Week 8 was a disaster for more reasons than one for the Los Angeles Rams. They were destroyed by the Dallas Cowboys, losing 43-20 as Dallas jumped out to an early lead and never stopped piling on.
To make matters worse, on top of the blowout loss, starting quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered an injury. On a passing attempt in the third quarter on a two-point conversion, Stafford got his thumb stuck in an opponent’s helmet, which seemed to be where the injury occurred.
Injuries to his hand and thumb are unfortunately nothing new for Stafford. He has battled numerous ones throughout his career, sometimes battling through the pain to stay on the field for his team.
That wasn’t the case on Sunday afternoon, as the thumb injury forced him out of the game. But, not before he caught a pass to convert the two-point conversion and spiked the ball. The score could have played a part in the decision to hold Stafford out, as he was replaced by Brett Rypien on the Rams’ next drive.
However, according to Dr. Jesse Morse, a sports medicine physician of The Fantasy Doctors, that spike is where Stafford could have done the damage that forced him to the sidelines. According to Morse, there are a few different ways this can go.
Based on his injury history, Morse believes Stafford is the kind of player who will return from a milder MCP joint and UCL injury. The MRI that he will be undergoing on Monday will determine the kind of tear that he has. A mild one can be played through, but a severe one could keep him sidelined for a few weeks.
What this will come down to for the Rams and Stafford is whether or not he can hold onto a football. It is the same issue the Chicago Bears are having with their quarterback, Justin Fields, as he wanted to keep playing after injuring his thumb but he could not physically hold and throw the football.
If the Rams run into a similar issue with Stafford, he could be sidelined for a few weeks. Fields has missed two games and counting with his injury. The Rams are set to play against the Green Bay Packers in Week 9 before having their bye in Week 10. If they want to ensure he is as healthy as can be for the stretch run, the Rams could hold him out next week, giving him a full three weeks between games to heal up.
