NFC West

Fantasy managers who were able to count on Cooper Kupp for consistent production find themselves in a bad spot for the rest of the season.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay announced this week his star will be placed on injured reserve after having surgery to repair a high ankle sprain.

While McVay didn't rule out Kupp returning before the end of the season, he will miss a minimum of four weeks. The earliest he will be eligible to return is the Rams' Week 15 game against the Green Bay Packers.

Kupp has been the only offensive standout for the reigning Super Bowl champs thus far. He has 98 targets, 75 receptions, 812 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns. The rest of the team's pass-catchers have 219 targets, 146 receptions, 1,337 yards and nine total touchdowns.

If you subscribe to the old fantasy theory that someone has to catch passes in this offense, you might be able to talk yourself into one of the Rams' pass-catchers.

The Rams bet on Allen Robinson during the offseason when he signed a three-year, $46.5 million deal as a free agent.

Robinson got the deal despite coming off the worst season of his career in 2021. Usually one of the most dependable fantasy receivers in the NFL, the 29-year-old had just 38 receptions, 410 yards and one touchdown in 12 games with the Chicago Bears.

He averaged 1,199 receiving yards, 100 receptions and 153 targets over the previous two seasons. No other player on the Bears had more than 61 catches or 631 yards in 2020.

If Robinson's decline was only down to playing for an inept Chicago offense, putting him in Sean McVay's system next to Kupp seemed like reason enough to expect him to get back to those pre-2021 numbers.

Through nine games thus far, it seems Robinson's decline may not be entirely because of the Bears offense. He has 292 yards and two touchdowns on 29 receptions.

Van Jefferson had 802 yards and six touchdowns in 17 starts last season. He ranked 31st overall among all wide receivers in PPR leagues with 118.2 points, per Fantasy Pros. Injuries caused him to miss the first six games, but he has just 27 yards on three catches in three games since Week 8.

Tyler Higbee was a decent sleeper tight end coming into the season. The 29-year-old suffered a knee injury in the NFC Championship Game that required surgery. He racked up 560 yards and tied his career high with five touchdowns during the 2021 regular season.

Given how weak tight end is in fantasy right now, betting on Higbee as a starter isn't a bad option. He was a borderline TE1 in 2021 with 86 points in PPR leagues. He ranks second on the Rams with 385 receiving yards on 44 receptions, though he has yet to find the end zone.

None of these options is especially appealing, even if Matthew Stafford returns this week after sitting out Week 10 with a concussion.

Maybe Higbee's value increases slightly because he's been the No. 2 option after Kupp and fantasy production from tight ends overall in 2022 has been dreadful.

Welcome to the HBO spotlight, Colt McCoy.

It was fitting that Wednesday's episode of Hard Knocks, which was the second one of the in-season, behind-the-scenes look at the Arizona Cardinals, opened with star quarterback Kyler Murray receiving treatment.

It was a reminder that the adversity from a slow start to the season that was the focus of the first episode was still very much present one week later.

Murray dealt with a hamstring injury, safety Budda Baker suffered a high ankle sprain and the offensive line had health concerns ahead of a matchup with Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams. Kelvin Beachum went to the hospital for what was feared to be appendicitis but ultimately wasn't, which led to some relief and jokes from teammates and coaches.

.@KelvinBeachumJr 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂....#HardKnocks @12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/fEVdek0jUw

— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) November 17, 2022

grab your popcorn 🍿#HardKnocks In-Season is now streaming on @HBOMax pic.twitter.com/N8ZfQdvBqo

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 17, 2022

Damn, Beach.

Said he passed out this week due to some “itis” type thing and had to go to the ER. #HardKnocks

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) November 17, 2022

The season seemed to be slipping away for the Cardinals after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks dropped their record to 3-6, especially with all the health concerns.

But the urgency to turn things around stood out, whether it was Baker finding his way back onto the field much earlier than expected, new father J.J. Watt explaining what he went through to get back when his heart was shocked back into rhythm or McCoy demonstrating plenty of leadership in practice, film study and the quarterback room.

