Tyler Higbee caught one pass in his 2024 debut on Sunday in the Rams’ 19-9 road win over the Jets. And in three weeks when Los Angeles counts the milestones along its journey back from a 1-4 start, the team will remember the reception fondly.
That’s because not only did Higbee’s 11-yard touchdown snap a fourth-quarter tie, giving the Rams a 16-9 advantage, it also came 11 months after his last game. Higbee underwent January surgery to repair both the ACL and MCL in his right knee. But on Sunday’s touchdown, he looked like Michael Jordan gliding through the air from the free-throw line.
“I didn’t know I was going to have to jump,” said Higbee. “I met a lot of guys at the pylon and I lowered my shoulder trying to get in there. Then, I saw a little opening and thought I’d take it.
“In the air, it felt a little bit like Space Jam Michael Jordan with his arm out there. ‘This has got to get in.’”
He got in, scoring a critical fourth-quarter touchdown. That combined with a pair of timely fumble recoveries by the Los Angeles defense — including a Kam Curl strip-sack and Jared Verse recovery that set up Higbee’s touchdown — and a pair of Joshua Karty field goals was enough to push Los Angeles (9-6) into sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
That rise is remarkable considering where the team was in September. The Rams entered Sunday’s game without a single player listed as questionable, doubtful or out on the injury report.
“I mean, day at a time, rep at a time,” Higbee said. “Come in, work and we got a special team that cares for each other and when you get a unit like that, that can play collectively together, it gets to be special. Find a way to win, whatever the conditions are. We did last week, we did this week and time to do it again next week.”
Next week, the Rams host Arizona (7-8) on Saturday night before a season-ending showdown at SoFi Stadium against the Seahawks, who fell to 8-7 after a loss to Minnesota on Sunday. The Rams will need every bit of their formidable running game, just as they did in beating the Jets (4-11).
Los Angeles got another solid effort from running back Kyren Williams, who racked up 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. The league’s third-leading rusher, Williams on Sunday established career highs in both rushing yards (1,243) and scrimmage yards (1,409).
For more information on the Rams and Jets, visit the L.A. Rams and N.Y. Jets team pages at ProFootballPost.com.
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