The Rams had themselves a nice little weekend, without having to get out of bed. After Thursday night’s 12-6 road victory over the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams were able to sit at home and watch as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle’s loss left both the Seahawks and the Rams with 8-6 records, and by virtue of a head-to-head win over Seattle, the surging Rams moved into first place in the NFC West. With three weeks left in the season and a Week 18 matchup with Seattle looming, the Rams, who have won seven of their past nine games, still have a lot of work left to do to clinch a playoff berth. But what the result does do is give the Rams some breathing room; if they lose this week to the New York Jets, they can still win the NFC West by sweeping divisional opponents Arizona (7-7) and Seattle in the final two games of the season. “It doesn’t change anything that we’ve talked about for the last handful of weeks. Unless the season ended today, it’s all just temporary,” head coach Sean McVay said Monday. “We’ve got to continue to be one day at a time, one moment at a time and one game at a time like what we’ve been.” For that first game ahead of them, the Rams are still sorting out whether or not cornerback Cobie Durant will return after missing the 49ers game with a lung contusion. McVay said that though Durant still has one medical hurdle to clear, he is trending in a direction where he could practice this week and play against the Jets (4-10). The Rams will have veteran tight end Tyler Higbee back for the first time since offseason surgery to repair a torn ACL. McVay said the Rams will spend the week determining how many snaps Higbee is ready to take on, and what that will mean for the rest of the tight end rotation. The Rams played three tight ends against San Francisco, with Colby Parkinson seeing 32 snaps while Hunter Long got 22 and Davis Allen 15. “We’ve got to get the plan together, figure out what that looks like, what’s the best way to utilize that group as a whole,” McVay said. “Obviously it’s exciting to have the opportunity to get [Higbee] back and what he means to our football team and what he can provide from a production but also just the presence of being out there.” While Higbee represents a member of the Super Bowl LVI team coming back into the fold, McVay did not seem to expect any further reunions when speaking with reporters on Monday. Former Rams receiver Odell Beckham Jr. cleared waivers on Monday, but McVay said the team had not had discussions about possibly adding him to their roster. And as for the possibility of defensive tackle Aaron Donald unretiring for a Rams playoff run, McVay said that, while the Rams would certainly be interested in a possible reunion with the franchise icon, the coach will not be the one initiating any conversation on the subject. “He has done so much and he puts so much into everything, I would almost feel disrespectful reaching out to him just based on the principles and knowing him the way that I do,” McVay said. “If that was something that he got interested in, then that would obviously be something that you’re always open to be. But I almost feel like it would be disrespectful to broach that subject with him just based on our conversations and the clarity and the completed-ness that he felt like he had when he stepped away when he did.” The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year announced his retirement in March after 10 seasons all spent with the Rams. The future Hall of Famer finished his career as the franchise’s all-time sack leader with 111 and with eight first-team All-Pro designations on his resume. Related Articles Los Angeles Rams | Rams kicker Joshua Karty comes through when needed most Los Angeles Rams | Rams prove their resilience in gritty victory over 49ers Los Angeles Rams | No rest for weary as Rams aim for NFC West title Los Angeles Rams | Rams at San Francisco 49ers: Who has the edge? Los Angeles Rams | Swanson: These never-say-die Rams get credit for walking the talk He attended the Rams’ joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys in August and attended the Rams’ home loss to the Miami Dolphins in November. McVay added that while Donald still appears to be in game shape, “I don’t think there’s anything but positive vibes and I don’t think he could have any regrets based on the way he handled every single day of his career. I know he’s really happy doing the things that he’s doing right now and he stays up with what we’re doing … but that wouldn’t be something that would come up out of respect for him and our relationship.” Donald probably couldn’t return this season even if he wanted to, since players on the reserve/retired list can’t come back after Week 12. Donald was still under contract when he retired, which means the Rams would have to release him if they wanted to sign him for the rest of this season – but then Donald would have to pass unclaimed through waivers. The Rams had to rebuild their defensive line after Donald’s departure, but it has been the strength of their inconsistent defense. Second-year pros Kobie Turner and Byron Young have combined with rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske to restock the team’s pass rush and run defense with young, dynamic talent – albeit none at Donald’s singular level. The Associated Press contributed to this story.