More McCoy "If we know what to do and if the spacing is right and you do your job, we will beat this team. We will beat anybody. That is the bottom line. So when we talk about, like, what can we do? It's these little details that are just adding up." (2/2) @12SportsAZ

— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) November 17, 2022

Enter: Colt McCoy #HardKnocks | @ColtMcCoy pic.twitter.com/rXwfO9qgXj

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) November 17, 2022

Colt McCoy was absolutely determined to get everyone on the same page last week. #HardKnocks

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) November 17, 2022

Colt McCoy burning up #HardKnocks

— Marc Sessler (@MarcSessler) November 17, 2022

Colt McCoy is so impressive his football IQ is off the charts what a leader. #HardKnocks

— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) November 17, 2022

5 mins into Hard Knocks and my instant takeaway is that Colt McCoy has a good coaching career ahead of him.

— Jason Hayes (@JasonHayesNFL) November 17, 2022

Budda's back, tell a friend 🗣#HardKnocks | @Buddabaker3 pic.twitter.com/y55waisZ92

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) November 17, 2022

https://twitter.com/jhall_1906/status/1593085743844712449

.@JJWatt and family🌵 #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/t7CuQZzNgJ

— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) November 17, 2022

That leadership translated to Sunday, as McCoy led the Cardinals to a 27-17 victory that changed the entire outlook of their season.

It proved to be a backup bowl, as John Wolford played for the injured Matthew Stafford on the other side. McCoy came out on top and went 26-of-37 for 238 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions, while James Conner scored two touchdowns on the ground.

The game stood out for more than just the result, as Cardinals associate head coach and wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson went up against his son, Van. That gave Hard Knocks the opportunity to provide one of the heart-touching moments the show is known for, but the attention eventually returned to football.

Nobody coaches you like your dad ♥

Shawn and Van Jefferson shared a heartfelt moment after facing off against each other. #HardKnocks In Season with the @AZCardinals continues Tonight at 10pm ET on @hbomax pic.twitter.com/GkUZDh83mR

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) November 16, 2022

“He got a ring! He got a ring!”

The joy on Shawn J.’s face is so awesome. #HardKnocks

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) November 17, 2022

Thanks to McCoy's effort, returns for Baker and Beachum, dominance from Watt, and strong play throughout the roster, the Cardinals are now 4-6 and have some momentum on their side heading into a divisional game against the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico on Monday Night Football.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford appears set to return from a one-game absence on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters that Stafford was a full participant in Wednesday's practice and is expected to be cleared from concussion protocol on Friday, putting him in line to play in Week 11.

Stafford was placed in concussion protocol last Tuesday following the Rams' Week 9 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McVay said last week that he didn't have any indication that Stafford was experiencing concussion symptoms during the game.

Stafford's return comes at a crucial time for the defending Super Bowl champions. While he was out Sunday, Los Angeles was defeated by the Arizona Cardinals 27-17 for its third straight loss, which dropped the team to 3-6 and last place in the NFC West. John Wolford started in his place, finishing 24-of-36 for 212 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

When Stafford takes the field against the Saints, he will be missing his favorite target. The Rams placed star wide receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve after he was forced to undergo surgery for a high ankle sprain he suffered against the Cardinals. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year was in the midst of another spectacular season with 75 catches for 812 yards and six touchdowns.

While Kupp is out, Los Angeles could have trouble moving the ball because of how much the offense revolves around him. Tight end Tyler Higbee ranks second on the team with just 385 receiving yards. Veteran receiver Allen Robinson II, the team's prized free-agent signing this past offseason, has failed to make an impact with just two touchdowns this year.

It will be up to Stafford to make it work with this crop of receivers for the Rams to turn their season around and make a push for a spot in the playoffs.

Things keep getting worse for the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, who will be without star wide receiver Cooper Kupp for at least the next four games.

Head coach Sean McVay told reporters Tuesday that Kupp will be placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain that requires surgery.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Kupp's prognosis "doesn't sound good."

