Matthew Stafford

Don’t start planning any parades just yet. Hold off on those February plans to travel to Santa Clara.

The Rams still have a long way to go make the playoffs and try to advance to the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium.

Their 34-10 victory Sunday over the struggling New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium was no revelation or landmark win. But the Rams did something important. Something championship-caliber teams are supposed to do: They convincingly dispatched of a weaker opponent before 72,055.

Matthew Stafford passed for four touchdowns, receiver Puka Nacua returned from an ankle injury in spectacular fashion, and the defense dominated again as the Rams won their third game in a row, improved to 6-2 and showed that the Dodgers might not be the only L.A. team hoisting a championship trophy.

“We’ll see if we can continue to do some good stuff like they did,” coach Sean McVay said of the World Series champions.

The Rams’ victory put them atop the NFC West heading into next Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.

“I like the fact that we’re getting better,” McVay said, adding, “There’s just a good vibe.”

On most fronts, anyway.

The Rams’ first victory over an NFC opponent did not come against the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles or the rival 49ers, teams the Rams lost to in part because of kicking-game disasters.

Rams coach Sean McVay watches from the sideline during the first half Sunday against the Saints.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

And those issues remain: Joshua Karty missed a field goal and an extra point.

So McVay’s patience with the kicking game is wearing thin. And no team will win a title without a competent one.

McVay once again said he had confidence in Karty, but that was after he said “it can’t continue like this … it’s gone on for too long,” and “it’s not getting better,” among other things.

Can the Rams be a championship team without an adequate placekicking unit?

“No,” McVay said. “It’s going to cost us — it’s cost us already. It’s been a momentum killer. … The harsh truth of it is this is not sustainable.”

But if the Rams solve the kicking issue and stay healthy — Nacua said he would play against the 49ers after leaving the game in the second half because of a chest injury — and McVay can keep his team focused against division opponents and other playoff contenders, the Rams might earn their own parade.

Stafford is positioning himself to lead one.

Already a fixture on NFL career passing lists, the 17th-year pro is enjoying another sensational season.

As he did in 2021, when he passed for 41 touchdowns and led the Rams to a Super Bowl title, Stafford is playing at a level that should have him in the most-valuable-player discussion.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes in front of Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan during the first quarter Sunday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

On Sunday his two touchdown passes to Davante Adams and one each to Nacua and tight end Tyler Higbee increased Stafford’s season total to 21, with only two interceptions.

Stafford, who passed for five touchdowns in an Oct. 19 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars, completed 24 of 32 passes for 281 yards and extended to five his streak of games without an interception.

Stafford’s wife and their daughters attended the game wearing No. 22 Dodgers jerseys, a salute to retiring pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Stafford’s high school teammate.

Now Stafford is chasing a second Super Bowl title.

“It’s not like we’ve got it all figured out,” he said, adding, “Got to keep continuing to find ways to put more points on the board.”

Nacua sat out against the Jaguars because of an ankle injury. But he said in the days leading up to the game that he was “feeling fantastic.”

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, left, celebrates with wide receiver Davante Adams after catching a touchdown pass in the second quarter Sunday against the Saints.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

He looked like it at the outset, making two catches for first downs to start a drive that ended with Stafford’s touchdown pass to Higbee. The veteran tight end, in an apparent salute to the Dodgers, celebrated by taking an imaginary swing and then doing their post-hit celebration.

Adams then followed his breakout three-touchdown performance against the Jaguars with the first of two more red-zone touchdowns. The 12th-year pro is tied for eighth all time with 111 touchdown catches.

Early in the second quarter, Stafford and Nacua went for the home run, connecting on a 39-yard pass that Nacua hauled in for a touchdown and a 20-3 lead.

Stafford’s short strike to Adams in the third quarter put the game out of reach, and Kyren Williams’ short touchdown run early in the fourth quarter provided the finishing touch.

Williams rushed for 114 yards and Blake Corum ran for 58 on a day when the Rams once again utilized all four tight ends in the pass and run attacks.

Meanwhile, the Rams defense made it rough on Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough in his first start.

Several Rams defensive players tackle Saints quarterback Tyler Shough in the second quarter of the Rams’ 34-10 win Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Lineman Braden Fiske got his first sack of the season, linebacker Nate Landman forced another fumble, and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. intercepted his first pass as a Ram.

“We’re growing at a great rate,” Landman said, “and we’re going to peak at the right time.”

The game against the Saints was the start of a stretch that includes two home games after the 49ers. Only two remaining nine games — a late November trip to play the Carolina Panthers and a late December trip to play the Atlanta Falcons — will require the Rams to travel farther east than Arizona.

A lot can happen between now and the start of the playoffs. But the Rams look like the Super Bowl contender they were built to be.

As a 12th-year pro, Davante Adams knows the value of rest during a bye week. So before the Rams played the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Oct. 19, Adams looked forward to days off that awaited.

Then Adams, flashing his three-time All-Pro form, caught three touchdown passes.

Was there any part of him that did not want a break?

“Oh, hell yeah,” Adams said this week, noting that he told coach Sean McVay, “‘I wish we could keep rolling at this point.’”

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Gary Klein breaks down what to expect from the Rams on Sunday when they face the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.

So did McVay.

“He’s like, ‘Man, I don’t want to have a week off,’” McVay recalled. “I said, ‘Hey, just enjoy it.’”

Adams, rested and ready after spending part of last week in Mexico with family, intends to pick up where he left off two weeks ago when the Rams play host to the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.

The game will mark the return of fellow star receiver Puka Nacua, who sat out against the Jaguars because of an ankle injury suffered Oct. 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.

But the Rams will be without speedy receiver Tutu Atwell, who will be sidelined for at least four games on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury.

McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford showed against the Jaguars that the Rams’ weapons go beyond Nacua and Adams. Four tight ends — Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson — were among the 10 players who caught passes in the 35-7 victory that improved the Rams record to 5-2.

“The more people we can get involved in the game, the better we are,” said Stafford, who has passed for 17 touchdowns, with only two interceptions. “We have a couple of extremely talented players, quite a few that are difference-makers in this league. When we can spread the ball around and make everybody defend all the guys, all the eligibles, every blade of grass, that’s when we’re at our best.”

