at a worse time when the Los Angeles Rams were gearing up to buy in on a "win now" type of season.
The Rams have seemingly traded all of their picks away to acquire high-profile players like Von Miller and the more recently acquired Odell Beckham Jr. The Rams are gearing up for their potential Super Bowl run.
With Woods out for the season, the Rams offense takes a hit that will certainly affect their chances. Here's a look at three ways Woods' injury hurt the Rams' Super Bowl chances.
What was Robert Woods's impact?
Offensive power
Without Woods in the lineup, the Rams' offensive power takes a dip, even with Odell Beckham Jr. now in the lineup. Beckham is a bit of a question mark right now, as he was all but useless in the Browns offensive attack.
Robert Woods tore his ACL at practice on Friday, per @AdamSchefter and @diannaESPN https://t.co/GhKouay9yX
That could have been due to a lingering injury or the Browns just wanting to get rid of the once-reliable veteran.
Woods, however, was averaging 12 yards per attempt. That's a huge number in the grand scheme of things. That meant that every time Woods caught the ball, he was contributing a minimum of a first down. There is no telling if Beckham can match up to that. Woods being so reliable also puts more pressure on the defense to cover him, opening up a Cooper Kupp reception and touchdown.
Thin at wide receiver
With Woods being out, the Rams also find themselves in a dangerous position where they are quite thin at wide receiver right now. Van Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr., Cooper Kupp, and J.J. Koski are now the only healthy receivers on the Rams roster.
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Ben Sworonek and Tutu Atwell are dealing with injuries, with Atwell on IR missing a minimum of three games at the very least. The Rams wide receiver room suddenly took a bigger hit than they had hoped for. Adding Beckham to the roster has placed a band-aid on a problem that might become much worse for the Rams barring further injuries.
Tough schedule
The Rams' schedule is as tough as they come, so they need every single player to be competing at their highest level for the Rams to claim their first-round bye in the playoffs. Even with being 7-2, the Rams have a tough slate ahead of them. Green Bay, Arizona, Minnesota, Seattle, and Baltimore are all upcoming contests.
The Rams are a very good team, but they are also playing some very stiff competition. Woods being out changes the makeup of the offense, and that will further hurt the Rams' chances of continuing their dominant run against opposing teams. Had Woods been placed on IR, he could have returned to the playoffs, but he is out for the season. That severely damages the chances the Rams had of coasting their way to the top of the NFC.