In Monday’s media call, head coach Sean McVay said he was hopeful that starting quarterback Matthew Stafford would return to the lineup after this week’s bye week, but also mentioned the team would look at different options.

“Feel really good about Matthew and how much he’s attacked doing everything in his power to be back and to lead the way for this team. We’re going to look at a lot of different things over this break here,” McVay said. “I’m optimistic that I don’t even think that’s something that we have to worry about, but we will figure out whether it be, not exclusive to the quarterback position but at some other spots, where are possibilities to be able to add competition. That could be one of them, but we haven’t made those decisions quite yet.”

It didn’t take long for the Rams to make a move, with Wentz coming in to replace Brett Rypien as the team’s backup quarterback. He could potentially see game action if Stafford isn’t ready to go by the team’s home game against Seattle on Nov. 19 after the bye week.

With Stafford sidelined Sunday, Rypien, 27, made his first start in his first season with the Rams, going 13 of 28 for 130 yards and no touchdowns with one interception in a 20-3 loss at Green Bay.

Wentz, 30, last played for the Washington Commanders during the 2022 season, going 2-5 in seven starts before fracturing the ring finger on his throwing hand. The injury led to a stint on IR and he didn’t return as the team’s starting quarterback.

The eight-year veteran’s best season came in 2017 with the Philadelphia Eagles, his lone Pro Bowl season, where he went 11-2 in 13 starts and threw for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns. His season ended prematurely after suffering a torn ACL, as the Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII with Nick Foles at quarterback.

Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in March 2021, for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 first-round pick. The Colts traded him in March last year to the Commanders.

The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Wentz was selected by the Eagles after the Rams drafted Jared Goff first overall.

The Rams are expected to release quarterback Dresser Winn from the practice squad to make room for Wentz.

The offense still had Matthew Stafford, and Cooper Kupp, and Sean McVay, and they could provide cover as the first- and second-year players on the defense got some experience and went through any necessary growing pains, or so the logic went.

But while the defense has proven itself to be ahead of schedule, the offense has struggled to find consistent footing.

Consider the Rams’ three-game losing streak to drop to 3-6 entering their Week 10 bye.

The offense managed just eight snaps total in two drives in the fourth quarter as the Pittsburgh Steelers mounted their comeback. A miscommunication between Stafford and Kupp led to a pick-six before the Rams lost 2 yards on the subsequent drive and had their punt blocked out of the end zone to let the Dallas Cowboys game get out of hand. And with Stafford out with a thumb injury Sunday, all the Rams could manage was a field goal in a 20-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

So the Rams hope that the bye week will give them time to find some solutions on offense.

“I don’t think there’s an easy answer to that,” Kupp said Sunday when asked why the offense has struggled to find consistency. “We got some very competent, very smart football minds in our building. So if the answer was easy, we’d have fixed it by now. … There’s a lot of football to watch and just get a feel for what have we put on film for the last nine weeks and what can we do better.”

Again, the Rams were without Stafford on Sunday, and for almost six quarters now since he sprained the UCL in his right thumb against Dallas. Backup Brett Rypien struggled to sustain drives, and he got little help from the rest of the offense on a day the Rams were all out of wack.

But, as the Rams have encountered before this season, the Packers tripped them up by abandoning the tendencies and even the core principles of their defense. The Rams arrived at the line of scrimmage and saw something they had not seen on film during their week of preparation.

“Whether they self-scout that themselves or what they’re doing, but they did a good job changing some stuff up,” Kupp said. “Like most defenses have that we’ve seen this season. So it’s like, shoot, stuff we’re seeing on film, we get some different stuff.”

There are a lot of possible reasons for this. McVay pointed out that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and defensive coordinator Joe Barry are former Rams assistants very familiar with how the team operates.

But this isn’t exclusive to the Packers. In the week following the loss to the Steelers, Stafford talked about the disparity between how defenses played other teams and how they played the Rams.

