The Los Angeles Rams will travel across the pond to play in London for the first time since 2019. On that day, the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-10, but this time around, they’ll play the Jacksonville Jaguars. What was once considered an easy game on the Rams’ schedule has become more difficult. Both teams come into this game sitting at 4-2.
This will be early game, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET, which is 6:30 a.m. on the West Coast. The Rams spent the week in Baltimore to hopefully help with the time adjustment. For a team that has struggled with slow starts, adjusting to the time difference will be crucial. West Coast teams playing an East Coast opponent in Europe in that early time slot are 0-2. Let’s get to this week’s keys to victory.
Stay Efficient on Offense
The Jaguars lead the NFL in turnovers this season on defense which includes a league-high 10 interceptions. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has done well this season, throwing just two interceptions. His last interception came in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. It won’t help that the Rams will be without wide receiver Puka Nacua. However, that’s all the more reason not to be too aggressive on offense. If the Rams can keep things simple and remain efficient, it could be enough.
This is how the Seattle Seahawks approached the Jaguars in Week 6. Sam Darnold completed under 60 percent of his passes, but was 8-for-10 for 64 yards in passes under 10 yards. The Seahawks took their chances when they became available, but also didn’t force it. The Jaguars’ defense has allowed the seventh-lowest completion percentage on downfield passes this season. Darnold was comfortable taking the safe throws underneath and Stafford will need to be as well.
Be Ready to Tackle on Defense
With Liam Coen running the offense, 52.9 percent of Trevor Lawrence’s yards have come after the catch. The Jaguars receivers have forced the fifth-most missed tackles per reception. Because of this, they have the 10th most yards after the catch over expected and average 5.2 yards after the catch. Additionally, Travis Etienne has gained 2.0 yards before contact and has been hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on just 36 percent of his attempts.
For the most part, the Rams have done well this season in minimizing yards after the catch. However, the Rams’ secondary can certainly be exploited in this regard, especially at cornerback. The Rams defense has allowed on average 4.6 yards after the catch per reception this season which is the sixth-best. However, in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers, they allowed 5.79. The Rams’ safeties have to be ready to tackle in the middle of the field.
Get Pressure on Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence has certainly looked better this season, but he is still susceptible to making mistakes. That’s especially the case when he’s under pressure. Under pressure this season, Lawrence has a -0.45 EPA per dropback. This ranks 20th in the NFL. When Lawrence is given time and he is kept clean, he is more than capable of hitting his wide receivers on the perimeter.
This has to be a game in which the Rams defensive line gets to Lawrence. In the loss to the Seahawks, Lawrence was pressured on 59 percent of his dropbacks. Getting pressure on Lawrence will help the Rams cornerbacks significantly. The Jaguars quarterback has targeted wide receivers aligned out wide at the highest rate in the NFL. That means Darious Williams and Emmanuel Forbes could be tested a lot. For the Rams to help their cornerbacks, they have to get pressure on Lawrence.
Move Davante Adams around the formation
This season, Davante Adams has lined up in the slot at just a 17.2 percent rate. That’s his lowest rate since 2023, which was his lowest since his second year in the NFL in 2015. In some of Adams’ best seasons in Green Bay, he lined up in the slot at a near 30 percent rate. In 2022, Adams ranked 11th in EPA per target from the slot and back in 2020, he ranked 12th.
Adams is very good from a wide alignment and his ability there is why the signed him. They needed a true “X” receiver. However, in a sense, they’ve also handcuffed Adams and only used one aspect of his skillset. Without Nacua, the Rams should be able to move Adams around and give him more opportunities in the slot. He has one of the cleanest releases in the NFL and the Rams can take advantage of that with Adams in a slot alignment. The Jaguars will be without Devin Lloyd at linebacker and Jourdan Lewis has allowed the fifth-most yards from the slot this season. As a team, the Jaguars have allowed the 10th most yards per pass as they generate a pressure rate of just 29.7 percent. This could end up being a Davante Adams game, but the Rams need to make him the focal point which means moving him around and creating positive matchups.
Lean into two tight end sets
Without Puka Nacua, the Rams may need to lean into 12 personnel and rely more on two tight end sets. The Jaguars have allowed the fourth-most passing yards out of 12 personnel this season and the eighth-highest passer rating. Without Devin Lloyd at linebacker, it may be beneficial for the Rams to keep the Jaguars in base and take advantage of their linebackers. Davis Allen has shown the ability to be a threat in the passing game as has Terrance Ferguson in limited opportunities. Tyler Higbee remains a reliable option.
This season, the Jaguars have allowed the second-most passing yards per game out of play action when the offense is in 12 personnel. Their 12.7 yards allowed per attempt is the third most. Matthew Stafford is one of the most efficient quarterbacks on such throws. Overall, the Jaguars have allowed the fourth-most yards to play action throws while Stafford is second in the NFL in EPA per dropback out of play action. If the Rams can keep the Jaguars honest in the run game, they should be able to exploit them.
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