Rams Coach Sean McVay 'Proud' of O-Line Amidst 'Unbelievable' Injury Luck
The Los Angeles Rams offensive line drama is straight out of a Hollywood horror movie.
Entering Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles was already missing center Brian Allen, right guard Logan Bruss, replacement guard/center Coleman Shelton, left guard David Edwards and backup right guard Tremayne Anchrum, who was injured just two snaps into his first NFL start.
Through five games, quarterback Matthew Stafford had been sacked 21 times - tied for the most in the league. Then, nine snaps in, the situation got even worse, as starting left tackle Joe Noteboom went down with a season-ending Achilles injury.
The new rotation featured just one player - right tackle Rob Havenstein - who was penciled in as a starter during the preseason. After the game, Rams coach Sean McVay acknowledged the feat in disbelief, while expressing sympathy for Noteboom.
“I mean it's unbelievable, isn't it?" McVay pondered. "I mean I feel sick for Joe Noteboom."
Needing to act quick, McVay and company threw together a rag-tag offensive line combination that proceeded to allow just one sack in its three-quarters of work. From left to right, the group Los Angeles threw on the field was Alaric "AJ" Jackson, Bobby Evans, Jeremiah Kolone, Oday Aboushi, and Havenstein.
And by all accounts, the unit rose to the occasion - even though McVay admitted to not knowing Aboushi prior to the day Los Angeles signed him.
"What a stud AJ Jackson was to pivot from right guard to left tackle; he was outstanding all day," McVay began. "Oday Aboushi, I just met this guy a couple of weeks ago and he is playing the whole game, and doing a great job. Bobby Evans has played right guard, he's played right tackle, he's playing left guard, he's played left tackle before. He did a good job.
"Jeremiah Kolone, going from police academy a couple of years ago, and he started at center. Rob Havenstein did a great job steadying that group. So, I was proud of them. I was happy for those guys."
The Rams' offensive line had allowed 12 sacks combined in the previous two games. Not only did the pieced-together group hold strong in pass protection with just the lone sack allowed, but it also paved the way for 111 yards on the ground, a season-high.
The Rams should get Allen, Edwards, and Shelton back at some point down the stretch. But still, while the season is young, Los Angeles was beginning to hear the murmurs of a "Super Bowl hangover," and desperately needed a victory on Sunday - with none of the aforementioned trio or their injured counterparts available to play.
When Los Angeles truly needed a win, if for no other reason than to start fresh with momentum coming out of the bye week, the injury situation only worsened - but in the madness, the underdogs up front managed to shine.
And it truly doesn't get any more Hollywood than that.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter at @DFlickDraft
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