“From what I’ve seen from defensive coordinators, I think they have a lot of respect for who our head coach is and who our core offensive minds are in this building. What you see on tape is not what you get on Sundays,” Stafford said at the time. “I think we’ve had to adjust quite a bit, probably more so than some other teams, then you got to go out there and make the adjustments and go make the plays. And certain times we’ve done that from an execution standpoint as players better than others.”

In turn, McVay on Monday echoed Kupp’s Sunday sentiments when he said that defensive coordinators were also showing deference to Stafford with these decisions. He also said his offense is designed to withstand these kinds of in-game surprises.

“A lot of the plays that we have are all-purpose in regard to if they play this, then that’s where this takes you and this is how you exhaust your progression,” McVay said. “That’s part of how you coach. You have primary reads and secondary reads and sometimes they’re coverage contours, sometimes they’re across the board so it doesn’t affect things too much.”

When there have been defensive looks that require extra attention, Kupp said coaches have done a good job of addressing those changes in between series. But that’s not something that can be discussed in between play calls. It’s something players have to be aware of in the moment.

“At the end of the day, it’s like, ‘Hey, they’re doing some different stuff but no one’s reinventing the wheel,’” Kupp said. “It’s about recognizing it and how does that change our responsibilities and now let’s go play fast.”

But after the Rams’ 20-3 loss to the Packers, the offense sputtering in his absence, the question turns to when Stafford will be able to take the field again.

Backup Brett Rypien said he found out he would start on Friday, when it became clear that Stafford’s injury was preventing him from gripping a football with his throwing hand. Stafford still made the trip to Green Bay, but there was no last-second miracle that allowed him to dress for the game at Lambeau Field.

The Rams (3-6) have a bye in Week 10, then host the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. Whether that extra week of rest allows Stafford to miss just this one game and return then remains in question.

“He’s making good progress, but it wasn’t anywhere to where we thought he’d be able to go for us,” head coach Sean McVay said. “Whenever we get him back, we’ll certainly be excited about that. Hopefully it’s when we come back and play Seattle but I can’t give you any updates as it relates to exactly where he’s at.”

Stafford has a history of playing through injury dating back to his days in Detroit. Just this year, he bruised his hip in the second half against Indianapolis and stayed in the game despite his clear limitations to lead a game-winning drive in overtime. That hip continued to bother him for the subsequent weeks, but Stafford did not miss a snap.

But a thumb injury on his throwing hand isn’t something he can gut out like normal. Only time will tell when he is ready to play again.

“This guy’s as tough as it gets. He’s gonna play through stuff that not a lot of people will do,” McVay said. “I don’t know enough about where we’re at in regards to recovery, ability to grip the ball. I’m optimistic; I’ll leave that door open.”

Higbee injures hand

In the first quarter against the Packers, tight end Tyler Higbee asked to come out of the game after a snap. When he reached the sideline, he bent over, holding his left hand.

Higbee returned to the game, but was clearly limited in his ability to block or catch the ball, even dropping a pass. McVay acknowledged that Higbee had been dealing with a right thumb injury of his own entering the game and has been playing through various injuries.

Cornerback shuffle

The Rams opted for a new arrangement at corner on Sunday. Ahkello Witherspoon stayed at his usual spot at outside corner, but Cobie Durant moved outside from the star position, while safety Quentin Lake played star. This left Derion Kendrick with the reserves on Sunday.

When Durant left the game with what appeared to be a reaggravation of his shoulder injury from last week, Duke Shelley took his spot at outside corner and recovered a fumble in the third quarter.

Briefly

Right tackle Rob Havenstein (calf) was inactive for Sunday’s game as Joe Noteboom started in his place.