The Rams signed Adams aiming to capitalize on his experience and playmaking, his elite separation skills and the threat he poses near the goal line.

Stafford, 37, and Adams, 32, combined for a few highlight-reel plays in the first six games. But they acknowledged in the week leading up to the game against the Jaguars that they were still working to get completely in sync.

They found their rhythm against the Jaguars.

Adams made dynamic catches from inside the two-yard line for all of his touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said the Rams “absolutely” envisioned those kinds of plays when they pursued Adams, who has 109 career touchdown catches, the most among active players.

“There’s a reason he has over a hundred touchdowns,” LaFleur said, adding, “It’s not shocking.”

Did the Rams find something they can build on?

“Yeah, we’ll see what the red-zone targets look like this week and then we’ll be able to fully tell you,” Adams said, chuckling. “But definitely it’s not a secret that I’ve been able to make plays in the red zone.

“I think a lot of it was just getting on the same page, us feeling each other out and coming up with a good plan. The coaches did that and we were able to connect.

“I think the more you make plays, the more you build that confidence and then you stop straining and pressing to make plays and you just be yourself and go out there and be natural.”

Adams has 31 catches for 431 yards and six touchdowns.

With Stafford and Adams continuing to solidify their connection, the offense is poised to remain productive as the Rams drive toward a playoff spot.

“Me being who I am and Matthew being who he is and just having the team that we do, my expectations are really high and standards are really high for what I should bring and what this team should be able to do,” Adams said. “I’m definitely not satisfied with what we’ve done, but happy with where we are.”

LONDON — Goodbye London. Hello bye week.

The Rams’ ended an extended road trip and welcomed some time off with a 35-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

Matthew Stafford passed for five touchdowns — three to Davante Adams and one each to rookies Konata Mumpfield and Terrance Ferguson — and edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young led a mostly suffocating defense as the Rams improved their record to 5-2 heading into an off week.

In a light rain, and without injured star receiver Puka Nacua, coach Sean McVay and Stafford poured into 10 different receivers during a victory that made the nine-day road trip worth it.

The Rams were coming off a 17-3 road victory over the Ravens. They remained in Baltimore last week and practiced at Oriole Park at Camden Yards before departing for London on Friday.

They arrived Saturday and played on Sunday.

And they showed no signs of jet lag.

Rams rookie Josaiah Stewart sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence during the second half Sunday.

(Ian Walton / Associated Press)

Verse sacked Trevor Lawrence on the first play, the Rams jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead and cruised as McVay remained unbeaten in London games.

Young, rookie outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart, linebacker Nate Landman, lineman Larrell Murchison and safety Quentin Lake contributed to seven sacks on Lawrence. Lake, who also forced a fumble, and lineman Kobie Turner batted down passes in the backfield.

In 2017, McVay’s first season, the Rams routed the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium. Two years later, they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium.

Though Sunday’s game was played thousands of miles from Southern California, it had something of a Rams family feel.

Jaguars coach Liam Coen was an assistant under McVay, and Jaguars first-year general manager James Gladstone worked for nine years under Rams general manager Les Snead.

The week off should benefit Nacua, who did not play because of an ankle injury sustained against the Ravens. The Rams thought it best to rest the third-year pro and let him heal during the off week before they play the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 2 at SoFi Stadium.

Rams wide receiver Davante Adams leaps above Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown to catch his third touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter Sunday.

(Ian Walton / Associated Press)

That opened the door for Adams and others.

By the end of the first quarter, Stafford had completed passes to seven of eight different receivers targeted, including touchdowns to Mumpfield and two to Adams.

Stafford connected with Ferguson and Adams for touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Adams and Stafford had said in Baltimore that they were still working to find their timing together.

They found it Sunday: Adams caught five passes for 35 yards, and all of his short touchdown receptions were on the kinds of red-zone plays the Rams envisioned when they signed the three-time All-Pro.

Stafford completed 21 of 33 passes for only 182 yards, but he made them count.

So for the first time since 2021, the Rams will go into their off week with a winning record.

In 2023, the Rams were 3-6 at the bye and then won seven of eight games to finish 10-7 and make the playoffs.

Last season, they were 1-4 at the bye and then won nine of 12 games to finish 10-7 and make the playoffs.

But Sunday’s victory trends closer to 2017, when the Rams shut out the Cardinals, 33-0, at Twickenham Stadium to improve to 5-2 going into the bye. The Rams went on to win the NFC West and make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

After taking trips to Tennessee, Philadelphia, Baltimore and London, the Rams will leave the West Coast only twice for a Nov. 30 game at Carolina and a Dec. 29 game at Atlanta.

They had to feel good about that as they prepared for their long flight home.

The script is familiar.

Fourth quarter or overtime. Rams trail or are tied. On comes Matthew Stafford.

The veteran quarterback is the master of comebacks.

And he appeared to be on the verge of doing it again on Thursday night against the rival San Francisco 49ers.

But the 49ers stopped running back Kyren Williams on a fourth-and-one play at the 49ers’ 11-yard line, sending the Rams to a 26-23 overtime defeat before 73,652 at SoFi Stadium.

After the game, Rams coach Sean McVay blamed himself for the failed fourth-down run, saying “it was a bad call by me.”

Stafford tossed two touchdown passes to Williams and another to Puka Nacua, but on a night when the Rams’ kicking woes continued, it was not enough to beat an injury-riddled opponent as the Rams fell to 3-2 and wasted an opportunity to take over first place in the NFC West.

Rams kicker Joshua Karty, who last year beat the 49ers with a winning field goal at SoFi Stadium, missed a long field-goal attempt and had an extra-point attempt blocked, the second time that has happened this season. His kickoff in overtime did not reach the landing zone, giving the 49ers the ball at the 40-yard line.

The 49ers improved to 4-1, with victories over the Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.

McVay this week good-naturedly blamed his late grandfather John McVay for creating so many 49ers fans by helping assemble 49ers teams that won five Super Bowls.

