INGLEWOOD — He lay on his back, his arms and legs spread, in equal parts exhaustion from the 26 yards he just sprinted and exhilaration from the confirmation from the official that he had, in fact, just scored a touchdown.
By the time Colby Parkinson hauled his 6-foot-7, 265-pound frame up from the turf, the tight end’s Rams teammates were in a sprint to join him to celebrate the go-ahead score. Wide receiver Puka Nacua slapped his helmet a half-dozen times. Parkinson, so fired up, slapped himself in the helmet before doing what has, over the last six weeks, become his signature crab-walk touchdown celebration with wide receiver Davante Adams.
“It’s a lot of fun, that’s for sure,” Parkinson said after the Rams’ 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
With a second insurance score in the fourth quarter, Parkinson reached six touchdowns over the Rams’ last six games, surpassing the five he scored in his first five seasons in the NFL. It’s been a big evolution for the tight end the Rams brought in last season as a primary run blocker, with the hope that he could grow as a pass catcher.
He’s done so to the point that he is third on the Rams in receptions (31), targets (38) and receiving yards (298), while tied with Nacua for second on the team with six touchdowns.
“It’s just been an enjoyable year,” Parkinson said. “I really just want the team to do well and to play to the best of my abilities for the team, whatever that looks like. Early on, I wasn’t getting the ball as much in the red zone and I was totally fine with it as long as I was helping the team win.”
That was Parkinson’s approach a year ago, when he saw the field but wasn’t a featured member of the passing attack even as Nacua and then-Rams receiver Cooper Kupp were sidelined by injuries.
Part of that was the Rams’ reliance on 11-personnel a year ago, limiting tight end opportunities. But Parkinson was also learning his place in the offense.
“Going to a new place is always a little difficult. There’s some growing pains,” Parkinson said. “Being comfortable with the playbook, being comfortable with the guys, with the coaching staff and everyone.”
But as the roles of all tight ends have expanded in the Rams’ new 13-personnel package, Parkinson has been the primary beneficiary in the receiving game.
“There was a reason that we all collectively … were thrilled about grabbing him a year ago out of free agency just from his toughness and some of the things that he can do in all the phases,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “Just really, I don’t want to say accepting his role, but just embracing everything that we’ve asked him to do and do it at the highest clip that he can.”
Witherspoon inactive for Lions game
The Rams’ decision to leave cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon inactive against the Lions was matchup-based, defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.
Witherspoon returned from injured reserve in Week 13 and played in his first two games back before being left off the 48-man game-day roster with the rest of the cornerbacks in the room healthy.
“We’re always just trying to get the best guys up in the best roles,” Shula said. “And then you decide with all four healthy, what do you think the best matchups and things like that are going to be? So we’ll see what that leads to Thursday night.”
Injured reserve decisions
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle) and right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle/knee) are eligible to return off injured reserve this week, but LaFleur said the coaching staff had yet to meet to discuss if they would be part of the game plan for Thursday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks (11-3) with head coach Sean McVay away from the team to tend to his family after, reportedly, the birth of his second child.
“Boss man’s had a few extra little things outside of football that he’s been dealing with, but he’s back at it now,” LaFleur said.