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  Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) catches a pass while defended by Los Angeles Rams safety Russ Yeast (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

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  Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33), right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a 3-yard rushing touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

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  Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon (28) runs with the football as Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (0) attempts to tackle during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

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  Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave (88) reaches for an incomplete pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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  Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) runs with the football after catching a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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  Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner (91) celebrates after a missed field goal attempt by the Green Bay Packers during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

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  Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) runs with the football as Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) follows during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

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  Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (15) runs with the football during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

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  Green Bay Packers safety Anthony Johnson Jr. (36) celebrates after intercepting a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

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  Rams quarterback Brett Rypien (11) fumbles the football while hit by Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23), front left, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The snap slipped out of the hands of Rams backup quarterback Brett Rypien, making his first start of the season against the Green Bay Packers. It fell and hit the ground, and he hunched to pick it up and scramble out of the pocket.

Pressure closing in, Rypien tried to throw the ball away, count the play as dead, start over. But Jonathan Owens’ arm arrived at the same time, hitting Rypien’s before it could move forward. The ball squirted out, and the Packers recovered, leading to an Aaron Jones touchdown carry a few plays later.

Those would have been the only points the Packers (3-5) needed to beat the Rams (3-6) on a day the visitors did not have their starting quarterback. But a couple of Green Bay field goals and a garbage time TD made the final score of this alleged football game, 20-3.

With Matthew Stafford not even making it to the Lambeau Field grass to try out his injured right thumb pregame, the Rams had to turn to Rypien. And head coach Sean McVay watched his offense produce numbers that would have been more familiar to the first teams to play games at the legendary stadium in 1957.

A grand total of 187 yards on offense, 130 of which came through the air as Rypien completed 13 of 28 passes. Just 10 first downs. A 36% success rate on third down.

“I’m not really sure what to think right now; all I know is that was really not good enough,” Rypien said. “It’s frustrating to say the least. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it just never really felt like we were able to get over that hump and get rolling.”

To pin all of this on Rypien, though, would not be fair. It was a failure of the entire Rams offense.

The line missed blocks in both the run and pass games and did little to take pressure off the backup. After 14 yards on their first three carries, Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman combined for 37 yards on their next 19 carries, including a Freeman stuff on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter.

“You want to be able to help out Brett,” head coach Sean McVay said. “I didn’t think we played very well around him, either. … There wasn’t a lot of good things that you can say we can really be able to build on. There was a lot of different reasons for that, none of which are anything but an excuse.”

Even when Rypien got some momentum, like taking advantage of a free play to hit Cooper Kupp in stride for 34 yards, or throwing backwards to Freeman for a 7-yard gain, the Rams could not capitalize. On the former example, it was an overthrow of Tutu Atwell. The latter, a missed block by Joe Noteboom and OPI by Puka Nacua put the Rams way behind the sticks.

Still, the Rams were in field goal range after those two negative plays. Facing fourth down from the Packers 36 in the third quarter, McVay opted to commit a delay of game penalty and punt rather than have Lucas Havrisik attempt a 54-yard field goal, a quarter after he was good from 52. Even after the Packers declined the penalty, McVay still sent out the punt team.

McVay said the distance of the kick was the reason that decision. To be fair, it made a little more sense after Havrisik missed from 48 yards out a possession later.

That’s just the kind of game it was, for both teams. Neither quarterback was accurate, missing open receivers with under- and over-thrown passes. The Packers negated two fourth-down conversions with two offensive offsides penalties. The Rams had a series of special teams miscues, from missed tackles to penalties, to a big return given up to open the second half.

But after Keisean Nixon used one cut to take the kickoff 51 yards, Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks fumbled the ball extending for a first down. It bounced up off the turf and into Ahkello Witherspoon’s hands.

That was one of two fumbles the Rams recovered to open the second half as a drizzle turned temporarily to a heavy shower. But the Rams got exactly zero points out of those turnovers, while the Packers got 10 points out of the Rams’ three giveaways.

For the second consecutive week, McVay used the word “humbling” to describe a loss. The Rams now enter their bye on a three-game losing streak, but they said as a group they would not allow it to impact them as they prepare for the final eight games of the season.

