The Rams traded Robert Woods in the offseason, and Odell Beckham Jr. still is a free agent as he works his way back from the ACL he tore in the Super Bowl. Van Jefferson missed the season opener with a knee injury and remained out of practice Wednesday.
That took away a lot of the team’s production in the passing game from 2021 in the 2022 season opener, but that’s why the Rams signed Allen Robinson II in free agency. In Week 1, though, Robinson was a non-factor.
Matthew Stafford targeted Robinson twice, and the receiver had one catch for 12 yards. That ranks as one of the biggest season-opening surprises/disappointments in the NFL after Week 1. Not that Robinson cares what anyone outside the locker room thinks.
“Honestly, I don’t really get caught up in all that,” Robinson said after Wednesday’s practice, via Stu Jackson of the team website. “It’s going to be always outside noise. Me being a vet, you can’t let that cloud your overall judgment. So for me, it’s just about figuring out how I could be better, or what I could do differently, and then coming into this week and improving.”
It was his fewest catches and fewest yards since Nov. 3, 2019, with the Bears against the Eagles when he caught one of five targets for 6 yards.
After Thursday night’s game, Stafford explained that Robinson saw a lot of Cover 2 against the Bills.
The Rams, though, need someone other than Cooper Kupp to step up. Jefferson’s return, whenever that is, will help. But the Rams signed Robinson to a three-year, $46.5 million contract expecting him to contribute more than he did in the season opener.
He expressed “all the confidence in the world” in coach Sean McVay, who promises to call more plays for Robinson as the primary receiver.
“You credit Buffalo; they did a great job,” McVay said. “But I think it’s just having a more specific approach to things that accentuate his skillset, similar to what I was answering earlier about what I think (Falcons head coach) Arthur (Smith)'s done a great job with his players offensively. That’s what I’ve got to do a better job of. Allen is certainly somebody that needs to be more involved and get more opportunities.”
Robinson, 29, entered this season with 495 catches for 6,409 yards and 40 touchdowns.