LONDON — Goodbye London. Howdy bye week.
The Rams’ ended an prolonged highway journey and welcomed a while off with a 35-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
Matthew Stafford handed for 5 touchdowns — three to Davante Adams and one every to rookies Konata Mumpfield and Terrance Ferguson — and edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Younger led a largely suffocating protection because the Rams improved their document to 5-2 heading into an off week.
In a light-weight rain, and with out injured star receiver Puka Nacua, coach Sean McVay and Stafford poured into 10 completely different receivers throughout a victory that made the nine-day highway journey price it.
The Rams had been coming off a 17-3 highway victory over the Ravens. They remained in Baltimore final week and practiced at Oriole Park at Camden Yards earlier than departing for London on Friday.
They arrived Saturday and performed on Sunday.
They usually confirmed no indicators of jet lag.
Rams rookie Josaiah Stewart sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the course of the second half Sunday.
(Ian Walton / Related Press)
Verse sacked Trevor Lawrence on the primary play, the Rams jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead and cruised as McVay remained unbeaten in London video games.
Younger, rookie exterior linebacker Josaiah Stewart, linebacker Nate Landman, lineman Larrell Murchison and security Quentin Lake contributed to seven sacks on Lawrence. Lake, who additionally compelled a fumble, and lineman Kobie Turner batted down passes within the backfield.
In 2017, McVay’s first season, the Rams routed the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium. Two years later, they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium.
Although Sunday’s sport was performed 1000’s of miles from Southern California, it had one thing of a Rams household really feel.
Jaguars coach Liam Coen was an assistant beneath McVay, and Jaguars first-year basic supervisor James Gladstone labored for 9 years beneath Rams basic supervisor Les Snead.
The week off ought to profit Nacua, who didn’t play due to an ankle damage sustained in opposition to the Ravens. The Rams thought it finest to relaxation the third-year professional and let him heal in the course of the off week earlier than they play the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 2 at SoFi Stadium.
Rams huge receiver Davante Adams leaps above Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown to catch his third landing cross of the sport within the fourth quarter Sunday.
(Ian Walton / Related Press)
That opened the door for Adams and others.
By the top of the primary quarter, Stafford had accomplished passes to seven of eight completely different receivers focused, together with touchdowns to Mumpfield and two to Adams.
Stafford linked with Ferguson and Adams for touchdowns within the fourth quarter.
Adams and Stafford had mentioned in Baltimore that they had been nonetheless working to seek out their timing collectively.
They discovered it Sunday: Adams caught 5 passes for 35 yards, and all of his quick landing receptions had been on the sorts of red-zone performs the Rams envisioned after they signed the three-time All-Professional.
Stafford accomplished 21 of 33 passes for less than 182 yards, however he made them depend.
So for the primary time since 2021, the Rams will go into their off week with a successful document.
In 2023, the Rams had been 3-6 on the bye after which gained seven of eight video games to complete 10-7 and make the playoffs.
Final season, they had been 1-4 on the bye after which gained 9 of 12 video games to complete 10-7 and make the playoffs.
However Sunday’s victory traits nearer to 2017, when the Rams shut out the Cardinals, 33-0, at Twickenham Stadium to enhance to 5-2 going into the bye. The Rams went on to win the NFC West and make the playoffs for the primary time since 2004.
After taking journeys to Tennessee, Philadelphia, Baltimore and London, the Rams will depart the West Coast solely twice for a Nov. 30 sport at Carolina and a Dec. 29 sport at Atlanta.
They’d to be ok with that as they ready for his or her lengthy flight house.