And McVay and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, his former mentor, have squared off for some classic matchups, including the NFC championship game at SoFi Stadium in January 2022.

But these were not the same 49ers — at least on paper.

San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins (95) celebrates with teammates after forcing Rams running back Kyren Williams to fumble at the goal line late in the fourth quarter Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

With quarterback Brock Purdy receiving a massive extension before the season, the 49ers let go of numerous high-profile stars that helped them make two Super Bowl appearances in the last six years.

Even quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is with the Rams.

Journeyman Mac Jones started in place of Purdy, who is nursing a toe injury. Tight end George Kittle, receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings and star defensive end Nick Bosa also did not play.

But the 49ers still prevailed.

Mac Jones completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

Rams linebacker Jared Verse celebrates after making a tackle in the third quarter against the 49ers on Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Christian McCaffrey caught eight passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 57 yards in 22 carries.

The score was tied 23-23 at the end of regulation after the Rams blew a chance to win when Williams fumbled at the 49ers’ one-yard line — but then tied the score on Karty’s 48-yard field goal with two seconds left.

Piniero’s 41-yard field goal gave the 49ers the lead.

The Rams then drove from their 33 to the 49ers’ 11, where their hopes for a victory ended.

Tutu Atwell appeared to be the forgotten man.

After signing a one-year, $10-million contract, he seemed to be virtually ignored while playing in the shadow of stars Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

Atwell went into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with only one target in each of the first three games.

He got two targets against the Colts.

But the speedy Atwell made one count.

With less than two minutes left, he broke free, caught a midrange pass from Matthew Stafford and turned it into an 88-yard touchdown that gave the Rams a 27-20 victory before 71,257 at SoFi Stadium.

“Throughout this season, I’m mentally ready for a game like this.” Atwell said. “Just wait for my number, because it’s something I’ve been doing the whole year, all these years that I’ve been here.”

Stafford also tossed touchdown passes to Nacua and Adams, and Kam Curl intercepted two passes as the Rams improved their record to 3-1 and rebounded from their heart-wrenching defeat by the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.

So, not a bad start.

The Rams are far from perfect, or even consistently dominant in any phase.

But nearly a quarter of the way into the season, the Rams still look like the Super Bowl contender they were built to be.

Rams coach Sean McVay celebrates with wide receiver Tutu Atwell after his 88-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter against the Colts.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The Rams don’t have much time to marinate in the victory: the rival San Francisco 49ers are coming to town on Thursday night.

But coach Sean McVay and his players should be feeling confident, if not overly so.

For the second game in a row, Stafford missed on some passes he typically completes. But he was outstanding during a trademark two-minute drill that ended with a touchdown pass to Adams at the end of the first half, during a fourth-quarter drive that Nacua finished with a fourth-down touchdown catch and on his perfect throw to a wide-open Atwell.

Nacua caught 13 passes for 170 yards, and became only the third player in NFL history to have at least eight catches in each of the first four games.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua celebrates after scoring a touchdown to tie the score in the fourth quarter against the Colts.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

General manager Les Snead’s offseason effort to bolster the run defense continues to pay early dividends.

A week after neutralizing Eagles star Saquon Barkley, the Rams limited Jonathan Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher, to 76 yards rushing in 17 carries.

They also forced quarterback Daniel Jones into his first turnovers of the season.

After having two consecutive field-goal attempts blocked by the Eagles — including a potential game-winner that the Eagles returned for a touchdown — Joshua Karty kicked two field goals against the Colts. And punter Ethan Evans boomed long punts that forced the Colts to start drives deep in their territory.

The Rams led 13-10 at halftime after Stafford engineered a patented two-minute drive that covered 96 yards and ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Adams.

Stafford had misfired on a few passes, and also had a few bounce off the hands of receivers, before he found Adams, Nacua and tight end Tyler Higbee on consecutive plays to move the ball to the 21-yard line.

The Rams have struggled to score touchdowns from inside the 20, and it looked like it might be a repeat when Stafford was sacked on first-and-goal from the 10. But this time Stafford finished the deal with a laser pass to Adams.

That momentum, or at least the breaks, continued early in the second half.

Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell caught a pass and seemingly was on his way to turning it into a 76-yard touchdown. But Mitchell lost the ball at the one-yard line and it bounced through the end zone for a touchback that gave the Rams the ball.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell fumbles the ball into the end zone during the third quarter.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Rams, however, failed to capitalize, and fell behind 17-13 early in the fourth quarter after Jones engineered a long drive that ended with a short touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr.

Stafford did not get much of an opportunity to direct a come-from-behind scoring drive.

On the first play of the ensuing possession, Stafford and Williams could not complete a handoff and the ball fell to the turf for a fumble that was recovered by the Colts.

With about nine minutes left, the Colts kicked a field goal to increase their lead to 20-13.

Despite two penalties that stunted their drive, Stafford finished an 83-yard march with a fourth- down touchdown pass to Nacua that tied the score with 3:20 left.

Taylor broke off a run for an apparent 53-yard touchdown, but a holding penalty nullified the play. Two plays later, Jared Verse sacked Jones and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Colts at their 29-yard line.

The Rams got the ball with 1:44 left, and on their first play, Stafford passed to Atwell for the touchdown.

Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell trots into the end zone ahead of Colts defensive back Camryn Bynum on an 88-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

PHILADELPHIA — For awhile there, it was beginning to look a lot like 2021.

That was the year the Rams went all-in, started fast, endured through a midseason losing streak and then went on to win the Super Bowl.

There is still a long way to go before Super Bowl LX will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

But despite what coach Sean McVay and his players insisted after their collapse on Sunday against the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles, it was no confidence builder.

Not in the short term anyway.

The Rams blew a 19-point third quarter lead, were set up to possibly win with a last-second field goal and then had that kick blocked and returned for a touchdown in a 33-26 defeat at Lincoln Financial Field.

“We had the game within our control kind of the whole time,” kicker Joshua Karty said, “and we come out of here with a loss, so [it] kind of sucks.”

When it comes to the Eagles, the Rams are accustomed to disappointment.

