LOS ANGELES — The ball spun, tight and true. Tutu Atwell didn’t have to hurry or slow in the midst of his corner route, tracking the ball as it fell where only he could catch it in the end zone.
Practicing Tuesday for the second consecutive day after missing the first four weeks with an aggravated disc in his back, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford again looked like himself. Participating in the full practice, including the team portion against the first-string defense, he moved well in the pocket and had his typical strength behind his throws.
Head coach Sean McVay, still exercising caution in his public comments about his starting quarterback’s health, said he saw an improvement from Stafford’s practice debut Monday to Tuesday.
“I thought it was a step in the right direction. We’re going to continue to hope he’s able to stack days and feel good. That’s what’s happened so far,” McVay said. “I thought there were some good rushes that we had where he had to move and manipulate the pocket, activate all parts of the field. I think yesterday was good for him to be able to get a feel. It was good for him to be able to go through the whole practice. You can see as he gets himself immersed in team activities, he’s totally present and getting his feet wet a little bit.”
The challenge for Stafford is stepping in with an offense and against a defense that have a full month of practice under their belts. Stafford, 37, hadn’t practiced in full since early June and now is trying to get back up to full speed.
But to this point, he has appeared to play on time without any obvious limitations to the way he is moving on the field.
“All the reps he got in the spring were helpful. It’s a different speed, there’s different things we’re activating when we’re in pads, there’s a little more volume on both sides,” McVay said. “I think he’s handled the last two days really well. … You’re really hopeful that this is the direction that we continue to just stack good blocks.”
The Rams will have a jog through on Wednesday before practicing in full again Thursday. It has yet to be determined whether or not Stafford will travel to Cleveland for the team’s preseason finale against the Browns on Saturday.
McVay sensed that Stafford was more comfortable on the field Tuesday, but the Rams will still be monitoring his progress closely to see how his back responds, as evidenced by VP of sports medicine and performance Reggie Scott checking in with Stafford as he walked off at the end of practice.
“I think he really trusted that the fact that he felt good yesterday and that allowed him to be able to take a step in the right direction,” McVay said. “I think the smart thing is to take it a day at a time. Because the reality is we’re trying to get our hands on this and get him to feel as good as possible. Backs can be a volatile thing. This is definitely positive progress.”
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While left tackle Alaric Jackson (blood clots) still hasn’t been cleared to participate in full contact drills, McVay expressed optimism that he would be able to play in Week 1 against the Houston Texans.
“We’re hopeful, but it could be any sort of setback; there’s no reason to think that but this is a situation that I haven’t navigated before,” McVay said. “But he’s doing great.”
Wide receiver Davante Adams took a veteran rest day Tuesday.
Rookie offensive lineman Willie Lampkin suffered an ankle sprain and PCL sprain in last weekend’s preseason game, McVay said, and is expected to miss multiple weeks.