Alaric Jackson suspension allows Rams no reprieve from disastrous week

We knew the ban hammer was coming for left tackle Alaric Jackson when reports surfaced that he had punched Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb on the field after Monday's game. That doesn't make his two-game ban any easier to stomach for Los Angeles Rams fans still reeling from a disastrous defeat. 

Nice going, Alaric. 

Jackson plans to appeal the suspension, according to head coach Sean McVay. It won't be rescinded. Good luck having it reduced. The NFL cares about optics. Smacking a helmetless opponent in the face, in clear view of cameras, isn't a good look.

Assuming the suspension holds, McVay said the Rams would start veteran David Quessenberry this week against the Arizona Cardinals. The offensive line has been a strength so far, but we saw last season how fast it can unravel without Jackson. That Week 17 loss to the Falcons still stings. 

Rams likely facing two weeks without Alaric Jackson

To his credit, Quessenberry played well during training camp and in the preseason and established depth-chart priority over rookie Keagen Trost, who remains on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. 

The ninth-year veteran does have 30 career starts, most recently with the Vikings in 2023. 2021 with the Titans was the only time Quessenberry was a regular starter. Last year in Los Angeles, he saw all of 18 offensive snaps. 

Is starting Quessenberry the end of the world? No. Is it a good feeling? No. The Rams are already down Trost and Justin Dedich in the offensive line rotation. They have a laundry list of other flaws to eradicate. 

Replacing Pro Football Focus' ninth-ranked tackle wasn't part of the plan. 

If Jackson sits the full two games, McVay plans to call on Quessenberry both this week against Arizona and in Week against the Raiders. Coming off a 45-21 drubbing by Detroit, the 1-4 Cardinals aren't exactly the gold standard of NFL competition, but they do have a talented pass rusher in Josh Sweat. You had better believe that they will go after Quessenberry.

Las Vegas has lost a pair to the Chiefs and Patriots but most weeks has been quite competent under the grizzled guidance of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Maxx Crosby remains one of the best edge defenders in the game. Facing Crosby is not the best time to be missing a key starter up front. 

The Rams won't have a choice without Jackson. Even if Trost comes off injured reserve, he won't leapfrog Quessenberry anytime soon. Big Bill Murray is the only other tackle on the 53-man roster. 

Not great. But, hey, there's always a half-glass-full perspective, and this should at least take our minds off the disastrous state of special teams, if only for now.

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