Last week, the Los Angeles Rams waited until game day to make a decision on the status of running back Todd Gurley II. This week they were more decisive, declaring Gurley out on Friday.
Of course, the Rams had no clue that C.J. Anderson would play the way he did last Sunday in the team’s 31-9 victory over Arizona. With the team for less than a week, Anderson rushed for 167 yards, making it more comfortable to make the choice to sit Gurley for Sunday’s game against San Francisco.
Rams head coach Sean McVay, asked if he has concerns about Gurley’s injured knee heading toward the playoffs, said, “Based on just the information that I’m getting and just talking to Todd, I wouldn’t say that I’m concerned. I think we want to be really smart about that. The thing that’s great about Todd is he’s very decisive and he’s a great communicator with regards to how he’s feeling. I think he understands his body better than anybody else. I don’t get the sense that he’s concerned, but we want to be smart about this.
“If it’s feeling like something where he’s not going to be able to be the Todd Gurley that we’re accustomed to seeing, just based on the way that that thing is feeling, the smart thing for him – No. 1 – and for our football team is to be able to rest him and get him back as quickly as possible whenever that is that our next game after the Niners will be.”
A Rams win over the 49ers will earn them the No. 2 seed in the NFC, so Gurley will have an extra week to recover. McVay said he believes Gurley will be available for whenever the Rams play, but then added, “If you said a couple weeks ago that we would have to hold him out for the last two weeks, I probably would’ve been surprised about that. But based on the information that we’re getting, there isn’t any reason for us to press the panic button or think that he won’t be available.
“But it is important for us to get him back to full speed and to the health that he feels like he can go compete at and we’re not doing anything to put him at risk and he’s not doing anything for the longevity of his career.”
Meanwhile, Friday was a busy day for teams signing players from practice squads and putting players on injured reserve, especially those not headed to the postseason.
Twelve players originally ticketed for the injury report were placed on injured reserve so the teams could add players that will likely be on their 2019 offseason roster. Except for Pittsburgh, which has a chance to be in the playoffs, all the other teams placing players on injured reserve are non-playoff teams.
Placed on reserve were Carolina running back Kenjon Barner; Cincinnati wide receiver Tyler Boyd, linebacker Jordan Evans and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick; Cleveland linebacker Tanner Vallejo; Denver wide receiver Andre Holmes and running back Phillip Lindsay; Detroit defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson; Jacksonville kicker Josh Lambo and tackle Josh Wells; Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell and Washington wide receiver Maurice Harris. On Thursday, the Redskins placed quarterback Colt McCoy and tight end Jordan Reed on reserve/injured.
ARIZONA CARDINALS at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
ARIZONA CARDINALS
–OUT: TE Ricky Seals-Jones (shoulder)
–QUESTIONABLE: DE Markus Golden (ankle), DE Benson Mayowa (back, neck)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
–DOUBTFUL: G J.R. Sweezy (foot)
–QUESTIONABLE: G D.J. Fluker (hamstring), DE Dion Jordan (knee), S Bradley McDougald (knee), RB Rashaad Penny (knee), S Tedric Thompson (ankle)
ATLANTA FALCONS at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
ATLANTA FALCONS
–OUT: G Wes Schweitzer (back)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
–DOUBTFUL: WR DeSean Jackson (Achilles), DE Carl Nassib (shoulder)
–QUESTIONABLE: LB Devante Bond (illness), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (knee, shoulder)
CAROLINA PANTHERS at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
CAROLINA PANTHERS
–OUT: QB Cam Newton (right shoulder), DT Kawann Short (calf), G Trai Turner (ankle)
–QUESTIONABLE: T Marshall Newhouse (hip)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
–OUT: T Terron Armstead (pectoral), T/G Jermon Bushrod (hamstring), G Larry Warford (knee)
CHICAGO BEARS at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
CHICAGO BEARS
–DOUBTFUL: S Eddie Jackson (ankle), LB Aaron Lynch (elbow), WR Allen Robinson II (ribs)
–QUESTIONABLE: DT Bilal Nichols (knee)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
–OUT: WR Chad Beebe (hamstring), FB C.J. Ham (elbow), LB Eric Kendricks (hamstring), CB/RS Marcus Sherels (foot)
–QUESTIONABLE: G Tom Compton (shoulder), CB Xavier Rhodes (groin)
CINCINNATI BENGALS at PITTSBURGH STEELERS
CINCINNATI BENGALS
–OUT: LB Vontaze Burfict (concussion), CB Tony McRae (hamstring)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
–DOUBTFUL: LB Vince Williams (toe)
–QUESTIONABLE: WR Antonio Brown (not injury related, knee), RB James Conner (ankle), S Sean Davis (quadriceps)
CLEVELAND BROWNS at BALTIMORE RAVENS
CLEVELAND BROWNS
–OUT: CB Denzel Ward (concussion)
–QUESTIONABLE: C JC Tretter (ankle)
BALTIMORE RAVENS
–QUESTIONABLE: WR John Brown (hamstring), DB/LB Anthony Levine (toe, ankle), G Alex Lewis (shoulder), LB Terrell Suggs (hamstring), CB Tavon Young (groin)
DALLAS COWBOYS at NEW YORK GIANTS
DALLAS COWBOYS
–OUT: DE Tyrone Crawford (neck), DL David Irving (ankle)
–QUESTIONABLE: CB Anthony Brown (back), LB Sean Lee (hamstring), G Zack Martin (knee), T Tyron Smith (knee).
