A healthy Brian Allen is vital to the LA Rams playoff hopes

When I looked over the LA Rams injury report for Week 12, I initially failed to take note of offensive center Brian Allen’s status. He injured his elbow early in the loss to the Tennessee Titans and played injured against the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, the Rams lost both games, and in a rather humbling fashion.

A humbling style for the team? Perhaps. But the LA Rams were playing with the equivalent of a one-armed offensive center. And until those horrendous outings in Weeks 9 and 10, I truly had underestimated the importance of a healthy Allen to the LA Rams offense, and overall team.

Well, I did appreciate his efforts. That wasn’t it. He held up incredibly well against a streak of some of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen. The Rams faced the Chicago Bears (Eddie Goldman), the Indianapolis Colts (DeForest Buckner), and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Vita Vea). The Rams opened the season 3-0, thanks in no small part to the ability of Brian Allen to set blocking assignments, hike the football, and protect his quarterback.

Allen’s elbow

Conversely, he suffered an injury to his elbow early in the game against the Tennessee Titans. In the two weeks that followed, the ever-dependable pass protection was porous. The always reliable Matthew Stafford was throwing more interceptions than touchdown passes. And the team put up its worst performance of the season against the Titans and then played with even more futility the following week against their NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers.

Well, after an outbreak of injuries to the LA Rams, here is a bit of positive news folks. Offensive center, Brian Allen, no longer appears on the injury report. While he may or may not be playing with his elbow brace, the fact that his elbow has healed enough to vacate the team’s injury report is critical for the team.

Allen is the offensive axle. If he struggles, that immediately impacts both offensive guards, which describes the Rams offensive line challenges perfectly before the BYE. Now, the Rams’ offensive line should be able to play a bit more like their early-season dominance. It couldn’t happen at a better time, as the Rams have a chance to win and to defeat a strong NFC competitor in the process.

Brian Allen may not be among the Top 5 offensive centers. But if he can reclaim his early-season dominance, he really doesn’t need to be.