The Rams are no longer kicking the can down the road when it comes to their kicking problems.
On Wednesday, the Rams signed kicker Harrison Mevis to the practice squad to compete with second-year pro Joshua Karty. The move came a day after the team signed veteran long-snapper Jake McQuaide to compete with Alex Ward.
“It’s all geared toward trying to be able to just get some solutions and some kick consistency really with our field-goal operation,” coach Sean McVay said Wednesday. “I think it’s important to have good competition at some spots that we feel we can have improved play.”
The Rams are preparing for their game on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The Rams are 6-2 — and their losses against the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers both resulted from problems in the kicking game that resurfaced without dire consequences in last Sunday’s rout of the New Orleans Saints.
Against the Saints, Karty missed a 39-yard field goal attempt and an extra-point attempt. Karty has made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts and 23 of 26 extra-point attempts.
McVay said after the game that the Rams would evaluate “all parts of where we go with this operation.”
On Tuesday, they turned to McQuaide, 37, who played for the Rams from 2011-2020 and was part of a special teams unit that also included kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter/holder Johnny Hekker.
“If all things go well with Jake, we expect him to be our long-snapper,” McVay said.
On Wednesday, they brought in Mevis, who made 89 of 106 field-goal attempts at Missouri, including one from 61 yards. In the United Football League this past season, he made 20 of 21 field-goal attempts.
So Karty and Mevis will duel during expanded special teams drills this week.
“We’ll implement more than we normally would on a Wednesday and a Thursday and truly be able to kind of use it as a competition,” McVay said.
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.
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.
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.”
The Rams star receiver, who sat out the last game because of an ankle injury, said Thursday that he was “feeling great” and planned to play on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.
“That’s the plan,” he said after practice. “I’m feeling fantastic. Feel ready to go.”
That enabled Nacua to rest and receive treatment for an injury suffered during an Oct. 12 victory against the Ravens in Baltimore.
Nacua had two catches for 28 yards before he and Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey leaped for a pass near the end zone. Both came down hard on the turf as the pass fell incomplete.
Nacua said he was intent on making sure that if he did not come down with the ball, neither would Humphrey.
“Really thought it was like just getting the wind knocked out of me, just of how I landed,” Nacua said. “Got up and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s definitely not my back.’”
The Rams defeated the Jaguars without Nacua to improve their record to 5-2 heading into the off week.
“Never a good time to be injured,” Nacua said, “but the bye did land at a great time to rest and recover.”
Nacua returns to a receiving corps that got a three-touchdown performance from Davante Adams against the Jaguars. The Rams, however, will be without Tutu Atwell, who is on injured reserve for at least four games because of a hamstring injury.
Nacua ranks third in the NFL with 54 catches and fourth with 616 yards receiving. He has two touchdown catches and also has rushed for a touchdown.
Nacua eclipsed 100 yards receiving three times this season, the last a month ago when he caught 13 passes for 170 yards in a 17-3 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Rams traded for cornerback Roger McCreary, star receiver Puka Nacua is expected to return for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints and receiver Tutu Atwell will spend at least four games on injured reserve.
All of those moves were announced by the Rams or discussed by coach Sean McVay on Monday as the Rams returned from an off week.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching next week, the Rams acquired McCreary, 25, and a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick.
McCreary, a 2022 second-round pick from Auburn, has three career interceptions, including one this season. He is expected to provide depth to a cornerback group that lost Ahkello Witherspoon early in the season because of a broken collarbone. Witherspoon, who has been doing some individual work, was expected to be sidelined 12 weeks.
McVay said veteran Darious Williams also suffered a shoulder injury in the Rams’ Oct. 19 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
So McCreary, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, could fortify a position group that includes Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. Safety Quentin Lake has played as a slot cornerback and hybrid linebacker.
The Rams played against McCreary and the Titans in Week 2.
“We were looking to be able to add some depth,” McVay said, according to a transcript of a videoconference with reporters. “He was a guy that we respected from playing against him earlier this year.”
Nacua sat out against the Jaguars because of a high ankle sprain he suffered during an Oct. 12 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua catches a pass against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 12.