“We’ve got the right people in this building that know that this is a bye week, it is not a ‘the season is over’ break,” Kupp said. “This is about getting your mind right, getting your body right for this next push and being critical of yourselves. … If everyone can just be critical of themselves and say, ‘What can I do a little bit better,’ this thing’s going to start moving in the right direction.”

Follow along for live updates from Rams reporter Adam Grosbard before, during and after the Rams (3-5) game against the Green Bay Packers (2-5) (10 a.m., FOX) at Lambeau Field.

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Sean McVay was evasive when asked directly if Matthew Stafford can grip a football, but also said, "If you can't grip a football, what are we talking about, right? Especially when it's on the throwing hand of a guy that that's his special skill."

— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) November 3, 2023

Perhaps there could have been a version of this story in which Franklin returned to Lambeau Field toward the end of a productive NFL career, a final trip to where it all started. But that’s not what life had in store for him.

Instead, Franklin will be going to a correctional facility with a former Rams player for a watch party he organized in his role as director of social justice and football development.

A role he could not have imagined a decade ago, when he played his last football game.

Dark days

It was October 2013 as the Packers geared up to play the Browns. When Franklin got hit on his second carry of that game, his mind did not go to his body. Instead, it focused on the fumbled football.

Two earlier lost fumbles had cost Franklin a role early in his rookie season and resulted in the former UCLA and Dorsey High standout receiving three carries in the previous two weeks. The Browns game represented his second chance, and here he was with a dreadful sense of déjà vu.

But when Franklin went to reach for the ball at the bottom of a pile of bodies, an even worse realization hit him.

“I literally couldn’t move an inch,” said the Bruins’ all-time rushing leader. “It was fear, nervousness, fear of what’s next. How did this happen, how did I get here?”

He lay on the field for a few moments, and a tingly feeling returned to his fingers and shoulders. He got up, walked off the field and into the locker room. The initial diagnosis was a concussion, and he expected to miss a game at worse.

But an MRI during the week revealed a spot on his spinal cord. The hope was it would heal with time, but it kept showing up with each subsequent test, and the fourth-round draft pick was put on injured reserve to end his rookie year.

Franklin spent the offseason training as if he would play again in 2014. But when he underwent a physical after reporting to OTAs, the spot was still on his spinal cord.

He went to see a specialist in Chicago, who told him he couldn’t play football again without the risk of permanent paralysis. Franklin didn’t believe it, and scheduled another appointment with another doctor in New York. When he received the same message, he returned to UCLA to meet another specialist, but with the same result.

All the while, he continued to participate in the Packers’ OTAs. But after one practice, team doctors asked to speak with him.

They told Franklin he was not cleared to play football. He would have to medically retire, and the Packers would have to release him.

Since the morning of his first Pop Warner game, when he brought his helmet with him to the breakfast table, Franklin had made every decision in his life because of football. It had allowed him to go to college. It had provided the foundation of his relationship with his family. And in a moment, it was all taken away.

When his younger brother visited in Green Bay the next week, Franklin hid the news, afraid of letting his brother down.

“When I heard the news, I was depressed, I was lost. From an identity perspective, who’s the man in the mirror? Will my family still believe in me?” Franklin recalled, his voice accelerating as he continued. “I began to question everything, because from 10 years old until 22 when I got injured, I was Johnathan the football player. It took a couple of years.”

Packers president Mark Murphy offered Franklin a rotational internship. It allowed him to stay busy, trying his hand at different front-office tasks, but also kept him within arm’s reach of the dream that had abandoned him so recently.

“I could hear in his voice – I don’t want to be as dramatic as life was leaving – but I could feel him going to a sorrow,” his mother, Pamela Andrews, said. “And he would not allow me to go down there. It was just him going through it by himself, and that broke my heart.”

“I was going in the locker room and not being a player. I was parking in a different parking lot, I wasn’t going through the tunnel,” Franklin added. “I’m here, but I’m not where I want to be and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Six months after taking a job at Notre Dame in student welfare and development in 2015, his boss called him in for a meeting and asked what was wrong. Franklin, once known at UCLA as “The Mayor” because of his outsized personality, had withdrawn into himself and was in a dark mood.

