Even in victory, we saw some bad news emerge from the franchise in the Monday press conference (and confirmed with a missed Wednesday practice). Although it has not been confirmed that he won’t play, starting outside wide receiver Alec Pierce is likely to miss Week 4. Pierce entered the concussion protocol earlier in the week, and it will likely take him through the weekend to get clearance to return.
While the stats have not been eye-popping this season, he has begun to carve out a role with Daniel Jones under center. Let’s not forget that Pierce is in a contract year, and his emergence is coming at the right time. He has yet to sign an extension, and most believe it’s because he works well with Richardson under center rather than Jones.
It has been just the opposite of what we thought. Pierce has become an integral part of this offense. His forte is the deep ball, which is why he was perfect in the offense with Richardson, but Daniel Jones’ early-season evolution has seen no drop-off in Pierce’s production. While Pierce and Richardson were tasked with gaining the explosive play, Jones is the more methodical passer with fewer downfield shots. Again, the stats are not jaw-dropping, but he is also used as a decoy at times. His importance in the passing game so far this season cannot go unnoticed.
Next Man Up (Potentially)
Let’s stop singing the praises of Pierce for a bit and look forward to Week 4. With Pierce likely out this week, the next man up is now second-year wideout AD Mitchell. Unfortunately, that’s about all we have seen from him so far in his career. We saw flashes last season, and so far this season, he’s seen little to no run.
Through three weeks, Mitchell has 4 receptions for 41 yards on 8 targets (with one being a deep shot that resulted in a defensive pass interference call). He has been buried in a deep receiver room, and the addition of tight end Tyler Warren has buried him even more. Mitchell went through some rookie growing pains last season, and the expectations have risen this season.
The Rams are no slouch of a football team in all three phases, but their secondary lost top outside cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon with a broken clavicle. The Rams are now lighter in the secondary, and this could align with a breakout game for Mitchell. How can Shane Steichen scheme up a game plan to the strength of Mitchell? Specifically, his ability to separate at the top of the routes and beat the safeties with speed and elite route running. With Pierce in a contract year, this game could be a deciding factor in that future contract. If Mitchell wants his hype train to speed up, a breakout game is a must in Week 4 to solidify his future role with this franchise.
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