(Terrance Williams / Associated Press)
McVay said he expected that Nacua would practice this week and play against the Saints.
Nacua ranks fourth in NFL with 616 yards receiving.
“We do expect him to be back on Wednesday and expect him to play this week unless there are setbacks,” McVay said.
Atwell, who signed a one-year, $10-million contract before this season, played only 10 snaps against the Jaguars after sitting out against the Ravens because of a hamstring injury. He has four catches for 164 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown.
McVay said offensive tackle Rob Havenstein also is expected to return this week from an ankle injury that has sidelined him for three games.
The Rams are 5-2 heading into their game against the Saints (1-7) at SoFi Stadium.
If you want to see a player whose impact is growing, go watch South Gate junior quarterback Michael Gonzalez. He’s listed as 5 feet 9 on the Rams’ roster, but what an arm he has and he can run, too.
He passed for 273 yards last week in a loss to Garfield. He has passed for 1,999 yards and 22 touchdowns in eight games. He’s also scored six touchdowns.
Receiver Nicholas Fonseca, another junior, has 52 receptions for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was the City Section Division II player of the year last season.
South Gate is 5-3, with the duo leading the way. The Rams’ passing attack could set them apart for the Division I playoffs.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
Oct. 22 (UPI) — Authorities in Washington, D.C., have arrested a driver accused of ramming a barricade protecting the White House.
Little information about the incident has been made public.
The U.S. Secret Service said in a brief statement that incident occurred at 10:37 p.m. EDT.
The suspect is accused of ramming the Secret Service vehicle gate located at 17th St. and E Streets NW.
“The individual was arrested & the vehicle was assessed and deemed safe,” the Secret Service said on X. “Our investigation into the cause of this collision is ongoing.”
This is not the first time a vehicle has been driven into a White House barrier.
On the night of May 4, 2024, a driver died after his vehicle, traveling at a high rate of speed, collided with an outer barricade of the White House complex. The driver was identified as 57-year-old James Chester Lewis Jr.
In May 2023, then 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula drove a U-Haul truck into the White House as part of what prosecutors said was an attempt to overthrow the U.S. government and replace it with a Nazi dictatorship.
In January, Kandula was sentenced to eight years in prison.
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.
Adams, a three-time All-Pro in his first season with the Rams, has been targeted 55 times. He has 26 catches for 396 yards and three touchdowns.
Adams and quarterback Matthew Stafford have connected on several dynamic plays, but their timing remains a work in progress.
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Gary Klein reports from Rams practice at Camden Yards in Baltimore as the team prepares for its London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It’s not how I drew it up as far as efficiency goes,” Adams said. “I think we both would’ve liked to be a little bit more efficient, but I know for myself over the last few [games], just based off how we started, [there’s been] a little bit of pressing.”
Stafford put the onus on himself.
“There’s been some good ones,” he said. “There’s been some missed ones. I would take the majority of the blame on a lot of those and just give him a better chance on a couple.”
Adams rose to stardom while playing eight seasons with Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers. But that connection also took time, Adams said.
“It definitely didn’t start off the first couple years, let alone the first couple of games the way that we got going,” Adams said. “Not that we have another 10 years to go, but it takes time. It’s not easy.
“Puka and Matthew have been playing together for years now and they have a little better understanding of where one another is going to be, what to expect, and just making it work. It’s been a few where there’s really no excuse for me or him. We just have to put it together.”
Atwell will be back after sitting out last Sunday’s victory over the Baltimore Ravens because of a hamstring injury. Atwell has four catches on nine targets, including one for a long touchdown.
But he said he was not concerned about targets as much as affecting the game in other ways. The speedy threat opens opportunities for Nacua, Adams and others.
“Every opportunity we’ve given him, he’s seized it,” Stafford said. “I don’t see anything different happening. If he gets more opportunities in this game, I have a ton of trust in him.”
Rams star receiver Puka Nacua will not play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars because of an ankle injury he suffered in last Sunday’s victory over the Baltimore Ravens, coach Sean McVay told reporters Friday in Baltimore.