The injury occurred during the Rams' 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. After Kupp attempted to catch a pass from quarterback John Wolford in the fourth quarter, he grabbed his ankle.

After being helped to the bench by the team's medical staff, Kupp sat out for the remainder of the game.

Kupp originally injured his ankle on Oct. 30 in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He missed one practice and was limited in another leading up to the Rams' next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he played well with 127 yards and one touchdown on nine catches.

The move to injured reserve means Kupp won't be eligible to play until Dec. 19. Depending on how things go for the Rams in the next four weeks, they may not look to rush him back on the field.

Kupp has been one of the few bright spots for the Rams so far this season. He has 75 receptions, 812 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. The rest of the team has combined for 146 receptions, 1,337 yards and three touchdowns.

The Rams have lost three straight and five of their past six games. They are currently in last place in the NFC West with a 3-6 record and trail the 49ers by two games for the final playoff spot in the conference.

The Los Angeles Rams could be without their top offensive playmaker for the foreseeable future.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain after he went down in Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. A source told Schefter that Kupp's prognosis "doesn't sound good."

Kupp suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game when attempting to catch a pass from quarterback John Wolford, who was starting in place of Matthew Stafford after he was ruled out for not clearing concussion protocol. Kupp was examined by the Los Angeles training staff before heading back to the locker room as the Rams went on to lose 27-17.

The 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Kupp is once again proving himself to be one of the best receivers in the league. He ranks second in the NFL with 75 receptions, fifth with 812 receiving yards and tied for fifth with six receiving touchdowns.

Losing Kupp for any amount of time will be a significant blow to the offense of the defending Super Bowl champions, which heavily depends on his production. According to ESPN's Sarah Barshop, Kupp accounted for 35.7 percent of the Rams' receptions entering Week 10, the highest mark in the NFL.

"He's arguably the best receiver in the league," Wolford said after the loss to Arizona. "He's a great leader for us and we'll definitely feel an impact to him not being out there, but guys got to step up and we've got to rally if he's not able to go."

The heavily depleted Rams (3-6) will look to end a three-game skid when they visit the New Orleans Saints (3-7) on Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers are not the type of team that will light up the scoreboard, so it's imperative that the defense plays at an elite level for the team to be successful.

The 49ers defense did just that in a 22-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football. The Chargers were limited to 238 yards of total offense and failed to score any points in the second half.

San Francisco was led by a dominant showing from star defensive end Nick Bosa, who finished with four tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss. Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw tied for the team lead with seven tackles apiece. Jordan Willis and Charles Omenihu also registered a sack. Talanoa Hufanga sealed the game with an interception on Los Angeles' final drive.

NFL Twitter was impressed with what it saw from Bosa and the rest of the San Francisco defense on Sunday:

49ers defense delivers again!!!!!

— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) November 14, 2022

49ers' defense: Second-half shutout

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) November 14, 2022

The Niners defense closes space so quickly

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) November 14, 2022

Don’t leave Nick Bosa one on one

— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) November 14, 2022

Nick Bosa starts the drive off with an impressive tackle for loss. #49ers

— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) November 14, 2022

Another punt upcoming. The 49ers' defense continues to do its job.

— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) November 14, 2022

Fred Warner gets the third down pressure on Justin Herbert for force the punt. Critical stop there for the #49ers defense.

— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) November 14, 2022

https://twitter.com/davidfucillo/status/1591979247463239680

49ers defense has been amazing after that 1st drive of the game!

— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) November 14, 2022

49ers defense in the second half over their past two games:

-0 points allowed
-52 and 58 yards, respectively, allowed

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) November 14, 2022

Niners defense and second half adjustments. Just run out the clock!

— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) November 14, 2022

Nick Bosa gets a sack on the least-sacked QB in the NFL.

— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) November 14, 2022

Nick Bosa sacks Justin Herbert.

The Bosa’s become the 7th family (since individual sacks were first officially tracked in 1982) to amass 100+ combined sacks in their careers (min. 1.0 sack each)

— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) November 14, 2022

Nick Bosa always comes through in the biggest moments. What a special football player.

