{"id":660167,"date":"2026-01-07T04:11:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T04:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/660167\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T04:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T04:11:13","slug":"rams-have-new-level-of-swagger-with-davante-adams-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/660167\/","title":{"rendered":"Rams have ‘new level of swagger’ with Davante Adams return"},"content":{"rendered":"

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NFC wild-card predictions: Who advances and who goes home<\/p>\n

USA TODAY Sports Chris Bumbaca and Joe Rivera share who they think will make it out of the NFC Wild Card round.<\/p>\n

Sports Seriously<\/p>\n

LOS ANGELES \u2014 Catching touchdown passes is an art. Davante Adams<\/a> knows a lot about the skillset.<\/p>\n

Adams led the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions during the regular season despite missing three games. He also led the league in touchdown grabs in 2020 and 2022. The 12-year veteran is the first player in NFL history to lead the NFL in touchdown receptions with three different teams.<\/p>\n

Adams explained the art of being perhaps the best red zone wide receiver in the NFL.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think one of the main things is obviously my ability to separate, so being able to be sudden down there, it’s a tight area. If you’re a receiver that’s based on making contested catches a lot, there’s a place for that. But there’s also a place for somebody that can create separation quickly and find windows (and) understand the spacing. A lot of it is understanding how to communicate with the quarterback and knowing what he sees (and) being able to react,\u201d Adams explained Tuesday. \u201cIt’s a lot of little small nuances that help you to be able to get just that one more, a little bit of extra foot of separation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adams has 117 receiving touchdowns in his career, which tops all active players. His career receiving touchdown mark ranks seventh in NFL history<\/a>, sandwiched between Hall of Famers Larry Fitzgerald (121) and Antonio Gates (116).<\/p>\n

\u201cTo lead the league in touchdowns and miss the last handful of games. What a tremendous tribute to him, and to do it with three different teams,\u201d Los Angeles Rams<\/a> coach Sean McVay said of Adams. \u201cYou start doing things like that, that tells you he’s in rarefied air, and that’s who he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adams has been everything the Rams<\/a> have hoped for since the team signed him during free agency in March. He missed the final three games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury. He\u2019s slated to return for Saturday\u2019s wild-card playoff matchup<\/a> against the Carolina Panthers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Adams caught two touchdowns in the Rams\u2019 Week 13<\/a> loss to Carolina. We\u2019ll see if he scores any touchdowns this Saturday, and if it yields a different result. But the Rams are happy to have their veteran wideout back in the fold as they enter the postseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s definitely been a big part of our offense, and it was awesome signing him this offseason. He’s a great guy. I feel like he brings a new level of swagger,\u201d Rams guard Steve Avila told USA TODAY Sports. \u201cWhen he’s in it’s fun playing with him. I feel like he opens up a lot more things for us. When you lead the league in touchdowns people are going to start respecting that, so it’ll be good to have him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X\u00a0@TheTylerDragon<\/a>.<\/p>\n