LOS ANGELES _ Robert Quinn of the Rams, a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end, was hospitalized Monday to undergo tests for what was described by the team as an unspecified illness unrelated to football.
Coach Jeff Fisher said Monday night that "things look encouraging," that Quinn was "feeling much better" and that he had not ruled the player out for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins at the Coliseum.
"He kept saying to me over and over, 'Coach, I just want to get back, get my body right and get on the practice field as fast as I can,' " Fisher said during his weekly news conference at Cal Lutheran.
Quinn, 26, admitted himself to the hospital a day after he made one tackle and batted down a pass in a 9-6 victory over the New York Jets at East Rutherford, N.J.
Quinn appeared to be fine on the bus ride from the airport to the team facility in Thousand Oaks after the Rams arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday night, Fisher said. Quinn sat behind the coach on the bus and they reviewed clips from the game, Fisher said.
"Something happened between the time we got back ... and (Monday) morning," Fisher said.
In high school, Quinn was diagnosed with a dime-sized brain tumor that remains at the top of his spinal cavity. He said in September that he is tested for the condition about twice a year and has not experienced any issues.
Fisher declined to specify what Quinn was being tested for Monday but said it was "highly unlikely" that it was related to the tumor.
Quinn, a first-round draft pick in 2011, made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014 after recording 19 and 10 { sacks, respectively. Last season, he was slowed and eventually sidelined because of a back injury that required surgery.
He has sat out two games this season because of a shoulder injury. He has two sacks and has forced two fumbles.
The Rams' victory over the Jets ended a four-game losing streak. Several players said after the game that it was a must-win for a team that is 4-5 and still in the playoff hunt.
"That's kind of how we keep a job around here," Quinn said in the locker room. "We've got to win ball games.
"We let four in a row slip and we were definitely getting frustrated. ... We've got seven games left and have to put a nice run together."
Quinn is not the only Rams defensive linemen with an uncertain status for Sunday.
End Eugene Sims came out of the game against the Jets and remains in concussion protocol.
"He felt much better (Monday)," Fisher said.
If Quinn or Sims is unavailable, Ethan Westbrooks would take on a larger role. Matt Longacre also could step in for a Rams defense that has given up only one touchdown in each of the last three games.
The Rams rank last in the NFL in scoring, averaging 15.4 points a game.
Sunday's victory was their second in which they failed to score a touchdown. They won with three field goals from Greg Zuerlein and a stellar defensive effort, as they did in a 9-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in September.
"When you look at the big picture, we're 2-1 when we haven't scored a touchdown," Fisher said, before adding jokingly, "So, I don't know why you guys are making such a big deal over not scoring touchdowns."
Fisher acknowledged it was an issue.
"Obviously, it's a big deal for us," he said. "It's an area that needs to improve for us to make the push we want to make."
Asked how the Rams could improve their statistical standing, Fisher joked "score" before referencing a strategy he invoked before the Rams played at Detroit last month.
"We talked about finding a box of touchdowns in the storage room," he said. "We have to get back to that."
Case Keenum remains the starting quarterback despite a 76.7 passer rating that ranks 30th in the NFL among 34 qualifying players.
Rookie Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick in the draft, has yet to take a snap.
"He's No. 2 and he's a play away from playing," Fisher said. "He's ready. He's preparing."