Nacua, who ranks among NFL leaders in catches and yards receiving, did not practice this week in Baltimore, where the Rams stayed before their scheduled departure to London on Friday.
The Rams (4-2) play the Jaguars (4-2) at Wembley Stadium.
Veteran receiver Davante Adams is expected to become quarterback Matthew Stafford’s primary target. Tutu Atwell, who sat out against the Ravens because of a hamstring injury, will return Sunday. Jordan Whittington also is expected to start.
Offensive lineman Rob Havenstein also was ruled out because of an ankle injury that has sidelined him for several games.
BALTIMORE — Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles, is located a short walk from M&T Bank Stadium, where the Rams began an extended road trip on Sunday with a 17-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
For much of this week, the baseball stadium will serve as the Rams’ home away from home as they prepare for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London.
This is not the first time that the Rams have played an away game and then remained in the city before traveling abroad.
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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 17-3 win over the Baltimore Ravens as they prepare to play the Jaguars in London on Sunday.
In 2017, coach Sean McVay’s first season, the Rams defeated the Jaguars in Jacksonville, Fla., and then stayed in town before traveling to defeat the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium in London.
Two years later, the Rams beat the Falcons in Atlanta, and then remained there for a few days before traveling to London and defeating the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium.
Several players said they would rely on the Rams’ training staff to help them modify weekly routines that include massage, acupuncture and other bodywork sessions with California providers outside of the organization.
Rams safety Quentin Lake noted that last season, the Rams stayed in Arizona for a few days before they played the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC wild-card game that was moved from SoFi Stadium because of wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
“You’re in an unfamiliar environment and … it’s just the team and staff,” Lake said Sunday, adding, “Nothing truly is going to change in terms of our routine. … Honestly I love it because it’s fun.
“It’s fun for us to be in a different environment and really just lock in on football and focus on the task at hand.”
Last week, McVay and several players said that while adjustments were necessary for a long trip, none were too onerous.
The Rams are practicing this week at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore before heading to London.
(Terrance Williams / Associated Press)
During the Rams’ first two trips abroad, McVay was neither married nor a father. This time, McVay said that his wife, Veronika, who has roots in the region, and son, Jordan, would make the trip to Baltimore.
“I’ll keep it as normal as possible,” McVay said. “What I like about these things is you get a chance to be around the guys a little bit more because of the nature of what this trip entails. … I try to keep a normal rhythm and routine.
“You just might be in a different location, but we have the film, we have the field and most importantly, we have the players. We’ll be in good shape.”
For quarterback Matthew Stafford “the biggest thing is not being in your own house, not having your family around, all that kind of stuff,” he said.
“I won’t be sleeping in my own bed and I won’t be doing some of the things that I’m accustomed to doing,” he said. “I just change location, really. What I would do maybe at home I’ll do wherever our setup is when we stay there.”
Receiver Davante Adams, a 12th-year pro in his first season with the Rams, said that he once was part of an extended trip that included a game in New Orleans and then a stay in Sarasota, Fla., before playing in Jacksonville. But this will be the first time Adams will be on an extended trip that includes a game in London.
It will be different, Adams said, because he has “a lot of different checkpoints and things throughout the week that I do locally. It’s going to be different for me for sure.”
Especially being away from family.
“The main thing for me is just being away from my kids, honestly more than anything,” he said. “That’s a big part of my healing process and mentally throughout the week just resetting, going home, spending time with them and my wife. Not having that element. … I mean, we’ll get through it.”
This will be the first extended trip that will end in London for defensive lineman Kobie Turner and other young players. Turner said he and his wife grew up about an hour outside Baltimore, so they were looking forward to spending time this week with his wife’s family.
“It will be interesting to see how it all plays out,” he said.
BALTIMORE — Star receiver Puka Nacua sustained an ankle sprain in the Rams’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens, and his status for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London is uncertain, coach Sean McVay said Monday.
McVay said the Rams were encouraged by the scan results.
“Whether that means he’s able to play like the guy we’re accustomed to seeing on Sunday will be a weekly process for us,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters, adding, “There is nothing on the scan that looks like it’s going to be long term. The uncertainty of this week is a real thing.”
