Rams lose OL Jamon Brown and Darrell Williams to season ending injuries

By Michael Condon | Nov 16, 2015

The St. Louis Rams lost more than the game on Sunday. It would appear that rookie starting right guard Jamon Brown will also be lost for the remainder for the season with a leg fracture. Brown injured his leg in an attempt to tackle Chicago Bears linebacker Willie Young after a Nick Foles interception. Brown will join fellow starter Rodger Saffold on injured reserve.

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Brown was carted off the field after the play and it was tough to determine what exactly happened in the scuffle that lead to the injury. Head coach Jeff Fisher spoke about the injury Monday.

"“ When I got over there he was in a lot of pain.” Fisher said. “ It was on the interception return. He tried to make a tackle and in those particular situations, sometimes you get landed onin the back or get your foot caught in the turf. It’s unfortunate for JB because he was off to a great rookie year.” (Nick Wagoner, ESPN)"

Brown was drafted in the third-round pick out of Louisville where he was part of a dominant offensive line. Brown was one of two third-round selections St. Louis made this past spring and had started his ninth consecutive game on Sunday. Fellow rookie Cody Wichmann replaced Brown after the injury, but may not be the long-term solution at the right guard spot.

Fisher will need to choose between Wichmann and yet another rookie in Andrew Donnal, who helped fill in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings. Demetrius Rhaney, who was part of the three-way battle for the center position this off season, is also an option for a reserve role.

Oct 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; St. Louis Rams guard Jamon Brown (68) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

As if to add insult to injury, rookie right tackle Rob Havenstein, who missed the game against the Vikings due to injury, also left the game against Chicago with a calf injury. Havenstein was seen along the sidelines with ice on his leg in the fourth quarter. It’s unsure if the injury is related to the Achilles ailment that kept him out previously.

Undrafted rookie Darrell Williams, who replaced Havenstein last week, was also lost on Monday to a season ending injury. During the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Bears, Williams dislocated his wrist, but was able to finish the game. Monday it was reported Williams will miss the remainder of the season due to that injury.

Once again the front office decision to ignore depth and experience along the offensive line has come into question as the team is forced to shuffle personnel up front. Both Brown and Havenstein were having strong rookie seasons prior to injuries and look like they could be mainstays in the future. The injuries are unfortunate setbacks.

The Rams must now reassess their resources and reassemble an offensive line to protect their new starting quarterback Case Keenum. Keenum’s success may unfairly hinge on the success of the Rams new patched up offensive line. A difficult reality of the NFL.