The Los Angeles Rams were mere moments away from upsetting the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 14, but a collapse in overtime sent them home with a tough loss instead.
The Rams kicked a field goal to send the game into overtime and had a good chance of knocking off the Ravens after stopping them on their first drive. However, Los Angeles committed a delay of game penalty that ultimately forced them to punt on their ensuing possession.
Tylan Wallace, the backup punt returner for Baltimore, took the punt and ran it back for a touchdown to end the game and seal Los Angeles’ fate. However, while the loss will sting throughout the week there were some real positives to take away.
With Tyler Higbee declared inactive and Hunter Long getting hurt in the first half, Davis Allen stepped up and had a career day for L.A. He drew praise from Matthew Stafford after the game, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“I thought he did a great job,” Stafford said. “Obviously as a young guy in there, played a bunch of snaps. Happy for him on the touchdown. Great job on the long third down – just sending it down the middle there was a ballsy play, but it worked for him. I thought he did a really nice job. You know, those are some tough matchups both in the run game in the pass game. They got first-round picks all over the place. So I thought he did a nice job.”
Allen, a fifth-round pick of the Rams from 2023 NFL Draft, broke out in the second half as a reliable pass catching option for Stafford. The tight end did well coming down with some crucial catches, recording four receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown.
Although Higbee is expected to suit up for Week 15 against the Washington Commander, it must be good for the coaching staff and team to know that Allen is capable of contributing despite not having many snaps under his belt. Allen was considered to be a project during the draft process, but he looks like he’s ahead of schedule and could make an impact sooner rather than later.
Hunter Long out for season with torn MCL
While Higbee isn’t expected to miss more time, Long was diagnosed with a torn MCL and will miss the remainder of the 2023 season. It’s an unfortunate end to the year for Long who started off the season hurt and now will have to work his way back for the 2024 campaign.
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