
Rams and Jaguars meet in London’s Wembley Stadium with a 5th win at stake
Los Angeles Rams (4-2) vs Jacksonville (4-2) in London
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. EDT, NFL Network.
BetMGM NFL odds: Rams by 3.
Against the spread: Rams 4-2, Jaguars 4-2.
Series record: Rams lead 5-1.
Last meeting: Rams beat Jaguars 37-7 on Dec. 5, 2021, in Los Angeles.
Last week: Rams beat Baltimore 17-3; Jaguars lost to Seattle 20-12.
Rams offense: overall (5), rush (22), pass (3), scoring (16).
Rams defense: overall (8), rush (15), pass (9), scoring (3).
Jaguars offense: overall (17), rush (11), pass (15), scoring (17).
Jaguars defense: overall (23), rush (8), pass (30), scoring (T7).
Turnover differential: Rams plus-3; Jaguars plus-8.
Rams player to watch
WR Davante Adams has scored at least one touchdown in each of his four games against Jacksonville. He has 30 catches for 460 yards and six TDs in four outings against the Jags, including three victories, and could be Matthew Stafford’s go-to option with leading receiver Puka Nacua dealing with an ankle injury.
Jaguars player to watch
Two-way rookie Travis Hunter is still looking for the first touchdown of his NFL career. Hunter has 20 receptions for 197 yards, including several eye-popping plays. He has played 257 of his 405 snaps (63%) on offense and could see more targets with Brian Thomas Jr. dropping passes and hesitating in traffic.
Key matchup
Rams LBs Jared Verse and Byron Young versus Jaguars OTs Walker Little and Anton Harrison. Verse has nine QB hits in the past two weeks, and Young ranks second in the NFL with 7 1/2 sacks. They face a duo that had its hands full with Seattle’s DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams last week; Trevor Lawrence was sacked a season-high seven times.
Key injuries
Rams: Nacua (ankle) didn’t practice Wednesday and seems unlikely to suit up in London, but coach Sean McVay acknowledged the star wideout might be able to play even if he didn’t practice all week. RT Rob Havenstein (ankle) and backup RB Blake Corum (ankle) also missed practice. WR Tutu Atwell (hamstring) and LB Omar Speights (ankle) were limited, but McVay is optimistic both will play.
Jaguars: LB Devin Lloyd, the AFC defensive player of the month for September, didn’t make the trip because of a calf injury. Ventrell Miller will start in his place. C Robert Hainsey (hamstring) hopes to return after missing last week’s game.
Series notes
The Rams have won five of six meetings, including three consecutive lopsided affairs. Jacksonville’s only win came in overtime in 2009. The Jaguars have not topped 23 points in any of the previous six games.
Stats and stuff
Will Wembley deliver more scoring than other overseas games? No team reached 24 points in three consecutive weeks of international games. … First-year Jaguars coach Liam Coen spent four seasons (2018-20, 2022) working under McVay, so they should know each other’s strengths, weaknesses and tendencies well. … This is the first overseas meeting between the Rams and the Jaguars. The Rams are 2-2 in London, including a victory at Wembley Stadium in 2019. The Jaguars are 7-6, having played the most international games, the most in London (13) and the most at Wembley (11). … The Rams spent the week in Baltimore and will fly across the pond Friday, taking a much different approach to the international game. The Jaguars, meanwhile, landed Tuesday morning and practiced three days in London. … Stafford is one of two NFC QBs, along with Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield, with a 95-plus rating in five games this season. … RB Kyren Williams has at least 50 yards from scrimmage in 34 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL. He’s one of four players to score in 25 games since 2023. … LB Nate Landman had a career-high 17 tackles last week. … CB Darious Williams faces the team he spent two years (2022-23) with. … Trevor Lawrence is looking for his fourth consecutive game with a 90-plus QB rating. He has a 90-plus rating in five of his six international starts. He has at least one TD pass in six consecutive games in London. … RB Travis Etienne has 417 yards from scrimmage and three TDs in four international games. … DE Josh Hines-Allen has 3 1/2 sacks in his past four international games. … CB Greg Newsome, traded from Cleveland to Jacksonville last week, is playing his second game in three weeks in London. He will become the fifth player in NFL history to play in two international games with different teams in the same season.
Fantasy tip
Consider Rams TE Tyler Higbee a sleeper. He caught four passes for 40 yards and a TD in his return from a hip injury last week, and the Jaguars have allowed tight ends to catch 13 passes for 190 yards and two TDs over their past three games.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL



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