For all the similarities and parallels between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Rams – and there are connections at every level of those organizations – the one we're focused on this weekend is the matching 4-2 records.
This is a massive opportunity for the Rams to accomplish their stated goal of starting faster and racking up more wins on the front end of the schedule; to sweep the AFC South; to take some good vibes into a very well-placed bye.
The only catch is, they have to go all the way to London in pursuit of that fifth win.
Maturity of McVay
Had a laugh with the head coach this week about the Jags and going to London and the memory of his first season, 2017.
Like this week, the Rams were coming off a win, planning to stay out east, then jump across the pond for an International Series contest.
If you remember that win in Jacksonville, however, you might recall how livid McVay was with the 27-17 triumph. For a game that started with a 103-yard kick return for a touchdown and also included a blocked punt for another score, the disappointment was palpable.
For the head coach and play-caller, he was admittedly too engrossed with the lackluster offensive day – just 249 total yards, a lost fumble, three sacks taken. Even looking back on it, it doesn't seem too egregious – but I'll never forget it, and McVay remembers everything.
Well, here we are again in present day. The defense beat Baltimore in Week 6, and the offense didn't cost them the golden opportunity against the Ravens, and now it's off to the UK. This time around, however, McVay is smiling, even though he knows he might be short-handed in London without Puka Nacua.
"I like to think that I'm maturing a little bit, growing up," the not-yet-40-year-old said, pointing out that his offense didn't attempt a single pass in last week's fourth quarter. "I've leaned into understanding the importance of team football."
Make no mistake, however. Behind that grin is a determination to convert some truly dominant offensive moments into more points, perhaps as soon as Sunday.
Union Jacked Up
The Rams have moved the ball really well. They've been explosive through the air and efficient running the rock. They're third in the NFL in offensive DVOA – top six in both run and pass. So is it getting a bit tiresome to be sitting middle of the pack in scoring? Absolutely.
We all know where the growth opportunities rest: ball security, eliminating drops, capping drives with touchdowns, and starting games faster.
As for the potential absence of Nacua? We dove into all things Week 7 on Between the Horns, captained by Camryn Irwin and D'Marco Farr.
British Pounds, AKA London Notes
Here are a few other research tidbits that bear watching this week.
The Rams are looking to sweep the AFC South and have seven straight wins versus the AFC, their 2nd-longest streak since conferences were formed in 1970 according to ESPN – McVay won his first 10 games versus the AFC.
He's also 19-3 against first-year head coaches like Liam Coen.
As Matthew Stafford gets set to surpass Jared Goff's 107 touchdown passes as a Ram (they're currently tied for fifth in team history), his 6.0 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best through six games in his illustrious 17-year career.
Stafford has 29 incompletions when targeting Davante Adams, the most of any duo in the NFL, according to league research. Adams is enduring the lowest catch rate of his career (48 percent) as a Ram. I expect this to change dramatically, and soon.
Similar things are occurring in Jacksonville, where Trevor Lawrence has a 55.4 passer rating when targeting Travis Hunter and a 71.0 passer rating when targeting Brian Thomas Jr. – both those figures are bottom five in NFL, according to league research.
Why is Lawrence a Jaguar? Because the Rams somehow lost at home to the 0-13 Jets in December of 2020, gifting Jacksonville the inside track to the top selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
These are two top-seven defenses on paper, with the Rams ranked third and the Jags tied for seventh in points allowed on a per game basis. They've both generated tons of takeaways, too – Jacksonville leading the league at 14 and LA close behind with 10.
For all the doubts about the Rams depth at cornerback – and they're not unfounded – this data point looks pretty great!
On offense, the Rams have at least one giveaway in every game in 2025. Would be nice to snap that streak.
Both teams are coming off a season-low in terms of total yards on offense.
I was curious how the snap count split was looking for Travis Hunter: The Heisman winner has played 241 reps on offense compared to 142 on defense. NextGen Stats had him playing a career-high 54 snaps on offense last week.
Also per NextGen Stats: Pressures allowed by Jaguars in their first 4 games: 33. Pressures allowed in their last two: 37.
Lawrence was sacked a career-high seven times by the Seahawks last Sunday.
Byron Young must be salivating, as he looks to extend his streak of eight straight games with at least a share of a sack dating back to last season. That's the longest active stretch in the NFL, and longest by a Ram since sacks became an official stat in 1982. He and Aaron Donald are the only two Rams with at least 7.5 sacks each of their first 3 seasons.
Watching the West
Please don't mistake this week's closing section as conceding anything in the division race. Quite the opposite, in fact. Last Sunday's outcomes put the Rams right back where they want to be, in contention for all the big prizes.
With that on the record, a way-too-early survey of the NFC playoff picture shows that the Rams primary bubble competition includes Minnesota and Atlanta.
The Falcons (3-2) go to San Francisco (4-2) on a short week for a win-win contest from the LA vantage point. This is the only game the Niners will play in Santa Clara until the Rams visit in Week 10, by the way.
There aren't any bad outcomes in Minneapolis, either, as the Vikings (3-2) host the reeling Philadelphia Eagles (4-2).
Rounding out the division schedule, Arizona (2-4) has its back against the wall at home versus Green Bay (3-1-1). Seattle (4-2) will look to fend off the Texans on a Monday Night in the Pacific Northwest before heading into a bye week.
