Rams making do without injured cornerback Aqib Talib
The Rams' locker room has been decisively quieter since Talib was placed on the injured reserve after a Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Where Talib once filled the locker room with lively debate and laughter, there's now a speaker that occasionally plays music to drown out the silence.cheap nfl jerseys china nike
Talib's absence has been felt, on and off the field, even as the Rams have won eight straight games.
"He's just kind of magnetic," coach Sean McVay said about Talib. "People are just drawn to him. Where there's a charisma, there's a swagger, there's a confidence, but then also there's that experience. ... You definitely miss a player of his caliber."
The Rams made significant moves over the offseason to upgrade their secondary, trading for All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters and Talib, a five-time Pro Bowl selection. Talib, an 11-year veteran, made such a fast impression on his teammates that they voted him a team captain, despite this being his first season in L.A.
Peters especially took to Talib, who had previously played in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme in Denver and helped Peters with some of the nuances of the system.
But Peters and Talib only played together 2½ games before Talib suffered an ankle injury that required surgery. Since then, Peters has manned one side of the field, and Troy Hill and Sam Shields the other.
The Rams are undefeated, but Talib, especially against a gauntlet of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, is missed.
"This secondary needs him," cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman said. "Aqib is a one of the centerpieces of our team."
"You're going to miss that presence," said Hill, who has started four games with Talib sidelined. "So that's a big factor and things like that. But he's still out there, helping, seeing what he sees and things like that."
Peters and Hill held their own against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. But they also allowed the future Hall of Fame quarterback to complete several big plays.china nike nfl jerseys cheap
Peters allowed passes of 48 and 41 yards to receiver Davante Adams. Both completions prolonged drives that eventually led to touchdowns. But Peters also made two critical stops on third down and finished with six tackles.