— Vish Kumaran (@VishKumaran) November 14, 2022

The #49ers defense has been great in the second half.

— Marc Adams (@49ersCamelot) November 14, 2022

Since allowing a 44-point outburst by the Kansas City Chiefs in a Week 7 loss, the 49ers have held their opponents to under 20 points in each of their last two games. San Francisco will need to continue playing at a high level as the push for the playoffs approaches, and the team will benefit from not having a true road game in the next four weeks.

The 49ers will look to keep the momentum going when they take on the Arizona Cardinals next week in Mexico City on Monday Night Football.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp suffered an ankle injury in Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but he appears to have avoided the "worst-case scenario," per The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue.

Kupp's right leg got rolled up on after he jumped to try to make a catch near the sideline in the second half. He's expected to undergo more testing in the coming days, per Rodrigue.

Cooper Kupp is grabbing his leg after the last play. pic.twitter.com/daG0LtZsBT

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 13, 2022

After the game, Rams coach Sean McVay said things "didn't look good":

Sean McVay says no update on Cooper Kupp. Says “didn’t look good, didn’t sound good.” Reiterates he has no update.

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) November 14, 2022

It's a tough break for Kupp, who is in the midst of a solid season despite the Rams' struggles. He entered Sunday's game with 72 catches for 813 yards and six touchdowns in eight games.

If Kupp is sidelined for an extended period of time, the Rams could be in trouble. No other receiver is even close to producing like the superstar has this season.

Tight end Tyler Higbee entered Sunday's game ranked second on the Rams with 312 yards, while veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II had 248 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Ben Skowronek had posted 231 yards, but no other receiver behind him had hit triple digits.

Tutu Atwell and Brandon Powell figure to see more playing time if Kupp is sidelined moving forward, though Higbee and Robinson would continue to serve as L.A.'s top offensive threats.

Kupp has been mostly durable over his six-year career, appearing in at least 15 games in four of his first five seasons in the NFL. However, he tore his ACL during the 2018 season and appeared in just eight games.

The 29-year-old put together the best season of his career in 2021, catching 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in 17 games. He earned an All-Pro selection and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

With a loss to the Cardinals, the Rams dropped to 3-6 on the season. With the injuries continuing to pile up, they look far from contending for another championship this year.

Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz is expected to miss multiple weeks after being carted off the field during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter with a knee injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Cardinals TE Zach Ertz, spotted in a brace after Arizona’s win, is expected to miss multiple weeks with the knee injury he suffered today, per source. The team does suspect that his ACL is intact, however. But Ertz will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine full extent of injury.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 14, 2022

Zach Ertz has been carted off the field.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/jPGUT1fRPl

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 13, 2022

Ertz had one catch for 12 yards before exiting.

The 32-year-old veteran is in the midst of his 10th NFL campaign and his first full season with the Cardinals after spending the first nine years and 123 regular-season games of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Entering Sunday's game, Ertz had caught 46 passes for 394 yards and four touchdowns in nine games for the Cardinals this season.

While Ertz began the 2021 season with the Eagles and appeared in six games for Philly, he was traded to Arizona on Oct. 15, 2021, in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick and defensive back Tay Gowan.

He was highly effective for the Cards, recording 56 receptions for 574 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games.

Ertz was once among the top tight ends in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl nods in three straight seasons from 2017 to 2019. That run was part of a remarkable streak that saw him finish with at least 800 receiving yards in five straight seasons from 2015 to 2019.

During that five-year period, Ertz averaged 86.2 receptions for 914.4 yards and 5.6 touchdowns per season.

His best year came in 2018, when he set career highs across the board with 116 receptions for 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns.

Things fell apart for Ertz on multiple fronts in 2020, resulting in the worst statistical campaign of his career.

Ertz missed five games because of injury and wasn't particularly effective when he played, finishing with 36 receptions for 335 yards and just one touchdown.

