The St. Louis Rams have a 10-3 lead midway through the second quarter of their Thursday Night Football matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, but that lead could look mighty pyrrhic if Danny Amendola's injury turns out to be serious. The Rams' leading receiver injured his shoulder on a 22-yard reception that was eventually reversed on a challenge; he stayed on the field to watch the replay but was taken back to the locker room immediately after the announcement was made.
Amendola landed hard on his shoulders trying to make the play, and didn't look seriously injured at first. But he appeared to have trouble moving it on the sidelines while he was still on the field, and he was clearly concerned right away.
Early word is that Amendola's return is questionable, which is bad news in the near-term for the St. Louis Rams' inconsistent but increasingly exciting passing game. After Sam Bradford's brilliant start Thursday—with Amendola's spectacular catch at its center—the Rams' offense has been completely invisible against the Cardinals, with Steven Jackson limited and Bradford unable to quite find his receivers. The 2011 Rams' problems extended far wider than their Week 1 loss of Danny Amendola, but there's no doubt that's on fans' mind as Bradford's favorite receiver gets checked out again.