After the Rams play the Jaguars, they have a week off before playing the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 2 at SoFi Stadium. But McVay said the off week “has nothing to do” with how they will handle Nacua’s situation.
“It’s going to be what’s good for Puka and for our football team,” McVay said, “and I know he’s going to do everything in his power to try to be ready to go for this week, and we have to have a plan for him and if he’s not able to go.”
The Rams are staying in Baltimore and will practice at Oriole Park at Camden Yards before they depart for London on Friday.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey go up for a pass during the first half Sunday. Nacua sustained an ankle sprain on the play.
(Stephanie Scarbrough / Associated Press)
Nacua caught two passes for 28 yards in the Rams’ 17-3 victory over the Ravens before he was injured in the second quarter.
Nacua and Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey leaped for a pass thrown by Matthew Stafford into the end zone, and both came down hard on the turf. Nacua got up, took a few steps and then went to the ground again where was attended to by team trainers. He was assisted to the locker room, evaluated, and then he returned to the sideline. Nacua played in the second half but was not targeted.
Nacua still leads the league with 54 catches. His 616 yards receiving ranks second behind Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 696.
Nacua has caught 10 or more passes in three games this season and has amassed more than 100 yards receiving twice, including a 13-catch, 170-yard performance against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3.
Second-year pro Jordan Whittington started in place of Nacua, and he caught three passes for 23 yards.
Receiver Tutu Atwell did not play against the Ravens because of a hamstring injury but McVay said he “should be good” to play against the Jaguars.
BALTIMORE — Rams receiver Puka Nacua fell off his record-setting pace.
But that was fine with the Rams.
They were just happy their star receiver returned to the field after suffering a foot injury in the first half of Sunday’s 17-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Matthew Stafford passed for a touchdown, Kyren Williams ran for another and Jared Verse and safety Quentin Lake led a defense that shut down the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Rams bounced back from their overtime defeat by the San Francisco 49ers and improved their record to 4-2. They will remain in Baltimore this week to prepare for next Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London.
The Rams overcame untimely penalties, dropped passes, special teams errors and Nacua’s scare that left them in a 3-3 tie at halftime.
But the Rams scored two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the second half on a short run by Williams and — after Verse forced a fumble that was recovered by Lake — a short touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Tyler Higbee.
Nacua, who entered the game with an NFL leading 52 receptions and 588 yards receiving, had only two catches for 28 yards. That proved more than enough against a Ravens team that fell to 1-5.
Nacua was assisted off the field by trainers with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter after attempting to catch a pass in the end zone.
Nacua had run along the right sideline with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey in tight coverage. Both players leaped for the ball and came down hard on the turf.
Nacua got up gingerly in apparent pain, and then took a few steps and went back to the ground.
Moments later, running back Blake Corum also went to the locker room because of an ankle. Like Nacua, he returned in the second half.
Lake intercepted a pass — the first interception of the fourth-year pro’s career — and also recovered a fumble.
Verse forced a fumble and stopped star running back Derek Henry on a fourth-and-one play at the goal line at the end of the first half.
Kyren Williams did not know if the questions would come, but if they did he was prepared.
The Rams running back was less than a week removed from fumbling at the one-yard line during a 26-23 overtime defeat by the San Francisco 49ers.
Now he is in Pacific Palisades, preparing to work with youth flag football players practicing for the first time since last January’s wildfires.
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Gary Klein breaks down what to expect from the Rams as they prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday before flying to London ahead of their Week 7 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“If they ask me, ‘Man, why did you fumble?’” Williams said, raising the pitch of voice to resemble a child’s, “I’m going to tell them exactly why it happens — because it happens.
“They’re wondering more than anything. They’re not trying to knock you down. So for me, tell them how it was, be accountable. Be honest about it and tell them, ‘Man, mistakes happen. … I’m going to grow from this mistake and it’s not going to define who I am.’”
The third-year pro, who received a $23-million extension before the season, is an integral part of an offense that features quarterback Matthew Stafford, the NFL’s leading passer, and receiver Puka Nacua, the league’s leading receiver.
