LONDON – The Rams' unique travel schedule seemingly didn't effect their readiness for a showdown with the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium, where they won 35-7. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw five touchdown passes, three of which went to wide receiver Davante Adams, and the Rams' defense shut down Jacksonville at every turn.
After the game, Stafford, Adams and head coach Sean McVay spoke with the media about the international victory. Here are the most significant quotes and talking points from those press conferences.
"I think it's such a good reminder for us that we've got a lot of players that we have a ton of trust in as coaches. Obviously, Matthew, to be able to spread the ball around and let the ball go where the coverage dictates. I think the best offenses that I've been a part of, everybody's involved." - McVay
10 different Rams skill players caught a pass on Sunday, the most in a game in the McVay era. Without star wide receiver Puka Nacua in the fold, the Rams made an effort to get more guys involved, and McVay said they want to sustain that approach moving forward, despite having "two No. 1 receivers" in Nacua and Adams. The "four legitimate NFL tight ends," as McVay called them, saw 13 of Stafford's 33 targets as a result of the Rams' heavier usage of 12 and 13 personnel.
He praised Stafford's passing in the red zone, an area they've struggled to convert in at times this season, saying "He was in total command (and) he took really good care of the football," which has been a consistent theme for him so far this season. But that was heightened in the red zone on Sunday.
Defensively, McVay said they succeeded on early downs which helped them "earn the right to rush the passer," and when those opportunities arose, the defensive coaches "did such a great job of presenting a variety of looks" that caused problems for the Jaguars' offense.
"(In the) first, second quarter of the game, we're sitting there going, man... glad we did what we did (in terms of travel). We're just going out there trying to execute and win a game, and we were able to do it, which was awesome. But really just going back to the week of work, I thought our guys did a great job." - Stafford
The Rams arrived in London just over 24 hours ahead of their game against the Jaguars, which is an unusual travel schedule for an international game. The Jaguars, in comparison, spent most of the week across the pond. L.A. also stayed in Baltimore the week prior after their game against the Ravens last week. It was a unique week of preparation for the Rams, but after they took a 21-0 in the first half, Stafford was glad they did what they did, as the team felt prepared.
Stafford praised the tight ends, running backs and wide receivers for being ready to go, and he involved basically every skill player who stepped foot on the field. He said that playing in London is "a blast," despite the tough travel schedule, because the people and fans make it a great atmosphere for football.
Stafford also faced a season-high blitz rate of 55.9% today, according to Next Gen Stats, and all five of his touchdown passes came against the blitz. He said the weather made it tough to throw and catch at times, but the skill players did a good job of battling through to make plays for him, especially when he was forced to get rid of the ball quickly. This game was "a step in the right direction" for the team, he said.
"We should just run all the same plays (in the red zone). Just run them all back until they stop them. I mean, honestly, just what we were presented with on defense today, we saw a few opportune moments to go ahead and take them into some one-on-ones. Marrying the run game with the pass game, the second touchdown in the back of the end zone there, that was a play off a play that we ran literally right before that." - Adams
Adams said he prides himself "on being a solid red zone target," and he was "glad to be able to show that today" after some missed opportunities in weeks prior. The difference in the red zone today was simply the execution, Adams said, which was helped by his and Stafford's increased communication and targeted work over the past few weeks.
"It's never easy" to prepare for a game in an abnormal way, Adams said, but they had everything they needed to do so, and it worked out. But Adams added that he feels "connected to the country, to the people" in London and he'd love to come out every week if the travel wasn't so difficult.
