The Los Angeles Rams are packing their bags to head across the Atlantic to take on the Jacksonville JaguarsSunday morning at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
The Rams left with a win Sunday after defeating an injury-riddled Baltimore Ravens team, 17-3. Despite more special teams struggles, the Rams were able to hold on in a tough game that saw wide receiver Puka Nacua go down with an ankle injury and quarterback Matthew Stafford throw for 181 passing yards, the fewest he has thrown in a game all year.
The Jaguars red-hot start to the season was put to an abrupt halt last week as Jacksonville suffered its second loss of the season at home against the Seattle Seahawks. Still, this start to the season has been amazing for the Jaguars. They already have four wins on the season, which is the same number of games the squad won last year.
Jacksonville has undergone an incredible transformation under the new leadership of head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone, both of whom have connections with the Rams. Coen was a coach for the Rams from 2018-2020, and in 2022, he was the offensive coordinator. Gladstone spent nine seasons in the Rams organization in the scouting department prior to becoming the Jacksonville general manager.
Both teams are dealing with significant injuries. Nacua is day-to-day after he injured his ankle in the victory against Baltimore. The injury is not seen as long-term, but his status for Sunday is uncertain. With a bye week upcoming in Week 8, the Rams could rest him to make sure he recovers fully.
The injury to Nacua makes wide receiver Davante Adams the top first target for Stafford. Their connection hasn’t been found yet, but with Nacua out, it’s a perfect opportunity. Wide Receiver Tutu Atwell is on track to return to this week’s game after missing the Ravens game, which will also make Atwell a key target for Stafford against the Jaguars if Nacua is out.
Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd is out with a calf injury. Lloyd was the AFC Defensive Player of the Month in September and leads the league in interceptions, but he won’t even travel to London, which is a huge loss for Jacksonville.
The Rams’ defensive front has to keep the pressure going. In the win against Baltimore, linebackers Byron Young and Jared Verse combined for 14 pressures, which is the edge that’s needed when taking on pocket-passing quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has 1,324 passing yards and eight touchdowns this season.
The Rams need to win early downs by stopping the ever dangerous Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, who has 470 rushing yards this season. Stopping Etienne will force Jacksonville to pass the ball and keep Lawrence in the pocket longer, which will lead to sacks. Los Angeles has 19 sacks, fourth best in the league. Jacksonville gave up seven sacks in the loss to the Seahawks last week, so the stars align for a strong defensive game on the line.
Los Angeles also needs to eliminate the self-inflicted mistakes on special teams. After one of the loudest “doinks” ever on kicker Joshua Karty’s missed 26-yard field goal against Baltimore, the special teams unit has to turn it around. Those kinds of mistakes are momentum killers and can make a huge difference in a game, which is part of the reason why the Rams lost to the Eagles and 49ers.
Playing across the Atlantic is going to be a challenge with the time zone change, but a victory in London could be a turning point for the Rams. The game will be on Sunday at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time.