Williams has rushed for 368 yards and a touchdown. He has 16 catches for 118 yards and three touchdowns.
In three-plus regular seasons and three playoff games, Williams has touched the ball as a running back or receiver 805 times. He has fumbled 11 times.
Williams was not the only running back to fumble against the 49ers. Backup Blake Corum dropped the ball on a pitch play.
But Williams’ miscue came at a more dramatic moment.
The Rams were trailing 23-20 when Stafford drove them to the three-yard line with just more than one minute left in the game. Williams took a handoff and plowed toward the goal line, but the 49ers knocked the ball from his grip and recovered the fumble.
Rams running back Kyren Williams, center, loses the ball on a fumble late in the fourth quarter against the 49ers on Oct. 2.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
Williams also was stopped on a fourth-and-one play at the 11-yard line in overtime to end the game.
Afterward, he blamed himself for the fumble that he said cost the Rams the victory. The feeling lingered into the next week.
“Throughout the game, I had great ball security,” Williams said. “The one time that I saw pay dirt, I saw green, and I let up and I saw what happened.
“So for me the lesson I learned throughout the situation is, man, you can’t be comfortable until all double zeroes are on that clock.”
Coach Sean McVay said the Rams would take steps to improve ball security. But he stood by Williams.
“Love that guy.” McVay said. “I’m riding with him, and we have to figure out a way to improve, and he’ll be the first to take accountability, which is why you want to put your arm around him and be right there with him.”
As Williams moves forward, he anticipates sharing lessons learned from the situation during his charitable work.
Rams running back Kyren Williams instructs young flag football players in Pacific Palisades on Oct. 7.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
Last Monday, Williams met with Molly Higgins, the Rams executive vice president of community impact and engagement, and told her that he wanted to commit to an event or an opportunity every Tuesday of the season.
“After a tough game on Thursday night, for him to want to sit down on Monday, I was fully prepared to say, ‘Hey, we can take a beat,’” Higgins said. “But he was like, ‘No, I want to sit down.”
Said Williams: “I know how when I was little, seeing people who I wanted to be like, how I was inspired and impacted and motivated. … So for me it’s remembering who I was and kind of trying to go above and beyond.”
Williams plans to do the same on the field when the Rams attempt to bounce back against the Ravens.
The fumble against the 49ers will not define him.
“I’m not happy that it happened the way that it did,” he said. “But I’m able to grow from the situation. I’m able to overcome it and show people that like, man, I’m so much better than what I put out there.
The Rams are playing an opponent on Sunday that will be without its star quarterback and other noteworthy starters.
Sound familiar?
A week after the Rams lost to the seemingly undermanned San Francisco 49ers, they will travel to play the Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens and M&T Bank Stadium. It’s the start of an extended road trip that will see the Rams remain in Baltimore to prepare for their Oct. 19 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
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Gary Klein breaks down what to expect from the Rams as they prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday before flying to London ahead of their Week 7 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“You can never go into a game and be like, ‘Oh man, we’re about to walk over somebody,’” Rams defensive lineman Kobie Turner said. “It’s all NFL guys. You don’t bring your A-game for one time and you’re going to get cooked.”
The Rams found the hard way in a 26-23 overtime defeat by the 49ers. Backup quarterback Mac Jones carved up the defense with quick passes that staved off the pass rush and challenged linebackers and defensive backs.
Jackson is out because of a hamstring injury, so Cooper Rush is expected to start.
“You have to remind yourself it’s any given Sunday,” safety Quentin Lake said. “You’re sometimes like, ‘Oh man, Lamar’s out or whoever their top-tier players are.’ But now the guys coming in are even more hungry because they have to prove themselves. They’re going to give it their all and they have nothing to lose.”
The last time the Rams visited M&T Bank Stadium, they lost when the Ravens returned a punt for a walk-off touchdown.
Special teams are once again an issue for the Rams.
They have had four kicks blocked this season, including an extra-point attempt in the loss to the 49ers.
Sam Farmer makes his picks and predictions for Week 6 of the NFL season, with the Lions defeating the Chiefs in prime time and the Seahawks improving to 4-2.
