LOS ANGELES — Chris Shula knew on Sunday that he wasn’t going to have Kobie Turner for a few games. The Rams’ defensive lineman had strained his groin pushing up through a block, and it would take some time to heal.
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What the Rams defensive coordinator wasn’t sure, however, was what the future held for defensive lineman Poona Ford. He had been told it was 50-50 what the MRI on his triceps would reveal.
But on Monday, the worst was confirmed when Ford was diagnosed with a season-ending rupture.
“It’s tough news,” Shula said. “He doesn’t like taking vet days off. He practices on Fridays, for a guy that’s been in the league for that long. You just miss him, you feel for him.”
And then, the reality is in the NFL, you go to work trying to replace him.
Such is the position the Rams (2-4) are in this week across much of the roster as they prepare to face the Las Vegas Raiders (3-3). Injuries to receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua have put the offense in a similar spot.
But the amount of injuries to the Rams’ front seven have made things particularly precarious.
Beyond Turner and Ford, the Rams are still without defensive end Myles Garrett, who continues to rehab after Week 2 knee surgery with the hope that he is ready in Week 8. To further complicate matters, linebacker Nate Landman was ruled out for the Las Vegas game with a concussion.
Ford and Landman were brought to the Rams in the spring of 2025 to shore up the team’s run defense. Turner has grown in that area of the game, with an increased ranginess to get to ball carriers and then a more reliable approach at the point of the tackle with a career-low 8.7% missed-tackle rate, according to Pro Football Focus.
On top of that, Landman is the guy typically charged with relaying Shula’s play calls to the defense, while Turner is one of the primary communicators on the front.
“He’s obviously the lead dog in it, in getting those guys aligned and communicating,” Shula said. “It’s a huge loss whether it’s on the field, leadership in the room.”
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The Raiders do provide some respite, ranked 32nd in the NFL in rush attempt success rate even with Ashton Jeanty carrying the ball. And Aaron Donald does appear to be finding his stride after the future Hall of Famer played himself into shape upon coming out of retirement.
But the Rams will have to rely on players like Tyler Davis and Larrell Murchison to play bigger roles this week and into the future.
“Definitely felt terrible,” Davis said of when he learned about Turner and Ford’s injuries. “But also just wanted to get in the mindset just step up for my guys, for real.”
For Davis, whose role has grown with the Rams over the past two-plus years, he will try to keep things to his usual process, not changing the way he studies or prepares even with more snaps coming his way.
“Just focus on our core four and then having the right mindset to go out there and execute, play throughout the full down and fall in love with the process of it,” Davis said with a tablet playing practice tape on his lap. “Just get to it.”
Another player asked to fill in will be veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks. Signed to the practice squad two weeks ago, the former UCLA star will be called up for Sunday’s game and provide a steadying hand.
“He’s got a veteran presence, real good concept understanding, can play a variety of schemes, has had success in a variety of schemes, understands football from a big-picture perspective, has a good vibe about himself,” head coach Sean McVay said. “Coaching against him for all those years, there was a lot of respect. Then you get around him and the consistency of how he shows up, we’re lucky to have him.”
And lucky in a sense that they knew so early in a week that they would be short-handed against the Raiders.
“On Monday, they know their roles and that’s life in the NFL, really every single week,” Shula said. “Obviously, this one’s a little more extreme than others, but that’s what we do every week. We like to provide our guys clarity where early in the week they know exactly their role and what they’re expected of going into Sunday.”
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RAMS (2-4) at LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (3-3)
When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday
Where: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 262, 193