The Los Angeles Rams emerged from “Sunday Night Football” in Week 12 ranked sixth in scoring offense and ninth overall, and they are set to get a significant boost to their fifth-ranked passing attack with Tutu Atwell.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is the engine for the Rams, and he has funneled targets to top wideouts Davante Adams and, even more, Puka Nacua.
However, Atwell looms as a potential game-breaker for the Rams in his potential return.
Rams WR Tutu Atwell Expected to Practice in Week 13
GettyTutu Atwell #5 of the Los Angeles Rams hauls in a touchdown pass against the Indianapolis Colts.
Rams head coach Sean McVay met with the media via teleconference on Monday, and he provided the encouraging update from the team’s medical staff regarding Atwell.
“He’s chomping at the bit to get back out there,” McVay said, per TheRams.com’s Stu Jackson on November 24, while announcing they were opening Atwell’s 21-day practice window. “And so my expectation is he’ll be playing against the Panthers.”
Atwell, 26, was the No. 57 overall pick of the 2021 draft.
Atwell last played in Week 7 in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has caught four receptions for 164 yards and 1 touchdown this season, but his field-stretching ability also opens up the field for his teammates on underneath routes.
The Rams clearly value Atwell, re-signing him to a one-year, $10 million contract in free agency this past offseason.
“He’s been a really good football player for us that’s always just kind of answered the bell based on the opportunities he’s had,” McVay said, per Jackson. “And it’s our job to be able to figure out, ‘How do we take advantage of his skill set?’ I think (offensive coordinator) Mike (LaFleur) and our offensive coaching staff have done a really good job of highlighting a bunch of different people, and getting Tutu back into the mix is going to be another opportunity for them to do that.”
Atwell has a 103-1,507-5 line for his career.
Tutu Atwell Gets Honest About Role in Offense
GettyTutu Atwell #5 of the Los Angeles Rams walks off the field after catching the pass to beat the Indianapolis Colts.
Atwell graduated from a special teamer to a role in the Rams’ offense. However, the Rams have never featured him. However, after a go-ahead touchdown catch in September, he spoke candidly about his role.
It was an 88-yarder versus the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, LA’s longest pass play of the season.
“Just waiting for my number to be called. It’s something I’ve been doing the whole year, all these years I’ve been here. It’s my fifth season. So when that op do come, man, make the most of it,” Atwell told reporters in September. “Whatever it takes for us to win.”
Atwell caught one pass for 4 yards over the next three games, but always made an impact.
“I almost cried, to be honest,” Adams said, per The Athletic’s Nate Atkins in September. “Just being on the sideline, you could just feel the emotion, obviously. With ‘Tu’ being here, this is not his first year, and he’s made a lot of plays for this organization. The fans are on his side. The team and everybody in this building just loves ‘Tu’ and what he brings.”
Stafford was also ecstatic for Atwell after the play, explaining that not everything he said during the play was microphone-safe.
“I’m saying wild stuff,” Stafford said of his reaction to the play, per Atkins, noting that he was wearing a mic. “I was coming off the field, I’m like, ‘Hey, man, we’re gonna have to do some heavy editing.’ It’ll probably just be a lot of silence.”
Atwell and the Rams are on the road, taking on the Carolina Panthers in Week 13.
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