The Chargers struck a deal Tuesday to acquire Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman.
The Chargers, who play at Miami on Sunday and are looking to stop a two-game slide, are getting a pass rusher who had a career-high 10 sacks last season but had yet to collect one in Baltimore’s 1-4 start this season. Oweh was a first-round pick in 2021.
The Ravens, who host the Rams on Sunday, are in need of secondary help with safety Kyle Hamilton recovering from a groin injury that sidelined him last Sunday against Houston. It’s unclear if he will be ready to play against the Rams.
The Chargers and Ravens have close ties, with the teams coached by Harbaugh brothers Jim (Chargers) and John (Ravens), as well as Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz previously working in Baltimore’s front office.
The deal also involved a pick swap, with the Ravens getting a fifth-round selection next year, and the Chargers getting a seventh in 2027.
The Chargers had one sack Sunday in a 27-10 loss to Washington, and this move bolsters an edge rush that is missing Khalil Mack, whose return timeline from a dislocated elbow remains uncertain. The production of outside linebackers Bud Dupree and Caleb Murphy has been underwhelming opposite Tuli Tuipulotu, who had four sacks against the New York Giants.
Gilman started all five games for the Chargers this season with 22 tackles and three passes defensed. This is his sixth season, all with the Chargers, and for his career has five interceptions and 21 passes defensed.
Gilman played at Notre Dame but began his college career at Navy, so returning to Maryland is a homecoming.
Safety is one of the few areas where the Chargers are flush with healthy players. In addition to All-Pro Derwin James, they have Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson and rookie RJ Mickens, so Gilman was more expendable.
Playing an opponent that is without its star quarterback should be an advantage for the Rams.
But after failing to capitalize on that situation in their last game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams might get another opportunity on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
Lamar Jackson sat out last Sunday’s defeat by the Houston Texans because of a hamstring injury, and his status for Sunday’s game against the Rams at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore will be determined this week.
Cooper Rush started for the Ravens in the 44-10 loss to the Texans. Tyler Huntley also is on the roster.
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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in their 26-23 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on Thursday.
Will the Rams plan to face Jackson? Or another quarterback?
“You’ve got to plan for both,” Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday during a videoconference with reporters.
McVay was four days removed from the Rams’ 26-23 overtime loss to the 49ers, a defeat suffered despite the fact that 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy did not play because of a toe injury.
McVay spent three days with his family, enjoying the time while trying to forget about the defeat that ended when the 49ers stopped running back Kyren Williams for no gain on a fourth-and-one play at the 49ers’ 11-yard line.
“Was it as enjoyable as it could’ve been been?” McVay said of the break, “No, it wasn’t. But I’m excited to get back to work.”
The Rams are 3-2 after losses to the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers, both of which are 4-1.
“I’ve never had any sort of growth that ever occurred in easy times,” McVay said. “You don’t want it to go down like that, but man, we’re going to learn a lot about ourselves and the people that we’re around — and I think we’re going to like what we see.
“That wouldn’t exist otherwise if maybe we found a way to pull those games out.”
The Rams are preparing for an extended road trip. They will leave for Baltimore on Saturday, and after Sunday’s game they will remain in the area to prepare for their Oct. 19 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London.
The Rams will shed no tears if Jackson remains sidelined.
In two victories over the Rams, the two-time NFL most valuable player passed for a combined 485 yards and eight touchdowns, and rushed for 165 yards.
As the Rams prepare for the Ravens, they will be looking for “more sustained execution throughout,” McVay said.
The Ravens are 1-4.
“I don’t care what’s happened — this is a prideful team,” McVay said of the Ravens. “We better be ready to freaking go this week.”
Etc.
Inside linebacker Omar Speights sustained a high ankle sprain against the 49ers and probably will be doubtful for the game against the Ravens, McVay said. Veteran Troy Reeder or rookie Shaun Dolac could start in his place. … Tight end Colby Parkinson is in concussion protocol but is expected to be available Sunday, McVay said. Tight end Tyler Higbee (hip) and offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (ankle), who did not play against the 49ers, will be evaluated this week. Offensive lineman Steve Avila (ankle) could start against the Ravens, depending on how he practices, McVay said.
