Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford avoided any serious damage to his throwing hand, clearing the way for him to play on Sunday against the Chicago Bears in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Head coach Sean McVay said that after tests the Rams medical staff determined that Stafford only sprained the index finger on his throwing hand when he banged into the forearm of a pass rusher late in the first half of Saturday’s 34-31 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Stafford would go on to play the entire second half with the injury, shaking off a slow start in the third quarter to lead a game-winning touchdown drive in the final two minutes of the fourth.
“He’s feeling good,” McVay said. “He’s as tough as it gets and he’ll be good to go.”
McVay said Stafford doesn’t expect to wear any kind of protection for the finger. But given the frosty weather forecast in Chicago with a high of 11 degrees expected on Sunday, McVay joked that any decision to wear a glove in that weather would be a “personal preference.”
The Rams are also hopeful that right guard Kevin Dotson will be back against the Bears after missing the last three games with an ankle sprain. Dotson has yet to practice since suffering the injury against the Seahawks in Week 16, but has been moving around better in the Rams locker room after initially needing a walking boot and crutches.
“He’s making great progress. I was really encouraged,” McVay said. “Optimistic about what that looks like for this week. Been proud as hell about the way that Justin Dedich has battled, but I know Kevin is preparing to go play this week. We’re going to really push that thing with the optimism that there’s a good chance that he makes it.”
McVay also said he expects tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) back against the Bears after he was a late scratch against the Panthers.
But cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon will be put on season-ending injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury that McVay said he believes is another break of his scapula, an injury that put him on IR after Week 3 of this season.
“It was a tough good tackle by him but it kind of re-aggravated that same thing from earlier in the year,” McVay said.
Assistants interviewing
Three Rams assistant coaches are set to interview for head coaching jobs this week.
According to multiple reports, defensive coordinator Chris Shula has received interview requests from the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has requests from the Cardinals and Raiders, while passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase has requests from the Raiders, Ravens and Cleveland Browns.
McVay said he is not worried about these career opportunities being distractions during game preparations for the Bears.
“I’m not at all concerned,” McVay said, adding that this portion of the interview process is more about introductions than anything else. “I’m happy for them and I’m not at all concerned about it being a distraction because of how those guys are.”