Rams Rule Out LT Andrew Whitworth, S Taylor Rapp vs. Buccaneers
Following a week in which Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth and safety Taylor Rapp haven't participated in practice leading up to the final injury report, Sean McVay announced Friday that they’ll both be out for Sunday's game in Tampa Bay.
This marks the second consecutive week Rapp will be sidelined as he works through a concussion suffered in Week 18 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Whitworth injured his ankle during last Monday's Wild Card Round game, having to come off the field on the first offensive series but later returned. Following halftime, Whitworth did not play another snap.
With Rapp sidelined, declaring each of the Rams' two starting safeties out once again with Jordan Fuller set to miss the remainder of the season, they'll likely rely on a rotation of players. Last week they utilized Nick Scott, Terrell Burgess and Eric Weddle to maneuver the backend of the defense.
As for Whitworth missing in action, the Rams will turn to Joe Noteboom, the team's swing tackle. Noteboom has received the starting nod twice this season, allowing one sack across his 174 offensive snaps played this year.
The Buccaneers possess a fierce pass rush, featuring the likes of Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea, so the Rams' offensive line will have their hands full attempting to create running lanes for the ground game as well as adequate time for quarterback Matthew Stafford to distribute passes effectively.
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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.
