THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Coach Sean McVay expects wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and outside linebacker Von Miller to have increased roles when the Los Angeles Rams play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
“A lot more, hopefully,” McVay said Friday when asked if he expected to get more out of the veteran duo in their second appearance since joining the Rams, who are 7-3 and coming off a bye.
The Rams will need an all-hands approach against Aaron Rodgers and the 8-3 Packers at Lambeau Field as they attempt to end a two-game losing streak.
Beckham agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Rams four days before he suited up and played 15 of 55 snaps in a Week 10, 31-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The eighth-year pro caught 2 passes for 18 yards and was targeted on a third pass, but the deep throw from quarterback Matthew Stafford was intercepted as Beckham apparently broke off the route.
“Odell [is] just getting more familiar,” McVay said. “I mean for him to be able to even play in the game against the Niners is an incredible credit to him.”
The Rams did not practice Thursday because of high winds at their training facility but instead held a walk-through. McVay noted that more physical reps were added to Friday’s schedule to atone for the change and said that the additional walk-through could help Beckham.
“It helps because he’s getting up to speed mentally,” McVay said. “You don’t take for granted how important those physical reps and the rapport that he and Matthew are continuing to develop is and so because we’ll do a little bit more reps today, we’ll end up getting about the same amount that we would in a normal week, so it will be a good thing, but he’s done great.”
Beckham, who has been held under 30 receiving yards in five of his past six games played, said he spent the bye week concentrating on the playbook and his physical fitness, which was affected due to a lack of routine after his last game with the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 31.
“I’ve definitely felt like I haven’t been in that flow that I would’ve normally stayed in with a regular schedule,” Beckham said. “So just trying to get back into that and find my way back to where I know I can be.”
Stafford said he has been impressed by what Beckham has been able to grasp in his short time with the team.
“Nine times out of 10, he breaks the huddle with a whole bunch of confidence, knowing what he’s about to do, which is awesome for me as a quarterback to be able to just kind of do my job,” Stafford said.
Miller, who was acquired in a blockbuster deal with the Denver Broncos ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month, was inactive in his first game in Los Angeles as he continued to recover from an ankle sprain, so the three-time All-Pro also made his debut ahead of the bye against the 49ers.
Miller played 45 of 68 snaps and recorded two tackles, including one for a loss.
“Von did a good job, played a lot of snaps,” McVay said. “I think he’ll be that much more healthy, that much more fresh coming off the bye and giving his ankle another handful of days to continue to make progress and steps in the right direction without having any setbacks over these last couple of weeks.”
With the Rams’ bye coinciding with that of the Broncos, Miller said it came right on time,
“I’m feeling pretty good, feel a little bit more comfortable with the playbook, ankle is a whole lot healthier,” Miller said. “So the bye week was great.”
When asked to clarify how well his ankle, which he sprained in Week 7, felt, Miller said it was something he did not even think about.
“It’s a nonfactor,” Miller said about the injury. “What we did was perfect by waiting one week, playing a week and then having a bye week after. Just kind of cleaned up some stuff, so it’s really a nonfactor and I really don’t think about it.”
In eight games this season, Miller has 4.5 sacks.
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