The Eagles (3-0) beat the Rams last season at SoFi Stadium. They beat them here in the snow in the NFC divisional round. And now they produced an epic comeback to send the Rams back to Los Angeles with another bitter loss.

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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in their 33-26 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

It was a stunning defeat for a Rams team that an hour earlier appeared easily on its way to improving to 3-0 for the first time since their championship season.

The Rams had defeated the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans, but the matchup against the Eagles, quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley represented the first real test for a team McVay has described as the deepest in his eight-plus seasons.

The Rams again came close. And again they failed.

“These are the chances to be able to lean in and see what you’re really about,” McVay, who is now 1-6 against the Eagles, said of his team’s way forward.

Unlike last January, the temperature on Sunday was not frigid. It was sunny and warm, much like how the Rams must have felt early in the third quarter after they went ahead 26-7 on Matthew Stafford’s short touchdown pass to running back Kyren Williams.

It was a seemingly comfortable lead, even for a Rams team that had settled for multiple field goals instead of touchdowns because of poor execution inside the 20-yard line.

The Rams even had their nemesis Barkley — he of four long touchdown runs against them last season — under control.

“We were riding high — everything was feeling good,” receiver Davante Adams said, “and then to come out on the wrong side of this, obviously it’s not the way we drew it up.”

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws against the Eagles in the second half Sunday.

(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)

No one could have predicted the Rams would have two kicks blocked in the final minutes.

“It’s the NFL,” safety Kam Curl said, “It’s crazy.”

McVay appeared to keep calm, but like Rams fans watching their team barrel toward another loss to the Eagles, he had to be going a little nuts as his offense stalled while Hurts was passing for three touchdowns and running for another.

The Rams built a 19-7 halftime lead on Stafford’s long touchdown pass to Adams and four field goals by Karty.

They seized momentum on the first series of the second half when edge rusher Jared Verse sacked Hurts and forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Nate Landman.

The turnover set up Stafford’s scoring pass to Williams.

“Feeling like we had our foot on the gas,” receiver Puka Nacua said.

The Rams were in complete control.

Until they weren’t.

Hurts tossed two touchdown passes that trimmed the Rams’ lead to five points.

The Rams got the ball early in the fourth quarter, and with just less than nine minutes left, Karty came on for a 36-yard field-goal attempt. But Eagles lineman Jalen Carter blocked the kick.

Hurts’ short touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith put the Eagles ahead, 27-26.

And then Stafford, the master of last-minute drives, drove the Rams to the Eagles’ 26.

It was eerily familiar to last January, when Stafford had the Rams driving toward a potential game-winning touchdown.

This time, all they needed was a field goal.

“I was thankful for another opportunity to kind of help my team make things right and come off the field with a victory,” Karty said.

But Jordan Davis leaped high to block the kick, and then scooped the ball and ran to the end zone as delirious Eagles fans roared.

“Had our chances really in all phases probably to win that one and didn’t get it done,” said Stafford, who passed for two touchdowns, with an interception. “It’s frustrating.”

McVay and his players repeatedly cautioned that it was only Week 3.

And they are correct.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches a pass in front of Rams cornerback Cobie Durant during the second half Sunday.

(Chris Szagola / Associated Press)

No need to panic or overthink the defeat. Not with the surprisingly unbeaten Indianapolis Colts coming to SoFi Stadium next Sunday.

But at some point — likely the NFC playoffs — the Rams must figure out how to beat the Eagles.

“I hate the Eagles,” Williams said, “but they taught us something … or are putting us through something that we needed to get put through.

“I’m glad that it’s happening this early in the season because it’s only going to make us [better] for later.”

Time will tell.

The Rams are off to a great start — but now comes the big test.

The defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles, like the Rams, are 2-0.

Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia will be the Rams’ third opportunity in less than a year to show they can beat a team that ended their 2024 season with a defeat in an NFC divisional-round game.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and a defense that has surrendered only one touchdown helped the Rams to victories over the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans.

The Eagles feature running back Saquon Barkley — the reigning NFL offensive player of the year — quarterback Jalen Hurts, one of the NFL’s best offensive lines and a defense led by tackle Jalen Carter. They have defeated the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.

Barkley rushed for more than 200 yards and scored on two long touchdown runs in each of the Eagles’ victories over the Rams last season.

The Rams added lineman Poona Ford and linebacker Nate Landman in the offseason to improve the run defense.

Rams coach Sean McVay is 1-5 against the Eagles. He will once again scheme against Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

“Is this a great challenge? You’re damn right it is,” McVay said, adding, “They’ve gotten after us. They’ve gotten the results that they wanted. You can see it’s a combination of a lot of great things that they have going there. … Let’s go swing and see what happens.”

NASHVILLE — Two nice tuneups.

Two opportunities that showed the Rams can indeed be Super Bowl contenders.

Now the real season — and test — begins.

The Rams’ 33-19 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium improved their record to 2-0.

Puka Nacua scored on a long touchdown run, Matthew Stafford passed for two touchdowns — including his first to Davante Adams — and edge rusher Byron Young had two sacks and forced a fumble to lead the Rams.

Next up: The defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.

That will be the real measuring stick for a Rams team and coach Sean McVay, who is aiming for a third Super Bowl appearance in eight years.

So next Sunday, the Rams will confidently return to Lincoln Financial Field, where they lost to the Eagles in the NFC divisional round.

The Texans and the Titans are a far cry from the Eagles.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, the reigning NFL offensive player of the year, torched the Rams in the 2024 regular season and the playoffs.

He rushed for 255 yards in a Week 12 victory over the Rams, scoring on runs of 70 and 72 yards. In January, he ran for 205 yards and scored on runs of 62 and 78 yards.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is a rising star and Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward appears on track to possibly become one. But neither is Jalen Hurts, who has played in two Super Bowls and won a title.

Eagles receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are a talented tandem, and the offensive line is perhaps the NFL’s best.

And a defense, led by coordinator Vic Fangio, features tackle Jalen Carter, who ended the Rams’ Super Bowl hopes last season when he sacked Stafford one play before Stafford’s final pass fell incomplete.