NEW YORK GIANTS
–OUT: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (quadriceps), DL Mario Edwards (calf), TE Rhett Ellison (concussion), LB Alec Ogletree (concussion), WR Russell Shepard (ankle)
DETROIT LIONS at GREEN BAY PACKERS
DETROIT LIONS
–OUT: DT A’Shawn Robinson (knee), CB DeShawn Shead (knee), TE Luke Willson (concussion)
–QUESTIONABLE: CB/RS Jamal Agnew (knee), RB LeGarrette Blount (knee), S Quandre Diggs (back), WR Kenny Golladay (chest), DT Damon Harrison Sr. (ankle), CB Nevin Lawson (ankle)
GREEN BAY PACKERS
–DOUBTFUL: T Jason Spriggs (concussion), WR Equanimeous St. Brown (concussion)
–QUESTIONABLE: WR Davante Adams (knee), CB Jaire Alexander (groin), T David Bakhtiari (hip), S Kentrell Brice (ankle, not injury related), DL Fadol Brown (toe), G Patrick Lucas (abdomen), G Lane Taylor (knee)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS at HOUSTON TEXANS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
–OUT: CB A.J. Bouye (toe), K Josh Lambo (right groin), T Josh Wells (concussion)
–DOUBTFUL: RB Leonard Fournette (ankle, foot)
–QUESTIONABLE: CB D.J. Hayden (groin), RB Carlos Hyde (knee)
HOUSTON TEXANS
–QUESTIONABLE: WR Keke Coutee (hamstring), NT Brandon Dunn (ankle), CB Johnathan Joseph (neck)
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS at DENVER BRONCOS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
–QUESTIONABLE: TE Sean Culkin (back)
DENVER BRONCOS
No players listed
MIAMI DOLPHINS at BUFFALO BILLS
MIAMI DOLPHINS
–DOUBTFUL: S T.J. McDonald (ankle)
–QUESTIONABLE: LB Kiko Alonso (knee, hamstring), DE Andre Branch (knee), DT Ziggy Hood (hamstring), CB Xavien Howard (knee)
BUFFALO BILLS
–OUT: LB Julian Stanford (ankle), WR Deonte Thompson (toe)
–QUESTIONABLE: RB Chris Ivory (shoulder), CB Ryan Lewis (concussion)
NEW YORK JETS at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
NEW YORK JETS
–OUT: CB Morris Claiborne (shoulder, ankle), WR Quincy Enunwa (ankle), WR Jermaine Kearse (Achilles), LB Kevin Pierre-Louis (shoulder)
–QUESTIONABLE: LB Jordan Jenkins (ankle)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
–OUT: TE Jacob Hollister (hamstring)
–QUESTIONABLE: TE Dwayne Allen (knee), LB Brandon king (knee), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (knee), T LaAdrian Waddle (illness).
OAKLAND RAIDERS at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
OAKLAND RAIDERS
–OUT: CB Montrel Meander (quadriceps)
–QUESTIONABLE: CB Gareon Conley (concussion), DT Maurice Hurst (ankle)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
–OUT: WR Sammy Watkins (foot)
–QUESTIONABLE: S Eric Berry (heel), CB Kendall Fuller (thumb), RB Spencer Ware (hamstring), RB Darrel Williams (hamstring)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at WASHINGTON REDSKINS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
–OUT: LB D.J. Alexander (hamstring), CB Sidney Jones (hamstring), G Isaac Seumalo (pectoral), WR Mike Wallace (ankle), QB Carson Wentz (back)
–QUESTIONABLE: DE Michael Bennett (foot), LB Jordan Hicks (calf), C Travis Kelce (knee), T Jason Peters (quadriceps)
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
–OUT: WR Maurice Harris (concussion), T Ty Nsekhe (knee)
–DOUBTFUL: TE Vernon Davis (concussion)
–QUESTIONABLE: LB Ryan Anderson (hamstring), DE Matt Ioannidis (hamstring), C/G Tony Bergstrom (knee, ankle), G Zac Kerin (knee), WR Josh Doctson (illness)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS at LOS ANGELES RAMS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
–OUT: RB Matt Breida (ankle), WR Marquise Goodwin (calf), WR Dante Pettis (knee), TE Garrett Celek (concussion)
–QUESTIONABLE: CB Tarvarius Moore (shoulder)
LOS ANGELES RAMS
–OUT: RB Todd Gurley II (knee), S Lamarcus Joyner (ankle)
–QUESTIONABLE: RB Justin Davis (shoulder), DL Ethan Westbrooks (illness)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS at TENNESSEE TITANS (Sunday night)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
–OUT: WR Daurice Fountain (ankle), C Ryan Kelly (neck)
–QUESTIONABLE: TE Eric Ebron (concussion, knee), S Clayton Geathers (knee), CB Nate Hairston (hip), WR T.Y. Hilton (ankle), WR Dontrelle Inman (shoulder), WR Zach Pascal (knee), DE Jabaal Sheard (teeth, knee)
TENNESSEE TITANS
–OUT: LB Brian Orakpo (elbow)
–QUESTIONABLE: QB Marcus Mariota (neck, foot)