The poor quarterback play of Carson Wentz did Ertz no favors last season, and his production didn't get any better when Jalen Hurts took over the starting job.

In addition to Ertz dealing with quarterback issues, he was the subject of trade rumors throughout the season because of his desire to move on.

The trade rumors followed him throughout the offseason, and it eventually came to pass after the Cards lost tight end Maxx Williams for the season with a knee injury.

Ertz's injury is a huge blow to an offense that was already missing quarterback Kyler Murray, who is out with a hamstring injury. Without Ertz, backup quarterback Colt McCoy is likely to primarily focus on distributing the ball to his strong group of wide receivers, including DeAndre Hopkins, Robbie Anderson, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore.

As far as the tight end position goes, look for Trey McBride and Stephen Anderson to take on increased responsibilities.

The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly expected to make quarterback Geno Smith a long-term contract offer this offseason.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Seahawks want Smith to remain as their starter "into the future" after most expected him to be a stopgap for the 2022 season. Smith has instead been the 2022 season's most surprising breakout player, throwing for 2,199 yards and 15 touchdowns against four interceptions.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll credited Smith's relationship with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron as a big reason for the quarterback's success—all while throwing shade in Russell Wilson's direction in the process.

"He's getting everything he can get out of Shane," Carroll said on 710 ESPN Seattle. "That's a really important part of it. Shane helps him all the way through to the 15-second point (when communication from the sideline stops). ... They're just communicating to get it done and there's this conversation that goes on, so they work it out, and Geno (is) taking advantage of all of that.

"If you notice, Geno's going off the wristband, and that's a big help. It's smoothed things out, sped things up, cleaned things up. And that's part of it, too. We never did that before. There was resistance to that, so we didn't do that before."

A 2013 second-round pick, Smith struggled mightily early in his career with the New York Jets before eventually settling in as a career backup. He went from the Jets to the Giants and the Chargers before finally settling in behind Wilson in 2019. When Seattle traded Wilson to Denver in March, many expected the Seahawks to acquire a higher-profile option as a replacement.

Instead, Carroll expressed confidence in Smith, and he's looked great so far this season. Seattle is a surprising 6-3 and leads the NFC West despite nearly all experts predicting a last-place finish. Smith is garnering MVP support after many pegged him as the NFL's worst starting quarterback coming into the season.

While the Seahawks have gotten a little bit of good luck this season—they've only outscored their opponents by 21 points—there's no doubt Smith has done enough to be back next season with a contract befitting of a starter.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford appears unlikely to play on Sunday as he continues to recover from a concussion.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, John Wolford is set to start against the Arizona Cardinals barring a "drastic change" with Stafford.

Fowler also noted Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will test his hamstring injury in pregame warm-ups but also may not play.

Stafford, 34, has had a tough 2022 campaign after leading the Rams to a Super Bowl title last season, throwing for just 1,928 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 68.4 percent of his passes. The Rams are 3-5 and in a fight to return to the postseason.

The veteran quarterback has largely stayed healthy this campaign, though he was put in the concussion protocol after the team's Week 9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a limited participant in Friday's practice and is officially listed as questionable.

Head coach Sean McVay told reporters he didn't have an indication Stafford might have suffered a concussion during that game, but the medical staff spoke to the quarterback after the contest and "then what they ascertained as a result of those questions made them feel like, 'Hey, the appropriate thing for the person and the player in this instance is to put him in the protocol.'"

"Whether or not that means he has a concussion or not isn't for me to truly understand," McVay added. "But there's the necessary steps that we need to take."

Wolford has served as a backup quarterback in Los Angeles since the 2020 season.

"John's a guy that when he's been in these situations, he's stepped in and done a really good job," McVay told reporters after Stafford had been placed in the concussion protocol. "And it wasn't too long ago that he had to come in in a game that we had to have to be able to get into the playoffs and he performed incredibly well."

That game came in January 2021, when Wolford took over for the injured Jared Goff in Week 17 and led the Rams to an 18-7 win over the Cardinals, throwing for 231 yards and an interception.

The Rams are hosting the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.