Rams' Sean McVay 'Hopeful' That Aaron Donald and Jaylen Watson Play in Week 5

The Los Angeles Rams scraped together a win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, pushing the team's record back to .500 and 2-2 this season. They did so without the help of two key players.

Defensive end Aaron Donald and cornerback Jaylen Watson were both ruled out, but it appears both may be ready to go in Week 5. During media availability on Monday, Rams head coach Sean McVay stated that he is "hopeful" that both are ready to go on Monday Night Football.

Donald appeared on the injury report ahead of Week 4 with a back ailment, which McVay stated was "soreness." Donald would then miss practice from Wednesday to Friday, leading to his being ruled out before the third and final injury report dropped.

Instead of risking further injury to the defensive end, McVay stated that they were being careful. This makes sense considering Donald just returned to action after a two-year layoff.

After missing just one game, McVay told Rams reporter Stu Jackson that Donald is "trending" toward returning to practice to prepare for the Buffalo Bills. 

Watson suffered a dislocated shoulder in Week 3, leading to him being ruled out for Week 4. The Rams head coach stated that it was an injury that had occurred previously and that it was not believed to be long-term.

After a week of rest, Watson could be back on the field as well. 

Per Jackson, McVay also said he is "hopeful" that Watson can return to practice on Wednesday. 

With Watson out, it was Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Josh Wallace taking reps as the cornerback opposite Trent McDuffie.

The Rams team struggled as a whole, but they rallied to beat the Eagles in the fourth quarter by putting together 14 unanswered points.

Now, they face a huge challenge in the surging Bills. Buffalo lost to the New England Patriots on Sunday, but they remain 3-1 this season. 

Los Angeles has struggled with big inconsistencies on both sides of the ball, leading to their 2-2 record thus far. The Rams are still far from being a team that is not a playoff contender, but they must correct a lot of their shortcomings.

Defensively, they will get a major boost if both Donald and Watson are able to take the field against the Bills. 

Considering the Monday night matchup, the Rams will begin to release their injury reports on Thursday. That first report will offer a big update on where Donald and Watson stand in relation to being able to suit up.