Los Angeles Rams fans will have to wait another week to see many of their favorite players take the field again because their top starters -- including Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald -- will not play against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Rams are choosing to rest their most important guys, keeping them healthy for the start of the playoffs.
As a result, several backups will get their biggest opportunity yet when the Rams face the 49ers. Carson Wentz will start at quarterback, while the backfield will be split between three players with Kyren Williams resting.
Here are five players who have a chance to shine in the finale.
1
RB Ronnie Rivers
Kyren Williams is getting this game off, and understandably so. He’s handled a huge workload all season and deserves a week to recover before the playoffs. Sean McVay said Rivers, Royce Freeman and Zach Evans will all get a chance to play on Sunday and as exciting as it would be to see the rookie Evans go off, Rivers will likely make the most of his opportunities.
He’s a shifty back who complements Williams as the No. 2 back, and against a physical 49ers defense, he has a chance to really prove himself with likely his biggest workload yet.
2
TE Davis Allen
With Tyler Higbee out, Allen will be the top tight end. Brycen Hopkins will get some reps as the No. 2 tight end, as well, but Allen is someone who can finish the season strong and head into the playoffs on a high note.
He has a big catch radius and is athletic after the catch, so don’t be surprised to see him in the end zone with his second NFL touchdown on Sunday.
3
WR Tutu Atwell
Atwell was technically a starter earlier in the season but he’s since been demoted to a backup role with Demarcus Robinson taking over as the No. 3 receiver. Kupp is resting this week and Puka Nacua won’t play much, so Atwell should have a chance to play most of the game.
He showed flashes of being a complete receiver in September but he went quiet after Kupp returned. Now is his chance to show he can still be a big-play threat for the Rams.
4
OLB Nick Hampton
Hampton is a promising rookie who hasn’t gotten many snaps behind Byron Young and Michael Hoecht, but he’ll likely play a bunch in the second half if/when the Rams pull their starters. It’s not as if he’s going to unseat Hoecht as a starter in the playoffs but if he flashes in this game against the 49ers, the Rams might consider giving him more snaps as a designated pass rusher this postseason.
5
QB Carson Wentz
Wentz has the most to gain of anyone on the field Sunday. If he goes off for 300 yards and three touchdowns, it might earn him an opportunity to compete for a starting role next year. If he flops and looks like the guy who lost his starting spot in Washington, he might not get another shot next year.
The Rams' offense will likely be pretty plain and vanilla with McVay not wanting to show anything before the playoffs, but Wentz should have some chances to show off his big arm and athleticism at Levi's Stadium.
