FULL SCORE
Jeremy Bergman’s delivery:
- Aries adapts without Puka Nacuaroll in London. No Puka, no problem. Without Nacua, the NFL’s receiving leader and 36.6 percent of Los Angeles’ passing offense sidelined with a sprained ankle, Sean McVay’s Rams made the unorthodox decision to lean on tight end. LA used 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TEs) on 24 of 59 non-kneeling plays, according to Next Generation Stats; The Rams ran just six such plays from 2021 to 2024. As a result, Matthew Stafford spread the ball more than he had all year with 10 players recording receptions; three narrow passes in Stafford’s first three attempts, and the others, Terrance Fergusonreeled in his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the game. LA moved the ball easily in the first half, getting inside the 10-yard line on three of its four drives and finishing those drives with TD throws to obvious Stafford targets (Davante Adamsat home on the finish line with three short scores on the day) and surprisingly (Mrs. Mumpfieldto get pay dirt on his second catch in his career). Stafford (21 of 33, 182 yards) completed his fifth career shutout and first for Los Angeles. The Rams were slowed for a while in the second half but still roared into the bye, dominating an AFC opponent for the second straight week (by a combined score of 52-10) and securing at least a tie for first place in the NFC West for seven weeks.
- Lawrence, Jags offense limps into bye. Jacksonville spent a full week in London re-acclimating to the familiar atmosphere in the UK before Sunday’s game. So how on earth did the Jags, the “home” team in London, look so lost at Wembley? Trevor LawrenceThe offense from the jump was terrible, the quarterback dropped easy passes, the receivers dropped those who found them and the running game remained in Duval. Jacksonville’s offensive line receiving center Robert Hainseylet the front of the rams run under the rams. Seven players had at least three QB pressures — Braden Fiske had eight! – and six had at least one bag of Lawrence; it’s two games in a row that the Jaguars have given up seven sacks. Travis Hunter was not a factor in the first half — as it was Brian Thomas Jr. the whole game. The first-round rookie broke out in the final two frames and capped his international debut with his first career TD, albeit with four scores in the fourth quarter. Too little, too late for the No. 2 pick. Hunter’s encouraging finish was the only highlight for Duval’s offense, which was stuck on a wet court. After a great win over Kansas City in Week 5, the Jaguars are coming off a two-game losing streak and a complete loss on offense. Life comes at you fast in the NFL, state or around the world. Can the Jags reset their offense at the break, or will they let the competitive AFC South slip away?
- Master beats protégé. Liam Coen was Sean McVay’s latest protégé to parlay his time as an assistant to the Rams wonder team into a head coaching job when the Jags hired him this offseason. In their first meeting, Captain Jacksonville was thoroughly outclassed. Trevor Lawrence, Coen’s project, was off all afternoon. After promising to get dual-threat rookie Travis Hunter a bigger role, Coen’s offense barely moved on him in the first half; Hunter did not play a single defensive snap in the first half (12 on the day) and only woke up on offense when the Jaguars were already three goals ahead. The Jagers reached Rams territory on six consecutive drives on either side of halftime and scored zero points; a failed field goal was followed by three straight turnovers on downs. It didn’t help that Jacksonville was also undisciplined, picking up 13 penalties for a season-high 119 yards, including one that wiped out a potential game-changing TD. With the win over Coen’s Jags, McVay moved to 5-7 against his former assistants as head coaches (5-2 excluding his terrible record against Matt LaFleur).
Next Gen Stats Insight for Rams-Jaguars (via NFL Pro): Travis Hunter completed eight of his 13 targets for 101 yards and a career-high touchdown against the Rams. From the slot, Hunter completed seven of eight targets for 90 yards, including his 34-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Hunter was more efficient against zone coverage, completing six of 10 targets for 51 yards, but more explosive against man, completing two of four targets for 50 yards and a touchdown. Hunter played 12 defensive snaps and had one pass defensed while playing opposite Davante Adams.
NFL Research: Matthew Stafford had five passes in London, the most in an international game ever. Sunday’s win was also Stafford’s second career game with five passing TDs and zero interceptions (Week 12, 2015 vs. Eagles with Lions) and his first career such game on the road. Meanwhile, Davante Adams became the first WR with at least three receiving TDs in an international game.