THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams will be without their primary cornerback on Sunday, but they're hopeful that their defensive line is getting healthier.

Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers and Will Hayes, the three starters who sat out Sunday's 30-19 loss to the Bills, all practiced on a limited basis on Friday and were all listed as questionable heading into the Rams' Week 6 game from Ford Field against the Lions.

"Each passing day they’re getting better," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. "Obviously we need them, especially against this group.”

The Rams are facing a Matthew Stafford-led offense that features the NFL's leading receiver (Marvin Jones) and will look to expose a secondary that will be without Trumaine Johnson, who's nursing an ankle sprain that could keep him out for several weeks. Hayes has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, one that popped up in Week 3 from Tampa. He was initially hopeful of returning at some point between this coming Sunday and after the bye week, which is Nov. 6.

"I doubt I'll go Sunday," Hayes said, "but next Sunday [against the Giants from London] looks really good."

Quinn, limited to seven starts last year, is listed with a shoulder injury and was not available to speak with the media. Brockers is dealing with a hip injury that flared up in the days leading up to the most recent game, but said he's "really hopeful" of playing on Sunday. He doesn't want to watch his defense be so shorthanded again.

"You feel like you could've made a play here, there, in your mind, running through the plays during the game," Brockers said of having three starting defensive linemen out on Sunday, a game that saw the Bills rush for 193 yards. "It wasn't a good feeling."

"It's discouraging knowing you can't help your team out," Hayes added. "You're a competitor."

With Johnson out, the Rams will start E.J. Gaines and Troy Hill on the outside, with Lamarcus Joyner maintaining his spot as the inside corner. Dwayne Gratz, claimed off waivers from the Jaguars earlier this week, will be in a reserve role.

Johnson is tied for first in the NFL with the Raiders' David Amerson with seven pass breakups, a measure by ESPN Stats & Information that combines passes defended in coverage with those batted at the line of scrimmage. His 16 interceptions are tied for the fifth-most in the NFL since 2012. Johnson has one of those this year, but his tackle helped force another and he could've easily had two more in the Week 4 game from University of Phoenix Stadium.

"He’s a really good football player, and he’s grown every single year that I’ve had a chance to be around him," Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. "But Troy’s played well, and EJ’s played well, and Lamarcus has played well. ... The next man up has to be ready to play. If you’ve made a team in the National Football League, you’re pretty good. So, it’s up to us now to make sure we highlight your strengths and maybe hide your weaknesses. And we all have weaknesses. Trumaine does, Robert Quinn does, Aaron Donald does. But let’s make sure that they get a chance to do the things that they’re really good at. And the other guys that are playing on those spots, we’ll try to highlight those things."