Franklin thought he might get fired, but instead was encouraged to see a therapist. He took that advice and went to a session.

“I kinda shared vulnerably really about my emotions and my pain for the first time in my life,” Franklin said. “And I realized there was a power in sharing the brokenness.”

That was Franklin’s one and only appointment; he decided therapy wasn’t for him. But he began to open up again, leaning on his friends and mentors, praying with his mother.

Later that year, he put on a leadership academy for the captains of all of Notre Dame’s different sports. The student-athletes were asked to map out the five most important things in their life, and why they held so much importance to them.

As he taught the players, he completed the exercise himself. Reflecting on his priorities allowed him to learn what truly motivated him.

“To recognize that although football has departed my life, I can still create change and create a new pathway and I can still purpose and meaning and worth and value,” Franklin said. “As I look back, the worst moment has honestly been the biggest blessing for me.”

A new path

Franklin, 34, has spent the past seven years with the Rams. These days, he is finding ways to create access to football for different communities. Sometimes it looks like his watch party Sunday, other times it’s facilitating a mentorship program between high schoolers and Rams staff members to create connections and career pathways.

And he’s working to spread football throughout Los Angeles, both by teaching safety in youth tackle football and growing girls flag football.

“When I look back on my life and what football has meant to me, to now level the playing field and now girls can have an opportunity to further their education,” Franklin said, “to develop those transferrable life skills and become leaders in this sport.”

It’s not the life Franklin imagined when he left UCLA for the draft in 2013. But it’s one in which Franklin has found new meaning.

“I’m incredibly grateful, and there’s some pride in it, too,” Franklin said. “To be a part of an organization, still a part of the game, that’s creating change in the city that raised me, that has given me so much and I can now return the favor, I get excited about it.”

That’s when the Rams (3-5) will have to decide upon their active and inactive players for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers (2-5), and whether Matthew Stafford will be in a jersey and a helmet or a heavy jacket and beanie with a sprained UCL in his right thumb.

But for Rypien, it makes no difference.

“I’m going to prepare like I’m the starter either way this week,” he said. “That’s what you do all the time, but especially when a guy is dealing with an injury and he is not practicing, it definitely heightens that level of awareness and you’re getting ready to go.”

By all accounts, Rypien has done the work necessary before this week and in the last three practices to be ready if Stafford can’t play. From coaches to receivers to offensive linemen, the Rams have spoken positively about Rypien’s preparation and attention to detail.

“Brett’s a smart guy,” receiver Tutu Atwell said. “It’s his time to step up and I think he’ll do a helluva job.”

But there’s still plenty of ground to make up, mostly in Rypien’s chemistry with receivers – understanding how they run their routes, how their interpret defenses, where they like to catch their targets.

As he’s spent so much time through the first eight weeks of the season with the scout team, Rypien hasn’t gotten many snaps with the first-team offense since training camp. So that chemistry has been a chief focus of practices this week.

“I think it’s just understanding each other,” receiver Cooper Kupp said. “Him getting a feel for my body language and me getting a feel for how he’s seeing the field, what kind of things he likes and how he wants these routes to play out. A lot of it is in conversation and being able to talk those things through. It’s something that we obviously have some attention to detail on and hopefully be able make that come to life this week.”

Rypien’s role and comfort level Sunday aren’t the only questions the Rams need answering.

The defense is coming off a season-worst performance against the Cowboys. After weeks of bemoaning individual plays or drives or quarters that undid otherwise-strong performances, the Rams allowed things to get out of hand quickly against Dallas, resulting in a season-high 43 points allowed.

“Just a bad day in the office, obviously. Moved on from that game,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “I don’t really don’t want to talk about that, but we just didn’t play good. We got to play better and we’ll do that this week.”