On Sunday, in a matchup between quarterbacks picked No. 1 in the NFL draft, the veteran came out on top.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks to pass in the first half against the Titans on Sunday.

(Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)

Stafford, the top pick in 2009, completed 23 of 33 passes for 298 yards, with an interception.

Ward, the top pick in the 2025 draft, completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown.

Along with his 45-yard touchdown run, Nacua caught eight passes for 91 yards. Adams caught six passes for 106 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown.

Tight end Davis Allen scored his second touchdown of the season, and running back Blake Corum rushed for his first career touchdown.

The Rams trailed 13-10 at halftime after they gave up 10 points in the final 38 seconds of the second quarter.

The Rams had built a 10-3 lead on Nacua’s long touchdown run and a short field goal by Joshua Karty. But Ward made a sensational play to complete a nine-yard touchdown pass, and then Titans linebacker Cody Barton intercepted a Stafford pass to set up a field goal that gave the Titans the lead.

The Rams got the ball to start the second half and they moved downfield to the three-yard line. But for the second time in the game, they could not convert the opportunity into a touchdown and had to settle for another field goal.

The Titans regained the lead with a long field goal, setting up the Rams most impressive drive.

Stafford completed passes of 24 and 22 yards to Nacua and Corum ran for 15 yards to give the Rams first-and-goal at the eight-yard line. After failing to convert two earlier goal-line opportunities into touchdowns, the Rams finally came through.

Stafford passed to Allen along the right sideline, and the third-year pro reached for the goal line. Officials initially ruled he was short of a touchdown, but upon review it was determined the ball crossed the goal line, giving the Rams a 20-16 lead.

After Young forced a fumble that linebacker Nate Landman recovered, Stafford connected with Adams for a 27-16 lead.

Corum’s short touchdown run completed the scoring for the Rams, who opted to run out the clock rather than score at the end of the game.

Nate Landman punched in as a Ram on Sunday.

And the team’s new linebacker and team captain punched out the Houston Texans.

With the Texans threatening to score in the final minutes of the opener, Landman showed an artisan’s touch by separating the ball from a Texan running back’s grip and forcing a fumble that was recovered by lineman Braden Fiske.

The play all but sealed the Rams’ 14-9 season-opening victory before 71,346 at SoFi Stadium.

“It means so much,” said Landman, who played three seasons for the Atlanta Falcons before signing a one-year contract with the Rams. “You work, you work, you work, for that moment to happen there, and for that moment to come to fruition and expose itself is really great.”

Landman was one of several key players for a defense that limited the Texans to three field goals.

Cornerback Cobie Durant intercepted a pass, edge rusher Byron Young, lineman Tyler Davis and safety Jaylen McCollough recorded sacks and Fiske made a spectacular play to recover Dare Ogunbowale’s fumble after Landman punched it out.

Those efforts made it easier for an offense that will need some fine-tuning to live up to its hype.

“Landman making that punch out was so cool,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said.

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1. Rams tight end Davis Allen (87) celebrates with teammates after making a touchdown catch. 2. Rams safety Jaylen McCollough celebrates during the first half. 3. Rams running back Kyren Williams tries to evade Houston Texans defenders. 4. Quarterback Matthew Stafford celebrates the Rams’ win. 5. Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. pushes Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington out of bounds in the second quarter. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Stafford, in his 17th NFL season, did not commit a turnover while etching his name deeper into the NFL record book. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown, and became only the 10th player to pass for more than 60,000 yards.

After sitting out all of training camp and several weeks of preseason practices because of a back issue, his ability to start and finish the game was a victory unto itself.

Receiver Puka Nacua also showed characteristic grit and toughness. Despite suffering an injury that required stitches in his head, Nacua caught 10 passes for 130 yards. Receiver Davante Adams caught four passes for 51 yards in his Rams debut.

Running back Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown and tight end Davis Allen caught a touchdown pass as the Rams improved to 7-2 in openers under ninth-year coach Sean McVay.

“Our guys found a way,” McVay said of his team’s overall effort, “and that’s what it’s about.”

Sunday’s game marked the start of the Rams’ 10th season in Los Angeles since returning from St. Louis.

And the defense’s performance, save for an untimely penalty or two, rated a near 10.

Rams coach Sean McVay shares a hand slap with wide receiver Puka Nacua during the Rams’ season-opening win.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The Rams’ offense managed only Williams’ touchdown in the first half. Meanwhile, Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked three field goals to give the Texans a 9-7 lead.

But the Rams appeared to come out with a different attitude in the second half.

Stafford’s passes to Adams and Xavier Smith set up Allen’s touchdown catch that gave the Rams the lead, and they appeared on their way to increasing their advantage when they drove to the Texans’ 12-yard line with just over four minutes left.

But tight end Colby Parkinson fumbled after a short reception, putting the onus on the Rams defense.

When quarterback C.J. Stroud’s third-down pass fell incomplete, the Rams looked like they were on the verge of victory. But a roughing-the-passer penalty against lineman Kobie Turner kept the drive alive.

Stroud completed a pass to Ogunbowale, and on the next play they connected for another. But this time Landman punched the ball out of Ogunbowale’s grip.

McVay was not surprised.

Landman, who forced three fumbles in each of the previous two seasons, has had more punchouts in practice than any other player,” McVay said.

“He has just a great feel for it,” McVay said, “so he’s intentional, and I think it’s rubbed off on the rest of the group. And he got it at a critical time. You talk about competitive greatness — that was on display.”

Stafford’s 24-yard pass to Nacua in the final minute sealed the victory.

“That’s complementary football, right?” Stafford said. “That’s, ‘Hey, we make a mistake, defense comes out and makes a play for us. Hey, you know what, we aren’t going to put you back out on the field defense, we’re going to close this thing out taking a knee.’

“Those are things you can build on.”

The Rams play the Tennessee Titans and the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles on the road the next two weeks.

“The sky’s the limit for this defense,” Landman said. “You see the guys we have up front, the pressure we’re able to create on the quarterback.

