THOUSAND OAKS Discount David Edwards Jersey , Calif. (AP) —nd off the field as they prepare for a NFC divisional playoff game at home on Jan. 12.Cincinnati and Arizona have made formal requests to interview quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor for their vacant head coaching positions, while the Bengals would also like to speak with passing game coordinator Shane Waldron, coach Sean McVay said Monday.Taylor and Waldron will be available for interviews in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday when Rams players have those days off.Taylor, 35, is in his first season as the Rams quarterbacks coach. Waldron, 39, has coached the Rams tight ends for the past two seasons.“You’d hate to lose them, but man, I’d sure be so happy for them if that was an opportunity that they decided to pursue and it worked out for them and their families,” McVay said. “They’ve done a phenomenal job with us and I feel lucky to work with guys like that.”McVay said he would offer whatever assistance he could to help Taylor and Waldron prepare for those meeting, but the focus of the week will be self-scouting and preparing for any of their three possible opponents in Chicago, Dallas or Seattle.A win by the Bears over defending Super Bowl champions Philadelphia on Sunday would see Los Angeles host the Chicago the following weekend.The Rams have already faced the Bears and Seahawks in the regular season, winning both games against Seattle, 33-31 on the road on Oct. 7 and 36-31 at home on Nov. 11 Austin Blythe Jersey , and losing 15-6 at Chicago on Dec. 9.Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold said there would be advantages to facing an opponent the Rams are already familiar with and hinted he would relish the chance to see the Bears again.“Once again, things happen for a reason,” Saffold said. “You learn from them and continue going, so maybe some of those losses that we had were getting us ready for the game we have coming up in the divisional round. But at the end of the day, we just have to take care of business no matter who it is.”When the Rams hold on-field workouts Wednesday and Thursday, the focus will be on the health of running back Todd Gurley and left tackle Andrew Whitworth. Gurley missed the final two games of the season because of inflammation in his knee, and Whitworth left the 48-32 win over San Francisco on Sunday in the second quarter because of a knee injury and did not return.Whitworth said he felt “great” and was pleased with how rookie Joe Noteboom played against the 49ers in his absence.“Anytime the young guys get a chance to get in there and get some snap, it’s good,” Whitworth said. “It’s good for the team, good for the future of the team.”Whitworth is expected to practice this week, but McVay did not know if Gurley would participate. Even if Gurley is limited this week as a precaution, McVay is confident the NFL leader with 21 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns this season would be available when the Rams try to win their first playoff game in Los Angeles since defeating the Cowboys 20-0 on Jan. 4, 1986.“I would be very, very surprised if he wasn’t going to be ready to go for the playoffs Kurt Warner Jersey , but I think we’re going to be smart with whether he goes or not this week with those extra days,” McVay said.The open week is new for Whitworth, who will be playing in the postseason for the seventh time in his 13-year career. The Rams had their bye in Week 12, which has Whitworth placing a greater emphasis on making the improvements necessary to contend for a championship than recovering physically.“For us, as late as our bye was and the kind of way the season has worked out, I mean, we don’t really feel a need for necessarily a break as much as an opportunity to just fine-tune and really get ourselves clicking on all cylinders for the final stretch,” Whitworth said.NOTES: DB Blake Countess is in concussion protocol. Countess did not show any symptoms Monday after exiting in the first quarter against San Francisco on Sunday. . After taking two days off, the Rams will go into their normal game week schedule when they reconvene on Sunday. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Effectively locked into their playoff seed last season, the Los Angeles Rams rested nearly all of their key players against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.The Rams will again host the 49ers in the regular-season finale on Sunday, but have plenty to play for this time around.Coach Sean McVay said the Rams would go all out to try and secure a first-round bye, including playing running back Todd Gurley if he is healthy.“We want to do what’s best for Todd most importantly, and what’s best for Todd is also what’s best for our football team http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-marshall-faulk-jersey ,” McVay said Monday.The Rams (12-3) will clinch the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the NFC with a win or a Chicago loss at Minnesota. They can’t get the top spot, which belongs to the Saints.Gurley was not active for the 31-9 win over Arizona on Sunday because of soreness in his knee. McVay felt Gurley made progress during the week and would like to play him against the 49ers. Gurley rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns and had four receptions for 23 yards and one touchdown in a 39-10 win at San Francisco in Week 7.Gurley leads the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns and 21 total touchdowns from scrimmage. He also ranks second with 1,251 yards rushing and fourth with 1,831 yards from scrimmage.McVay also said he would have no concerns about going into a possible NFC divisional-round playoff game with Gurley not having played in three weeks should the Rams earn a bye.“Would it be ideal? No. But is it something you’re going to be concerned with? No,” McVay said, “I think we have a lot of confidence in Todd, and if he’s ready to go then he’ll be good to go and he’ll be sharp whenever that is.”McVay compared the possible extended absence for Gurley to his decision to hold out the Rams’ starting offense in the preseason.“Guys come back from injuries all the time, and it was a long break that we had before we started this season with those guys, and Todd did a pretty good job against Oakland running the football and making a lot of big plays,” said McVay, referencing the 33-13 win over the Raiders in the season opener. “You’d obviously like to be able to get these guys as much work as possible, but most importantly is the health.”The Rams found a suitable backup for Gurley in veteran C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 167 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries against the Cardinals after signing with Los Angeles as a free agent last Tuesday. However, McVay said Anderson’s impressive debut would not sway his decision on whether Gurley plays this week.“We don’t want to do anything where we’re putting him in harm’s way Womens Eric Dickerson Jersey ,” McVay said. “But if he’s getting back, he’s feeling good, then the anticipation is getting him ready to go. It was good to see what those guys did yesterday, but nothing changes with regards to our approach with Todd.”McVay will also be monitoring safety Lamarcus Joyner after he sustained an ankle injury against Arizona. The injury was not serious, McVay said, and Joyner would be day to day.As tempting as it might be to hold out players with an eye toward the postseason, McVay said the Rams would not have success against the 49ers with that attitude. San Francisco (4-11) has lost six games by eight points or fewer this season, including a 14-9 loss to the Bears on Sunday, and McVay’s past experience working with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan serves to remind him how difficult this game could be.“Just with my history and my background with Kyle, I know what a great coach he is,” McVay said. “They’ve got some really, really good players that continue to compete hard and play for each other. So, this is something that we can’t afford to take lightly. It’s very important for us to come out ready to go.”