The Los Angeles Rams expect to have No. 1 target Robert Woods back for Sunday's pivotal showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.
The receiver said he plans to play this weekend after missing the past three games with a shoulder injury suffered in Week 11.
"Long process trying to get healthy, trying to get back," Woods said, via the team's official website. "Guys did well prepping up to this, getting wins and everything. And now I'm finally back and trying to finish it off with the team."
A Week 15 return was always the most likely scenario. Woods was listed as questionable last week, but the team played it cautious, holding him out another game. The wideout was a limited participant in Wednesday's walkthrough, but he practiced fully on Thursday and coach Sean McVay said Woods "should be good to go" for Sunday.
Before missing a trio of games, Woods was leading the Rams in receptions (47) and receiving yards (703). He's already blasted pass his career high in yards and is closing in on season bests across the board.
While Cooper Kupp thrived in Woods' absence -- averaging six receptions and 100.6 yards -- the return of the team's top target will provide Jared Goff a weapon on intermediate routes and a security blanket on third downs. Woods has the third-highest passer rating in the NFL when targeted this year (118.9; minimum 60 targets), with a 4-0 TD-INT ratio, per NFL Research. The Woods and Todd Gurley tandem ranks third in scrimmage yards for any duo in the NFL with 2,420, behind only Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown (3,193), and Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill (2,481).
"Getting Robert back out there just with what he provides from a leadership standpoint, obviously the production that he was having before he went out with the injury -- that's a big boost for us," McVay said Wednesday. "We're on track to have him back and that will be good."