“And you pair that with the coverage behind it — it’s a lot to look forward to this year.”

If the Rams pass rush wants to christen itself as the NFL’s most ferocious, the Houston Texans could offer a prime chance to showcase its “dangerous” capabilities.

The offensive line has been a significant concern for the Texans, to the point where coach DeMeco Ryans is tired of talking about it. Despite quarterback CJ Stroud being sacked 52 times last season (third most in the NFL), Houston wasn’t necessarily able to improve the unit, especially after trading blindside protector Laremy Tunsil to Washington.

The mostly fresh-faced starting five will be tasked with staying in front of a Rams pass rush contingent that enters the season ranked sixth in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.

Jared Verse, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Byron Young could create significant issues for Stroud, and Poona Ford could be the missing ingredient the Rams need to shore up their defensive front to create even more problems for opposing offenses.

Stroud isn’t the only one facing a tough pass rush. Matthew Stafford and his recovering back will be tested against a Houston defense that racked up 49 sacks (fourth in NFL) and 19 interceptions (second) last season.

The 37-year-old quarterback didn’t practice until late into training camp, but Stafford and coach Sean McVay have said they are confident everything will be normal.

Matthew Stafford will start at quarterback and the plan is for Alaric Jackson to start at left tackle on Sunday in the season opener against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium, Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday.

Stafford, 37, practiced the last few weeks after sitting out training camp and several weeks because of a back issue.

“He’ll be good,” to start against the Texans, McVay said during a videoconference with reporters after the Rams completed a no-pads practice that was closed to the media.

Jackson, who signed a $35-million extension in March, practiced Monday for the first time since he was diagnosed with blood clots in his legs in June. Jackson had been doing individual drills with trainers and had participated with starters in jog-throughs.

“He earned the right to be in the position, where you pay him — it was a big priority for us to get him back,” McVay said. “He’s done everything in his power to be ready to go. This was always the end goal in mind — is to be ready to go against the Texans.”

After Jackson was diagnosed with blood clots for the second time in his career — he also dealt with the issue in 2022 — the Rams signed veteran tackle D.J. Humphries. Warren McClendon Jr. and David Quessenberry are other tackles that could play opposite right tackle Rob Havenstein if Jackson is injured, limited or struggles.

But McVay sounded optimistic that the Rams would continue to manage Jackson’s condition and that he would be ready for Sunday.

“He’s taken great care of himself, and he’s put himself in a rare position that I do believe to step in and play at a good clip,” McVay said, adding, “There’s nothing like actually playing real football … but [Monday] was a great step in the right direction.”

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford appears on track to start the season opener against the Houston Texans — and now perhaps his primary protector will join him in the preparation.

Left tackle Alaric Jackson, who has been sidelined because of blood-clot issues in his legs, will participate in full-team drills for the first time next week, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

“We’ve got a good plan in place,” McVay said.

Jackson, 27, signed a three-year, $35-million extension in March. But in June, he was diagnosed with blood-clot issues for the second time in his career, and the Rams hurriedly signed veteran tackle D.J. Humphries.

Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson stretches with teammates during training camp at Loyola Marymount on July 24.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Whether Jackson can play in the Sept. 7 opener against the Texans, or any time this season, will be determined by how he responds to the increased workload while managing the condition.

McVay and the Rams are hoping Jackson’s trajectory is similar to Stafford’s.

Stafford, sidelined all of training camp and several weeks of practices because of a back issue, returned last week and completed three workouts and a jog-through with no setbacks. He was on the field Monday and continued to look sharp.

“He’s doing a heck of a job taking care of himself with a lot of different things,” McVay said of Stafford, adding, “I can’t see into the future, but if you look at what the last week has entailed, feel really good.

“There’s nothing that would lead me to believe, unless we have an unforeseen setback, that he’s not going to be ready to roll against the Texans.”

Having Jackson available to protect Stafford’s blindside would be a plus for a Rams team regarded as a Super Bowl contender.

The Rams have experience dealing with Jackson’s issue.

In 2022, the season of the Rams’ historic post-Super Bowl collapse, Jackson sat out eight games because of a blood-clot issue.

Since training camp began, Jackson has been doing individual work with trainers. But he has lined up with starters during jog-throughs. Jackson’s participation in full-team drills starting next Monday will be another milestone for the fifth-year pro.

“I’m really happy for him that all things are pointing to him being ready to go and being able to manage this,” McVay said. “There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes of being educated on how many people have really been able to deal with this. … Feel really fortunate that that’s the direction that we’re trending in.”

Etc.

Initial 53-man rosters must be set by Tuesday at 1 p.m. . McVay said the Rams already have made their decisions. … Rookie outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart is in concussion protocol, McVay said.

As Matthew Stafford got to the podium on Thursday, he joked that he was sure reporters wanted to ask him questions about the paper cut he suffered.

The Rams star quarterback then fielded inquiries about the subject that clouds all conversation about the Rams: The back injury that sidelined Stafford until this week.

Stafford practiced for the fourth day in a row, another small milestone for the 17th-year pro and a team aiming to make a Super Bowl run.

“The good thing is I feel pretty good,” said Stafford, who practiced for the fourth day in a row. “The last couple days out there practicing, I was able to do even more than I thought I was going to be able to do the first day, and then I’ve just been trying to stack days.

“Backs are sometimes interesting things. It’s not cut and dry, what’s what and how you’re going to feel. So I’m really appreciative of our team, our head coach and everybody taking a day-to-day approach with me and doing everything they can to try and help me out.

“I have a feeling of responsibility to our team to do what’s right by them and I’m trying to do that as best as I can day in and day out.”

Stafford, 37, declined to discuss specifics of his injury, which coach Sean McVay has described as an aggravated disc that required at least one epidural injection.

Stafford said there was not a particular offseason incident that caused the condition, which apparently flared while training between the time the Rams returned from Maui in June and the start of training camp in late July.

“It wasn’t like one thing where I knew right away,” he said. “Just kind of something that crept up on me a little bit.”

Stafford said he had done “everything under the sun” to be able to return to the field.