One of two trained hawks stolen from outside SoFi Stadium during a Rams game was recovered Sunday in Hacienda Heights, nearly 25 miles from where the vehicle taken during the heist was found a week ago.
A two-seat motorized cart with a key left in the ignition was stolen Sept. 28 from the stadium. The hawks — named Bubba and Alice — were housed in green containers in the back seat and vanished along with the vehicle.
Bubba was recovered near Seventh Street in Hacienda Heights after a homeowner spotted the hawk in her backyard and contacted the Inglewood Police Department. Falconer Charles Cogger, who trained and owned the hawks, raced to the location.
“I made arrangements, got over there as quick as I could and got Bubba back,” Cogger told NBC Los Angeles. “Alice is still out there, but this gives me hope she will show up.”
The hawks were employed by SoFi Stadium to deter other birds from flying over SoFi Stadium during the game, keeping fans safe from unpleasant aerial droppings and also keeping birds from eating discarded food.
The Kawasaki Mule UTV that housed the hawks was found abandoned Sept. 29 in a South L.A. neighborhood about five miles from SoFi Stadium and 25 miles from Hacienda Heights.
Inglewood police released a photo of the suspect taken by stadium security cameras, describing him as a male adult “wearing a black jacket with a white stripe going down the shoulder, black pants and black shoes.”
Cogger is holding out hope that Alice will turn up. Each of Cogger’s hawks wears a metal band around its leg that identifies it as captive-bred.
“They can only go so long without eating or getting water,” he said.
Anyone with information about Alice can contact the Inglewood Police Department watch commander at (310) 412-5206. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for the hawk’s safe return.
“That has been a killer for us,” McVay said Friday during a videoconference with reporters, “and it’s cost us two games.”
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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in their 26-23 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on Thursday.
The Rams are 3-2, with defeats by the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers due in part to woeful execution on field-goal and extra-point attempts.
The Eagles beat the Rams by blocking two field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter, including a potential winning kick that they returned for a touchdown on the final play.
On Thursday night, Rams kicker Joshua Karty missed a long field-goal attempt, and the 49ers blocked an extra-point try. That’s four points lost in a 26-23 defeat. Karty, who has been masterful at dropping hard-to-handle knuckleball kickoffs into the landing zone, also misplaced a kick that gave the 49ers the ball at the 40-yard line.
Karty, however, does not appear to be McVay’s most pressing kick-related concern.
The kicking unit as a whole has played a major role in both defeats, which also featured poor execution by the Rams at times in other areas.
“I can’t remember feeling much more disgusted waking up after a tough loss, than I have after the two that we’ve had,” McVay said.
So how do the Rams fix their kicking problems?
“Oh man,” McVay said. “I wish it was just one thing but when you watch the protection — we’ve got to fix it. And it’s not one thing in particular.
“There’s different locations and spots and people that have not executed the way that we’re capable of.”
“Clearly, I was not right on that,” McVay said, “so we’ve got to fix it. We’ve got to go back to work.”
The Rams are off for the weekend, and they will return on Monday to begin preparations for a game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. After that game, the Rams will remain in Baltimore to prepare for their next game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
“We’re a couple execution plays away from being a 5-0 team,” McVay said. “But the reality is we’re 3-2.”
McVay sounded confident that the Rams would rebound from the loss to the 49ers.
“This is going to galvanize us,” he said. “I promise you that.”
Etc.
McVay continued to lament his final play call against the 49ers, which did not give quarterback Matthew Stafford a chance to make a play. Stafford had moved the Rams into position to win the game, but on fourth and one at the 49ers’ 11-yard line, McVay called a running play. The 49ers stopped Kyren Williams for no gain, ending the game. “I know it wasn’t the best decision to take the ball out his hands in crunch time on that fourth down,” McVay said. … Rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson, a second-round draft pick, caught his first pass for a 21-yard gain. “We’ve got to be able to figure out a way to get him going,” McVay said, adding, “he’s going to be a really good player for us.” … McVay indicated the Rams might make moves to improve the cornerback group. “We’re going to look into those things,” he said.
