Tyler Higbee’s emotional return propels Rams to eighth win in 10 games

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Los Angeles Rams, who started the season 1-4, who rolled out the most random combinations at receiver and offensive line imaginable through that time due to early-season injuries, who had a tangible avenue toward blowing their offensive roster up ahead of the trade deadline …

… Have won eight of their last 10 games, including over the New York Jets on Sunday 19-9, and after the early-afternoon slate of games concluded are one of only two NFC West teams still eligible for the postseason.

In fact, the NFC West will come down to the Rams (9-6) and the Seattle Seahawks (who the Rams host in Week 18 at a to-be-determined time) after the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals were both eliminated from a playoff berth.

“I think it’s a credit to the players and the coaching staff,” head coach Sean McVay said after the game, his face flushed and voice hoarse from the 23-degree afternoon, made colder by knifing spurts of wind. “We always talk about resilience. … The guys just focus on what they can control (and) I think they’ve done a great job of being totally and completely present. They’ve just stayed the course (and) they’ve gotten better.”

Step by step. Week by week. Day by day.

That ethos, and in turn both Rams touchdowns in their own way, was embodied by veteran tight end Tyler Higbee. He made his return Sunday after nearly a year spent recovering from the ACL and MCL tears suffered in last year’s wild-card game, after Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph hit him low. Higbee had multiple surgeries after the injuries and had said the daily rehabilitation process was both grueling and deeply lonely.

In the second quarter, running back Kyren Williams — who finished with 122 yards on 23 carries for his third 100-plus yards rushing in four games — saw his path to the end zone cleared in part by Higbee, whose blocking with receiver Puka Nacua opened Williams’ gap for a 2-yard touchdown.

“It makes a huge difference,” said Williams, “you can feel Higs. You can be able to know where he’s at. Honestly, just having him in the huddle again is great because he just brings that energy (that) people feed off of and enjoy.”

In the fourth quarter, tied at 9-9, the Rams capitalized off a strip-sack on Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers by safety Kam Curl, which rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse recovered.

“I got chipped, went inside and I had a whole ‘nother gap and I took that up and under,” Verse said. “All I see is a bunch of bodies. I see the sack already happened, I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, they probably got the fumble.’ As I’m falling I see the ball! I’m like, ‘Oh s—. This is kinda cool.’ And I just fell right on top of it. One of those things, right place right time.”

Three plays and 11 months after Higbee’s brutal injury, Matthew Stafford got the ball to him for an 11-yard touchdown. McVay and Stafford hinted that they called the specific play on purpose in the situation, with more than one option available against the look they got from the Jets defense.

“It was a play that we liked and it’s really a play that he has been really good at,” said McVay of the vintage-looking Higbee catch-and-rumble-and-reach through a couple of defenders and into the end zone. The leaping finish on the touchdown called for Higbee to plant that previously-injured leg and get airborne.

“He jumped from like, the 6-yard line,” said inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom. “I was talking to him after, I was like, ‘You know how far you went through the air to score that?!’ It was awesome.”

As Higbee got to his feet and pointed up to the sky with both hands, his teammates rushed to him to celebrate and coaches had to corral players from the bench back to the sideline after a few rushed the field, all pumping one arm up and down like long-haul truckers pulling a horn — an ode to Higbee’s nickname, “Big Rig Higs”.

“I almost passed out,” Higbee said. “It was very humbling, just the love and support I got from these guys and this team and staff. It was special, and very humbling.

“It’s hard to describe. I almost passed out just from being so hyped, (feeling) the love from everybody and coming off the field and looking at everyone on the sidelines hitting the ‘Big Rig’. It was very cool.”

The play is called “Lizard” but nobody will explain why — neither Stafford nor receiver Cooper Kupp took the bait when I asked, instead smirking like a couple of guys who plan to use that one or a wrinkle off of it later in the year.

“I’m not gonna get into it,” said Stafford, after a Cheshire Cat grin and a long pause.

“He has been the guy who has really made that play really good for our offense over the last handful of years, he’s had a few touchdowns on it,” McVay added.

Higbee reiterated a few times postgame that “he’s not much of a crier” but his full eyes and slight catch in his throat every so often as he spoke threatened to give the truth away. He walked into the news conference room — via the ice-cold stadium tunnel — with bare feet and no outer jacket. “I’m warm up here,” he said, pointing to his heart. His wife made him a video montage to watch in the hours leading up to the game that featured photos of him throughout the recovery process.

“I did get a little emotional before the game …” he said. “I watched it probably four or five times this morning just to kind of get my mind right. I’m good at being where my feet are and don’t think anything is too big or make any moment too big, (so) I’m kind of happy that this first game back is over with just so it’s not necessarily about me. It’s about going and winning games. (But) it was special, all in all.”