Asked if he expected to be ready for the Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans, he said, “I’m not going to answer questions like that. … It’s probably a day-to-day thing. I’m just doing everything I can to try and be out there for the next practice.”

Rams coach Sean McVay, left, talks with quarterback Matthew Stafford, right, during training camp in Woodland Hills on Thursday.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

Stafford’s return to the field began on Monday, two days after he did not go through a scheduled individual throwing session. Stafford recovered well enough from Monday’s workout to practice again on Tuesday. He participated in a team jogthrough on Wednesday, and then went through a full practice on Thursday.

Throughout the week, he looked sharp and showed no discernible signs of discomfort or limitations.

“I’ve seen a guy that’s gotten better and better,” McVay said. “He looks like the stud that we know.”

Stafford’s availability will be paramount for a team aiming to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when Stafford led the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

During the offseason, the Rams adjusted Stafford’s contract — he will carry a salary-cap number of $47.5 million this season, according to Overthecap.com — because they believe that with the addition of star receiver Davante Adams and a rising defense, they have a shot at another title.

During training camp and joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, veteran Jimmy Garoppolo took first-team snaps in place of Stafford. Third-year pro Stetson Bennett also made major strides during training camp and two preseason starts.

Yet Stafford’s availability and performance will dictate whether the Rams can improve their performance from last season, when they advanced to the NFC divisional round before losing to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.

So the Rams and Stafford must manage the back issue.

The Rams play their final preseason game at Cleveland on Saturday, but Stafford — and perhaps other veterans — will not travel, McVay said.

Stafford sounded as if managing this back issue will be nothing new for a quarterback who played through numerous injuries during 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions and four with the Rams.

“There’s soreness all over the place, every time I wake up,” he joked. “It’s something that I’ll manage like I do a million other things throughout the year.”

Matthew Stafford’s second day of practice lacked the anticipation and drama of the first.

But Tuesday’s performance was a milestone nonetheless for the star quarterback and a Rams team with designs on a Super Bowl title.

The biggest takeaway: Stafford’s injured back responded positively to Monday’s one-hour workout, enabling the 17th-year pro to play with even more confidence as the Rams prepare for their Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans.

“The reality is we’re trying to get our hands on this and get him to feel as good as possible,” coach Sean McVay said. “Backs can be a volatile thing. This is definitely positive progress. … It certainly is trending in a positive direction for us.”

Stafford, 37, had been sidelined since the start of training camp because of what McVay has described as an aggravated disc. McVay has said that Stafford received an epidural injection a few weeks ago, but on Tuesday he declined to specify if he had received another.

Stafford was not made available to reporters.

Rams players welcomed the return of a quarterback who ranks among the NFL’s otp 10 in several career passing categories.

“Any time that man walks into a huddle, he just brings presence,” veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein said Tuesday. “So it’s great to see him out there doing his thing.”

Stafford has plenty of experience. But “repetition is the mother of learning,” McVay said, so Stafford’s ability to read coverages, feel the pass rush and escape a collapsing pocket at full speed in practice helps him continue to develop.

“I don’t care whether you’re Matthew Stafford, whether you’re Steph Curry — whoever you are,” McVay said. “These guys get great at their sports by being able to play it.”

So McVay is eager for Stafford to take as many reps as possible before the opener.

“I’ll be just like, I think, a lot of fans and a lot of his teammates and coaches,” McVay said, “that you’re really hopeful that this is the direction … so we can build a good foundation and allow him to be the Matthew that we’re accustomed to seeing.”

Etc.

Left tackle Alaric Jackson, who is dealing with blood clot issues, continues to do individual work with trainers. “His focus and concentration is being ready to go for Week 1,” McVay said, “and that would be a great situation for us if that’s the case.” … Receiver Davante Adams had a veterans day off from practice.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is back.

But to what degree remains to be seen.

Stafford, who has been sidelined since the start of training camp because of a back issue, practiced Monday for the first time.

Matthew Stafford stretches during practice at the Rams’ facility in Woodland Hills on Monday.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

Stafford, 37, went through individual and team drills with the first-team offense. The 17th-year pro was a full participant in practice, but did not speak to reporters afterward.

“It was good to be able to have Matthew out there,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “There are no updates. We’re going to take it a day, a week at a time. “

On Aug. 9. Stafford went through an individual workout that included throwing more than 60 passes. But he was unable to practice two days later as scheduled.

The Rams open the season on Sept. 7 against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium.

Rams coach Sean McVay was not talking.

Aubrey Pleasant deferred to McVay. And Stetson Bennett was so busy leading a comeback victory, he said he did not notice.

No one in the Rams’ organization could answer these questions:

How did Matthew Stafford’s scheduled workout on Saturday play out? And was he at the Rams’ 23-22 victory over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium?

A team spokesman declined to comment, saying McVay would address the situation on Monday.

So the Stafford saga plays on, incrementally worsening as the Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans draws near.

Stafford, 37, is preparing for his 17th NFL season.

Check that: He would be if not for a back issue that has prevented him from taking a single snap or throwing a single pass during a team practice.

In late July, when the Rams reported to training camp at Loyola Marymount and Stafford’s back issue came to light, the situation was cause for concern.

For everyone, it seemed, but McVay.

The Rams had a plan, he said. He was not concerned. Stafford would not practice for the first week, but he would be out there with teammates in Week 2.

It did not happen.

Nearly a month later, it still hasn’t.

McVay said last week that the Rams were “trying to get our hands around” the situation.

But time is becoming shorter.

The Rams are three weeks away from the season opener at SoFi Stadium.

Jimmy Garoppolo has taken first-team snaps during team workouts and joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints. Bennett has started preseason games against the Cowboys and the Chargers.

Garoppolo led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl. Bennett is playing with the confidence he displayed while leading Georgia to two national titles.

With a physically sound Stafford, the Rams would be regarded as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

With Garoppolo or Bennett…

How much time Stafford would need to be ready for the opener is an open question.

Three weeks? Two? One?

No one questions Stafford’s toughness or grit. Or his desire to win another Super Bowl.

But for now, his physical condition and availability — and the Rams’ prospects this season and beyond — remain in doubt.

