THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams head coach Sean McVay, offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, wide receiver Robert Woods and offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth each held video conferences with local media Wednesday, discussing Whitworth's possible return, the Seahawks defense and more.
Here are some of the highlights and key takeaways from those virtual conversations.
"(Jared Goff) went through what a normal practice would entail." – McVay
- Asked by a reporter what Goff (right thumb) went through in practice today, McVay indicated it was Goff's normal routine – "Ball handling, throwing some routes on air, getting a little bit of work off to the side when the defense was going, and got some stuff in with our offensive guys."
- McVay said he "was pleased" with what he saw out of Goff.
"(If Whitworth returns this week), you get a veteran guy that's been playing this game a long time, and he's a leader. If you can get him on the field playing, that's definitely a plus for us." – Donald
- McVay said yesterday "there's a good chance" of Whitworth returning to the starting lineup this week. If that ends up being the case, Donald said the Rams will benefit from his presence.
- "As long as he's healthy and he feels good, I know he's going to go out there and he's going to dominate," Donald said.
"I think you notice the attention to detail (with) which they're playing." – O'Connell
- The Seahawks enter Saturday's Wild Card game with an improved defense, one that engineered a turnaround in the second half of the season after some issues in the first half.
- O'Connell mentioned Jamal Adams getting healthy, and Seattle's defense as a whole throughout other areas, as factors in that turnaround from his perspective.
"(Who is starting at quarterback on Saturday) is really the least of the preparation and the worries. We know they're going to go out there and get the job done." – Woods
- Whether it's Jared Goff or John Wolford under center on Saturday, Woods expressed confidence in both being able to successfully lead the offense.
- "Just go out there, be ready, be an open target, and be ready to make plays with the ball in our hands," Woods said of the receivers' responsibilities, regardless of who is throwing them the ball.
"It was great. I've been waiting for this moment, to have an opportunity to get back out (there) for awhile now. It was fun to just get out there and compete a little bit." – Whitworth
- Whitworth is glad to be back practicing with the team and gearing up for a potential return to the starting lineup on Saturday.
- Whtiworth said he does feel ready to be back out on the field in that capacity, but at the same time knows there's still "some boxes to check off and still make sure that you can do everything," such as "see(ing) how (the knee) really responds tomorrow from practicing today and the next day from practicing tomorrow."
