WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – As two Rams tight ends gutted it out through injury – and one eventually no longer could – 11-year veteran Tyler Higbee answered the call time and time again when the team needed a play.
His five-yard touchdown catch gave Los Angeles an early 7-0 lead over Denver, one of three receptions he had on its opening drive. By the end of the night, he had 62 receiving yards and one touchdown on a team-high eight catches – a performance that moved him into a tie for 10th all-time in franchise history in career receiving touchdowns and also eclipsed 4,000 career receiving yards for him.
Higbee has never been a player to concern himself with individual stats. But he can appreciate the accomplishments knowing it reflects how well he's strived for the same goal his entire career.
"I mean, if I'm doing my job, that stuff will come. You know what I mean?" Higbee told therams.com. "And I don't necessarily think about that kind of stuff, I think about winning football games. That's the number one and foremost. That stuff's cool, I'm grateful for it. It's an honor. But it's not necessarily something I'm chasing."
Higbee's performance Monday night came after playing 25.8% of the offensive snaps in Week 2, and just 19.7% of the offensive snaps in Week 1. Prior to an injury to Terrance Ferguson, and Colby Parkinson picking up a shoulder injury, his role had fluctuated in a way and franchise's most accomplished tight end hadn't seen before in his previous 10 seasons, other than maybe his rookie year.
"I joke with these guys, remind them that the old dog's still got it," Higbee said with a smile. "But no, I mean, that's what I work for. I work (so) when my number's called, it's to make the play and help this team try to win games, however that may be, whatever my role may be. Take pride in it, and I come in every day, come in to work, trying to do that. And again, too, you get in the flow of the game, when you are getting some more reps than I have been in the first couple games, I'm out there having fun. I love playing this game, so being able to be in the mix like that, it's fun. I bring the energy, I bring all that, and that comes with being able to get those reps and being in the game plan, talking my stuff and competing."
That competitive energy gets applied on special teams, too, where the two-time team captain has been used on the punt coverage team, including last week.
"He's a stud. He means so much. He's a captain," head coach Sean McVay said. "Go watch him cover punts too and see the energy that he played with in that phase. Similar to what I was saying about (running back) Kyren (Williams). this guy represents everything that's right about the Rams. I love Tyler Higbee. He's an all-timer."
"That's the player that I've come to know," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "He's a guy that... to play any role, he's ready to go every Sunday. That's such a huge part of our team is having guys like that. He obviously leads the way in that room when it comes to experience and versatility in this offense and being around here. He didn't bat an eye. He went in there and made the great plays that he made to help us give ourselves a chance to win that thing at the end. Obviously, I love being a teammate of Tyler Higbee's. He's what it's all about when it comes to our team and how he plays and how he leads that room."
Los Angeles will likely be counting on Higbee again this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, with Ferguson unlikely to play due to an ankle injury and Parkinson's status still to be determined due to the aforementioned shoulder injury.
Higbee's stat line may look completely different. But even if he ends up being asked to be part of the run surface as a blocker more than he's asked to catch passes and touchdowns, it makes no difference to him if it means the Rams won.
There's something to be said for that mindset and attitude when you see the success the Rams have had in Higbee's tenure.
"Doing my job the right way and being able to stick around as long as I have has helped me do some of that," Higbee said. "I tell people all the time, 'I'm just the only one that's crazy enough to stick around long enough to achieve some of that stuff.' But yeah, I mean, it's not necessarily something I'm chasing. I like wins, and if I'm doing my job and doing the right things and making plays when I'm supposed to, that stuff will come."
