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Practice Report: Rams Arrive in England

BAGSHOT, Surrey, England — The Rams have arrived in the United Kingdom and are getting settled in as they prepare for Sunday's matchup with the Cardinals.

Here are a few notes from the club's International Series practice on Friday afternoon.

INJURY REPORT

The Rams have two players with an injury status for Sunday.

After not participating in Wednesday and Thursday's sessions, linebacker Mark Barron (thumb) was limited on Friday. He's questionable for this week's game.

Safety Cody Davis (thigh) did not practice all week and he's been listed as doubtful.

Left tackle Andrew Whitworth was listed as a limited participant in Friday's practice, but he does not have an injury status and as such is expected to play.

While he's missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, safety Lamarcus Joyner has been a full participant in all three practices this week and is expected to start against Arizona.

The Los Angeles Rams arrive in London to face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7.

The Cardinals have five players with an injury status and all are questionable: linebacker Karlos Dansby (hamstring), running back Andre Ellington (quad), defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche (calf), defensive lineman Olsen Pierre (ankle), and defensive lineman Xavier Williams (knee).

Cornerback Patrick Peterson (quad), offensive tackle Jared Veldheer (knee), and defensive lineman Corey Peters (knee) were limited participants on Wednesday and Thursday, but were full participants on Friday. As such, they do not have an injury status and are expected to play.

GETTING SETTLED ACROSS THE POND

As has been well publicized, the Rams have to travel a lot this season — just as they did in 2016.

Another London trip meant another long flight across the Atlantic. But this time, L.A. elected to stay on the East Coast for most of the week before making the trip across the pond.

That's the method head coach Sean McVay had experienced as a coordinator with Washington last year. And so far, it seems to be working for the Rams.

"I've really been impressed with our team's ability to handle the last week, with all the traveling we've done," McVay said. "They've just kind of continued to go about their work in a very business-like manner, but still have allowed themselves to have fun doing it. And that's a credit to our team and our players."

"We came directly after a game last year and didn't really have time to rest before you go on the flight," middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said. "So, this week we stayed in Jacksonville all week and kind of rested, prepared really well and then came up here. I think everybody is feeling pretty good so far."

Ogletree complimented McVay and the staff for keeping much of the schedule the same despite the different locations.

"We tried to do normally what we do every week and that's have meetings when we do normally, and just move on and get ready for the next game," Ogletree said. "I think coach did a great job of having everything set up for us to stay on the same schedule. Hopefully we put on a good show this Sunday."

The team plane departed Jacksonville at about 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, and arrived at London Heathrow Airport at about 9 a.m. BST. Following Friday's practice, a few players said they were able to get in some sleep on the red-eye flight.

"I'm a little tired still, but I definitely slept the whole time," running back Todd Gurley said.

"We got some good bonding time and we were able to sleep a little bit on the plane, so we feel good," quarterback Jared Goff said.

That's in contrast to their head coach, as McVay didn't quite get the rest he would've liked.

"Well, my red eyes say no," McVay replied when asked if he got any sleep. "I tried to sleep for a little bit — started out sleeping, felt like I was sleeping for about three hours, and then I realized it was only about 30 minutes. So I haven't gotten as much sleep as I'd like.

"But it was similar last year when I was in Washington — we traveled on a Thursday and then I was able to get a good night's sleep [on Friday]. But I think our players did do a good job of being able to get some rest. I was really impressed with just their tempo and their energy in practice today. And that was encouraging because it's more important for those guys to feel fresh than me."

Still, traveling so much can be a bit disorienting, as defensive lineman Michael Brockers put it following Friday's practice.

"I don't know how I'm feeling, I'm just in limbo," Brockers said with a laugh. "I was tired a little bit earlier, and then talking about football and going into the film room kind of got me up. As for right now, I'm like I don't know where I'm at. I don't know if I'm tired, I don't know if I'm ready to go see London. I'll see after I get in and get settled a little bit."

Aside from the travel, one element that's different about playing an international game is the fans. It's no secret that soccer is the more popular sport around here, and perhaps because of that, kickers and punters might get a few more cheers than they normally would.

"They're fun, it's a lot of fun, especially during the games," Goff said. "You don't really know when they are going to cheer, when they're not. It's not really their fault, but we were talking about it with Greg [Zuerlein] and Johnny [Hekker] — they are going to, from my experience cheer, when we punt and kick. So we should be OK on offense."

With the Rams in the U.K. only for a couple days, there likely won't be much time for sightseeing on this trip. And that's OK for the players, who said they're focused on improving Los Angeles' season record.

"If we can leave out of this 5-2," Brockers said, "I think I'll be happy."

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