That bounce-back task becomes a little more difficult without middle linebacker Ernest Jones. The Rams’ leading tackler and quarterback of the defense will be sidelined with a knee injury, one that has nagged him for several weeks but is finally keeping him out of a game for the first time this season.

Inside backer is one of the Rams’ shallowest spots, with only four players on the active roster. Troy Reeder and Jacob Hummel will likely take on a bigger role, while defensive coordinator Raheem Morris could opt to use Quentin Lake at dime backer more.

But in football, all thing revolve around the quarterback. And if it proves to be Rypien on Sunday, he’ll look to find his footing and rhythm from the jump.

“It feels good to get hit to be honest with you,” Rypien said. “Like the first couple hits you take, I think kind of get you back into the rhythm of feeling the pocket a little bit better and knowing when guys are getting really close to you versus when they’re maybe not that close and you might get rid of it a little too quick.”

RAMS (3-5) at PACKERS (2-5)

When: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 387, 230

When: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 387, 230

Line: Packers by 3

Notable injury designations

Rams: OUT: LB Ernest Jones (knee); QUESTIONABLE: QB Matthew Stafford (thumb), RT Rob Havenstein (calf), WR Puka Nacua (knee), CB Cobie Durant (shoulder), DT Larrell Murchison (knee)

Packers: QUESTIONABLE: LB Quay Walker (groin), S Rudy Ford (calf)

What’s at stake? The Rams are one bad day away from entering the bye week on a three-game losing streak and three games below .500. It’s not the end of the world in a weak and tight NFC wild-card race, but would be a big psychological blow to spend their week off stewing on a three-game slide and the hole they have dug for themselves. Beat the Packers, however, and the Rams are 4-5 and have more reasons to enjoy their bye.

Who’s better? Most weekends, it’d be fairly straightforward to say the Rams. But the Rams might be without quarterback Matthew Stafford, who may or may not be able to grip a football at this time with the sprained UCL in his right thumb. Though backup Brett Rypien has a handful of NFL starts under his belt, Stafford’s absence makes this a much more playing field even against the Packers’ struggling first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love.

Matchup to watch: WR Cooper Kupp vs. Packers CB Rasul Douglas. Green Bay is 11th in the league in passing yards allowed per game, but part of that is the result of the team spending most of its time trailing its opponent, which is why the Packers allow the seventh-most rushing yards per game. But if Stafford is out, or even if he is playing but somewhat limited, the Rams will depend on Kupp to be both their passing and run game in some ways, helping to move the chains and pick up chunks of yardage to keep second and third downs manageable for Rypien. Douglas is among the best in the NFL with six passes defended and an interception this year, and Kupp will likely have to beat him on a number of plays to keep the Rams offense moving.

Rams win if: The defense keeps the pressure on Love, with at least three sacks and an interception. … The running game produces more than 140 yards on the ground. … Rypien (if he starts) does not turn the ball over.

Fantasy sleeper: RB Darrell Henderson was relatively quiet last week against the Cowboys. But the combination of the Packers’ poor run defense and a backup quarterback starting should allow the veteran rusher to have a big day.

Prediction: Rams 20, Packers 13. Beat reporter’s record: 5-3 for the season; 4-4 against the spread.

Rams head coach Sean McVay offered a vague update on the swelling in Stafford’s thumb, simply saying, “I think it’s progressing well.” But when asked directly twice whether Stafford can grip a football, McVay was more evasive.

“Making good progress every day,” the coach said.

McVay said team doctors have told him there is no risk of aggravating the injury if Stafford plays Sunday. While McVay acknowledged the possibility that the team decides he is unable to play Saturday, the plan is to allow Stafford the opportunity to warm up at Lambeau Field and see if he is able to go at the last moment.

But that would require Stafford to show the coaching and medical staffs that he is able to handle the football and throw somewhere approximating his usual ability.

“If you can’t grip a football, what are we talking about, right?” McVay said. “Especially when it’s on the throwing hand of a guy that that’s his special skill and that’s a natural thing that you need to be able to do. But we’ll take it a day at a time. This is kind of what we had expected. You gotta be able to have a plan for both he or [backup Brett Rypien].”