Matthew Stafford was at the Rams’ facility on Monday, but not on the field for his first scheduled practice.

Instead, the 37-year-old quarterback with a back issue was in a shiny metal Airstream-like trailer that sat next to the field and was emblazoned with the Ammortal logo. The chamber offers “absolute state of the art in restoration and rejuvenation,” according to the company’s website.

“It wasn’t anything specifically related to his back that he was doing in there,” coach Sean McVay said.

Hmm…

Stafford’s back, specifically what McVay has described as an aggravated disc, has been the overarching story for a Rams team that will be regarded as a Super Bowl contender if the 17-year pro is physically sound enough to lead them.

A restorative and rejuvenation chamber parked at Rams practice in Woodland Hills. Matthew Stafford spent time in the chamber while his teammates practiced Monday.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

From the day the Rams reported for training camp last month, McVay maintained that Stafford would be ready for the Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans. And given Stafford’s well-documented toughness and grit, it would not be a complete surprise if he is under center that day at SoFi Stadium.

McVay said from the start that he was not concerned about Stafford’s condition — the Rams, Stafford, team trainers and spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins had a “week to week” plan in place to manage his workload in the run-up to the opener.

Asked Monday if he was now concerned, McVay moved a bit from his previous answers.

“The fair answer is I’m going to take it a day at a time as well,” McVay said, “because I can’t be 27 days from now [playing] Houston. We have to be able to have agility and flexibility, and that’s not exclusive to Matthew. … I do think it’s important to get some work in, but not at the expense of following the plan that we’ve talked about.”

Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo will continue to take first-team reps in team workouts and during Thursday’s joint practice with the New Orleans Saints in Carson.

Stafford would not have participated in the joint practice, but McVay had hoped he would have emerged from a throwing session on Saturday without any setbacks.

According to McVay, Stafford had looked good while throwing more than 60 passes at the Rams’ Woodland Hills facility hours before the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

“Had a great workout, felt good, but then came in [Monday] and it doesn’t feel great,” McVay said. “And so, didn’t feel like it was the right decision to be able to push him.”

The Rams will be “flexible and fluid” with Stafford’s situation, McVay said.

“We’re going to be smart,” he said.

Stafford was sidelined the final seven games of the Rams’ lost 2022 season because of a spinal bruise. But McVay has said his current condition was not related to that injury.

Stafford received an epidural injection a few weeks ago.

When asked if surgery had been discussed, McVay said “that hasn’t been a conversation that we’ve had.”

If the Rams were opening the season this week, would Stafford be able to play?

“I don’t know that,” McVay said. “I think he still probably would be able to play just based on how he feels.”

Will Stafford practice Tuesday if he is feeling better?

“I don’t know if we’ve gotten to that point yet,” McVay said. “Sometimes when you set expectations, they’re not met. What’s the first response? There’s frustration, and that’s OK to feel that way.

“But how can we move forward accordingly and most importantly, support a guy that when he gets out here we are going to be really excited about it.”

Etc.

Defensive linemen Kobie Turner and Poona Ford and safety Kam Curl returned to practice after sitting out a few days because of injuries. … Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (hamstring) and rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) worked on the side with trainers. … Rams signed tight end McCallan Castles to a one-year deal and waived injured tight end Anthony Torres.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford watched his team’s 31-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday after completing his first extensive passing workout earlier at the Rams’ Woodland Hills training facility.

Stafford, who had not practiced because of a back issue, threw more than 60 passes during the workout, coach Sean McVay said.

“It was awesome,” McVay said. “He looked good. He threw the ball really well, there was no limitations in terms of the types of throws — deep, intermediate, short. … And he felt really good.

“And so looking forward to progressing him back into practice on Monday. But it was a good step in the right direction.”

Stafford, 37, is working through an aggravated disc issue. McVay said he did not know if Stafford felt discomfort during the workout, and that the 17th-year pro would participate only in individual drills on Monday.

Earlier in the week, McVay said Stafford was not scheduled to participate in a scheduled joint practice with the Chargers on Wednesday. That practice has been canceled, McVay said, because of Chargers injuries.

“I think they’re a little bit banged up,” McVay said, adding that he had spoken with Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. “Bummer that we weren’t able to get that done, but I totally understand. And we’ll figure out a way to get great work against ourselves.”

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has been sidelined because of a back issue, will work out for the first time Saturday before the Rams play the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium, coach Sean McVay said Thursday.

Stafford, 37, is dealing with an aggravated disc, and recently received an epidural for the condition, McVay said, confirming what was first reported by NFL Media.

“Part of getting the epidural was part of the plan,” set up by spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins, McVay said, adding that Saturday’s workout was “on par with the schedule that we always had.”

McVay said Stafford would practice next week, though he will not participate in a joint practice with the Chargers.

“And then you’ll just continue to see his workload increase as long as he’s feeling good,” McVay said. “If this was in-season he would be playing right now.”

Etc.

Edge rusher Jared Verse left the field assisted by trainers after what McVay said was an incident in which he bumped knees with lineman Braden Fiske.

Sean McVay won’t have to worry about Matthew Stafford catching a twice-tipped pass and stumbling over the goal line during a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys.

That anxiety-inducing event occurred last year when the Rams practiced against the Cowboys.

On Tuesday, the Rams again travel to Oxnard to practice against the Cowboys before Saturday’s preseason game at SoFi Stadium.

But the back issue that sidelined Stafford throughout training camp will keep him off the field.

When the Rams go through a jogthrough on Monday, Stafford will continue to work out on his own, McVay said Sunday after the final public workout at Loyola Marymount.

“He is able to do a little bit more, which is good, and things are progressing well,” McVay said. “But he won’t take part in the jogthrough because he’ll be doing some other stuff during that time.”

McVay said Stafford’s workouts with trainers have included some static throwing exercises, running on a treadmill, light cardio and core work.

“It’s more just functional strength surrounding the area while making sure that you don’t do anything to set yourself back, based on the trajectory that he’s doing,” McVay said. “But we are looking forward to getting him and easing him back to football hopefully in the near future.”