From JuJu Smith-Schuster to Sam Darnold to most recently Robert Woods, injuries have plagued numerous Trojans this NFL season.
Robert Woods
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay announced Saturday that Woods will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL during practice. It is a devastating blow for both Woods, who was having a productive season, and the Los Angeles Rams offense. The team’s 31-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday showed how much Woods’ absence affects the efficiency of their offense. The Rams’ signing of free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. last Thursday could not have come at a better time, as Beckham now looks to fill the void that Woods has left. Woods finishes the season with 45 catches, 556 yards and five touchdowns.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Amon-Ra St. Brown had four catches for 61 yards in the Detroit Lions’ 16-16 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. St. Brown led the team in receiving yards, and his four catches and six targets tied for a team high. Given quarterback Jared Goff’s mediocre 114 passing yards through five quarters of play, St. Brown made the most of what he could. St. Brown’s biggest play of the day was a 30-yard reception on the first drive of overtime that moved the team into Pittsburgh territory, though Detroit was unable to capitalize. Through 10 weeks of action, St. Brown is averaging just over 34 yards a game.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Michael Pittman Jr. finished with five catches for 71 yards in the Indianapolis Colts’ 23-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pittman didn’t find the end zone for the first time since Week 6 but had a productive game nevertheless. He once again led the team in receiving yards and caught all five of his targets. Pittman ranks ninth in the NFL in receiving yards with 729 on the season.
Nelson Agholor
In the New England Patriots’ dominant 45-7 win over the Cleveland Browns, Nelson Agholor had just two catches for 21 yards on four targets. Despite the New England offense scoring six touchdowns, Agholor was a non-factor. Coming off a game with no catches, Agholor has firmly taken a backseat to fellow wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne who continue to outperform him.
Ronald Jones II
Ronald Jones II played just one offensive snap for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 29-19 loss to the Washington Football Team. Lack of playing time has been the main story for Jones this season, as he has played more than 14 snaps in only one game so far. Despite multiple teams reportedly having interest in Jones prior to the trade deadline, the Buccaneers and head coach Bruce Arians made it clear that they wanted Jones to remain a part of the team, calling him and running back Leonard Fournette “a great 1-2 punch.” Now two weeks removed from the trade deadline, however, Fournette continues to be on the field far more than Jones; even third string running back Giovanni Bernard played 13 more snaps than Jones this past Sunday.
A free agent at the end of the season, it would not be surprising for Jones to land with a new team that will have more opportunities for him.