Final LA Rams injury report for Week 4 gives hope for offensive weapon's return

For the first time in a very long time, the LA Rams do not have another new wave of multiple injuries to address after a football game. While the Rams roster is anything but healthy just yet, the presence of even one week's reprieve does allow the players, the coaches, and the medical staff to collect their thoughts and breathe a collective sigh of relief.

This team is still limping along with 12 key players on injured reserve, plus the fact that starting WR Cooper Kupp remains out, despite not being designated on Injured Reserve. That is simply how it's gone so far in 2024, with the team missing their three top receiving targets in Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and TE Tyler Higbee.

Even second year TE Davis Allen is fighting off a back injury. He missed Week 3, and even now his status for Week 4 is questionable at best:

The Rams official injury report for Week 4 is rather benign. But it does not reflect the vast number of injured players already assigned to IR. And while the team must do without injured players for Week 4, there is the need to consider who, how many, and how to restore players to the active roster as early as Week 5.

As of right now, as many as five players can begin to work their way back to the active roster as early as Week 5, I would be surprised if the team takes any action to restore players before the team's Week 6 BYE. Here is the full list of Rams players on IR right now, as well as the final Week 4 injury report.

IR Physically Unable to Perform (IR/PUP)

• TE Tyler Higbee - Eligible to return Week 5 (1)

IR Designated to Return (IR)

• OT KT Leveston - Eligible to return Week 5 (2)
• DT Larrell Murchison - Eligible to return Week 5 (3)

Reserve Injured (IR)

• C/G Steve Avila - Eligible to return Week 6 (4)
• C/G Jonah Jackson - Eligible to return Week 8 (5)
• DB John Johnson III - Eligible to return Week 8 (6)
• DB Derion Kendrick (Out for the season) (7)
• OT Conor McDermott - Eligible to return Week 5 (8)
• WR Puka Nacua - Eligible to return Week 6 (8)
• OT Joe Noteboom - Eligible to return Week 6 (10)
• DB Tre Tomlinson - (Out for the season) (11)
• DB Darious Williams - Eligible to return Week 5 (12)

Rams Injuries

Here are the players listed in the Rams final injury report:

• TE Davis Allen - Back- Questionable
• WR Cooper Kupp - Ankle - Out

After the Rams surprising (well, not to those of us begging for it) success with their 12-personnel package, the opportunity to get Davis Allen back on the football field is certainly intriguing. But will the Rams add to their TE ranks with needs elsewhere?

The team has committed to activating both PR/WR Xavier Smith and DB Ahkello Witherspoon for their Week 4 contest. That almost ensure that the team will consider TE Davis Allen active for Week 4. But I don't believe the team will play him after they had such a dominating 1-2 punch with TEs Colby Parkinson and Hunter Long together on the football field.

So how are the Bears faring on the injury front?

Bears Injuries

While the Chicago Bears are just 1-2, you cannot attribute their struggles to injuries. They are a young team trying to build around franchise rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. But as we know, those struggles seem to get solved pretty quickly when quarterbacks face the Rams secondary.

• TE Stephen Carlson - Collarbone- Out
• DT Zacch Pickens - Groin - Out
• WR Keenan Allen - Heel - Questionable
• CB Terrell Smith - Hip - Out
• DT Andrew Billings - Knee - Questionable
• FS Keven Byard - Back - Questionable

Bears Reserve Injured (IR)

• RB Travis Homer
• OL Ryan Bates
• WR Dante Pettis
• LS Patrick Scales
• WR Nsimba Webster
• RB Ian Wheeler
• IR/ Designated to return OL Larry Borom
• IR/ Designated to return DL Jacob Martin

The Bears, while appearing to be banged up, are in excellent health compared to many teams right now. The only significant player out in Week 4 per the injury report is rotational defensive tackle Zacch Pickens. And veteran WR Keenan Allen, a dangerous offensive weapon, is likely to play in Week 4.

It seems as though every wide receiver wants to gash the Rams secondary.

Does Davis Allen make sense to play in Week 4?

While the Rams seemed to hit on a solid tandem of tight end Colby Parkinson serving as a pass catcher and Hunter Long handling a blocking tight end role, there are reasons why the Rams may want to use second-year TE Davis Allen in Week 4.

In Week 7 of the 2020 NFL season, the Rams targetted then blocking tight end Johnny Mundt three times. He caught all three passes, putting up 48 receiving yards and the team coasted to a 24-10 win It was one of the best games for Johnny Mundt in a Rams uniform.

With success against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 with two tight ends, the offense would love to double down in Week 4 with a similar pattern. But as soon as a team is able to find something that works, future defensive opponents are already working on ways to shut it down. So the Rams have to add a new wrinkle.

That wrinkle should be getting TE Davis Allen targeted in Week 4.

This team has a chance to claw its way back to a .500 record. Injured or not, the team has to work with what and who they have available. To win in Week 4, the team will need to get a lot of production out of players who haven't had the benefit of playing a lot of snaps.

But now is as good of a time as any to change that.

Thanks for reading.