Rams vs. Jaguars: Three must-know storylines for London game on Sunday
The final London match of the 2025 NFL season offers British fans a fascinating contest between two 4-2 teams, the Rams and Jaguars.
Duval’s 4-2 record marks the first time the franchise has entered an international match with a winning record in 14 meetings, and Sunday’s match marks the fourth time two teams with winning records will face off outside the United States.
The Rams have been a dominant force in the postseason under head coach Sean McVay, while the Jaguars are hoping for continued success under new coach and former McVay disciple Liam Coen.
Sunday’s match at Wembley Stadium should be a good benchmark for two teams with playoff aspirations.
Three Important Stories
1) The Rams will look to exploit the Jags’ pass defense—but without Nacua.
The secret to the Rams’ offense is no secret. Third-year star Puka Nacua leads the NFL in receptions (54) and ranks second in receiving yards (616), despite being limited to two catches for 28 yards in Week 6 due to an ankle injury. However, Nacua is out for Sunday, and according to NFL Research, the Rams’ ability to adapt without a player who accounts for 36.6 percent of their passing attack will go a long way in determining who wins. Fortunately for LA, Matthew Stafford’s No. 2 option isn’t too bad. Veteran Davante Adams, who signed a two-year deal in March, is capable of carrying the load on his own. While Adams had a season-low 39 yards last week, Adams’ 55 targets rank seventh in the league, but Stafford is completing just 47.3 percent of his passes when targeting Adams, and his 29 incomplete passes against the veteran are the most for any pairing. Jacksonville recently overhauled its secondary when it sent corner Tyson Campbell to Cleveland in place of CB Greg Newsome II, but the initial returns weren’t encouraging, as Sam Darnold rushed for 295 yards for the Jags, and Jackson Smith-Njigba added 162 yards and a touchdown. Furthermore, standout linebacker Devin Lloyd, who is making his debut, missed the trip to London due to a calf injury. This could be a day for Stafford and his team to show they aren’t solely dependent on a one-man passing attack.
Jags Trying to Play Clean Football After a Poor Week 6 Performance
The Jaguars lead the NFL with 14 takeaways this season, a figure that has helped mask a growing trend of uneven play that peaked with last week’s loss to the Seahawks. Jacksonville was subjected to 10 penalties for 76 yards that day (one flag nullified a long touchdown). Trevor Lawrence was sacked seven times, Brian Thomas Jr. struggled with drops, and Cam Little missed a field goal and an extra point. With no takeaways to offset their own mistakes, the Jags lost to Seattle by eight points. According to NFL Research, the Rams are one of two teams to give away every game this season, but Los Angeles also has an opportunistic defense with 10 takeaways (third in the NFL). After Liam Coen described his team as an “undisciplined operation,” the emphasis should have been on clean play this week. Protecting Lawrence against a strong Rams team led by Byron Young (second in the NFL with 7.5 sacks) would go a long way in turning things around.
3) Hunter needs to be more of a focal point
It would be wrong to call Travis Hunter’s experience over the past six weeks disappointing — after all, what he’s trying to do is unprecedented in modern football — but impactful games have largely been missing from the No. 2 overall pick. According to Next Gen Stats, Hunter has played 241 offensive snaps and 142 defensive snaps, showing his promise as a two-way player. However, aside from a 44-yard catch in Week 5 against the Chiefs, Hunter hasn’t shown the explosiveness that made him a two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner in college. That could change this Sunday, as Liam Coen told reporters on Wednesday that they will prioritize ways to get him the ball offensively. “Getting him ready for the opener, No. 1, is part of it,” Coen said, via ESPN.com. “Our job as an offensive team is to make sure we push him and put him in the No. 1 [option] position more often in some ways.” Hunter has only 20 receptions on 31 targets and 197 yards, leaving the No. 1 responsibility to Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas is going through developmental issues this year as a sophomore, so a change of strategy is necessary for Duval after giving up a season-low 12 points and 273 yards last Sunday.