Stafford won’t be the only game-time decision on Sunday. Right tackle Rob Havenstein also did not practice this week due to a calf injury, and will be listed as questionable with a game-time decision determining his fate against the Packers.

If he is unable to play against Green Bay, the Rams would again turn to Joe Noteboom, who started at right tackle in Havenstein’s place last week against the Dallas Cowboys. Noteboom has now played three positions for the Rams this year – both tackle spots and his usual job at right guard.

“He’s done well,” McVay said. “Joe is an incredibly valuable piece to us. And his ability to start at multiple spots, both guards, both tackles, and really play good, quality football. I think for him it’s the comfortability. … You do basically truly have a starter whether he’s playing guard or tackle.”

JONES OUT

Linebacker Ernest Jones will miss Sunday’s game with a knee injury, McVay said Friday.

Jones has been dealing with the injury for three weeks now, with it limiting him or holding him out of practice. But he had been able to play through it to this point. McVay said the hope is that by keeping Jones out this week, he’s able to return fully healthy following next week’s bye.

With Jones out, safety Jordan Fuller will wear the green dot and relay plays to the rest of the defense.

BRIEFLY

Receiver Puka Nacua (knee), defensive tackle Larrell Murchison (knee) and cornerback Cobie Durant (shoulder) will all be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Packers. All three have been limited participants in practice this week.

Mike, then the passing game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, was the one to find glory that night with a 37-20 victory. But he went to the visitors’ locker room at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara to search out his brother, who had just completed his first year as head coach of the Green Bay Packers.

“I’ll never forget … he’s like damn near in tears because he feels so bad for me,” Matt recalled. “But it was one of those games where you get your butt kicked, you’re like, ‘Alright, well.’ I was happy for him, obviously disappointed for our team. That’s just the kind of relationship we have. We’re as close as any two brothers, especially in this league, can be.”

The two brothers will face off against each other for a seventh time on Sunday as Mike’s Rams travel to face Matt’s Packers at Lambeau Field. Mike, now filling the offensive coordinator role in Los Angeles that was Matt’s in 2017, is trying to treat it like another day at the office.

“You don’t even think about it during the week. You can’t, there’s just too much. I’m more worried about [Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry] than going against Matt,” Mike said. “So it’s almost become a normal [thing]. Seriously, you don’t even think about it.”

That was not always the case growing up. Matt is seven years older than Mike, and he was not one to show sympathy for his younger brother when the pair were growing up.

“I never took it easy on him,” Matt said. “I always tried to bury him under a pile of dirt.”

“Usually I was not the one getting in trouble because I was the younger brother,” Mike added. “But I looked up to him like crazy, especially as I kinda got more involved in sports and my love for sports. So again I was annoying with him, but we’re pretty tight.”

The pair worked together for two seasons in Atlanta under Kyle Shanahan. Matt was the quarterbacks coach, while Mike was an assistant with the offense. Shanahan and Matt were tough on Mike, the older brother admits, like they were to any offensive assistant.

They still talk weekly even during the season. It will be the same this week, though with less of an emphasis on strategy.

This year has allowed the duo a chance to bond over their young rosters. It’s a first for Matt, whereas Mike dealt with similar youth movements in his two seasons with the New York Jets.

“It’s the first time he’s actually asking me some questions about some things in terms of having younger players and stuff like that,” Mike said. “There’s the challenges with the youth but you love it because you get to watch these guys grow.”

As to whom the rest of the family is rooting for this week, Matt says his parents owe their allegiances to him after he bought them a house in Green Bay.

“They like me more, so,” Mike joked.

INJURY REPORT

Quarterback Matthew Stafford (right thumb), right tackle Rob Havenstein (calf) and linebacker Ernest Jones (knee) all did not practice on Thursday, marking the second straight day they did not take part in on-field activities.