Sunday, 1:05 p.m. TV: CBS.
Line: Broncos by 3½. O/U: 42½.
This is a bad time for the Chargers to see Denver. Their offense is still struggling, Justin Herbert took a beating at Seattle, and here comes that Broncos pass rush. With the exception of last week, Denver’s offense has scored on good defenses.
Pick: Broncos 24, Chargers 17
Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Monday that he had spoken with his assistant coaches about the way some of them behaved toward the end of the team’s 24-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
“We did talk about it,” McVay said, “and that won’t be an issue moving forward.”
Videos posted on X by user @RBPhillyTake appear to show some Rams coaches inside a glass-enclosed booth interacting with Eagles fans sitting outside directly below them. The caption on one of the videos says the coaching staff was “taunting Eagles fans after the game-winning touchdown.”
“The Rams coaches started to bang on the windows and flip off Eagles fans which caused retaliation (which also isn’t right),” the caption reads. At least one person in the Rams’ booth can be seen giving the middle finger to those outside. A fan appeared to throw a water bottle at the glass window, while others yelled and displayed their own middle fingers.
In another post, the user wrote that “the Rams coaches started banging on the windows for about 30 seconds after the touchdown which then resulted in the Eagles’ fans turning around and chirping back.”
Trailing 20-10 late in the fourth quarter, the Rams appeared to be on their way to a second-straight loss and a 1-3 start to a season in which they were considered by many to be the Super Bowl favorites. But Kyren Williams rushed for touchdowns of one and seven yards in the final four minutes to lift the Rams to a stunning comeback victory.
The sudden turn of events may have gotten folks in the Rams’ coaching booth a little too amped up.
“We’ll be better in those situations,” said McVay, a former assistant coach in Washington. “I’ve been a part of that situation where when I was with Washington calling it from the booth, and you get excited and emotional. … You know, we’ll learn from that. We’ll be better.
“Those fans are really into it. But I know we want to make sure we’re representing the class and just the calm steadiness that we want to have while also being emotionally into it. And there’s ways that we can have that reflected.”
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter. Its personal conduct policy states that “everyone who is a part of the league” must refrain from behavior detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL. Earlier Monday, two officials were suspended for separate instances of “unprofessional conduct toward a player” during Sunday’s games.
Staff writer Gary Klein contributed to this report.
PHILADELPHIA — It’s rarely sunny in Philadelphia for Sean McVay and the Rams.
Before Sunday’s game against the Eagles, McVay was 1-6 against them, 1-4 at Lincoln Financial Field and 0-4 against Eagles coach Nick Sirianni.
The last time the Rams visited here, the Eagles blocked a field-goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown on the final play.
And for much of the game Sunday, gloom once again engulfed McVay and a team that opened the season as a heavy Super Bowl favorite.
Share via
Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 24-20 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
But it finally lifted midway through the fourth quarter, with quarterback Matthew Stafford leading two touchdown drives that gave the Rams a come-from-behind, 24-20 victory.
“A lot of gutsy efforts,” McVay said, “and I have a headache from hell right now.”
No doubt stress-induced.
While McVay enjoyed watching Kyren Williams rush for two touchdowns and receiver Puka Nacua rush for another, the Rams had to overcome turnovers, penalties and special teams miscues to improve to 2-2.
After sitting out two games because of a hip injury, Nacua caught nine passes for 125 yards, several during the final two scoring drives.
“I’m excited to get on this plane and get up out of here,” Nacua said. “Hopefully, they have some Philly cheesesteaks for us.”
The Rams had mostly had their fill of Philadelphia after losing an NFC divisional game here in 2024 and last year’s debacle that ended with the blocked field goal and touchdown.
“We obviously haven’t found a way to get it done here,” McVay said, “and our guys found a way today.”
Rams players celebrate with Kyren Williams following one of his two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Eagles on Sunday.
(Chris Szagola / Associated Press)
The Rams can thank their defense.
The Eagles were without receiver DeVonta Smith and left tackle Lane Johnson, and star running back Saquon Barkley left the game in the first quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.
The Eagles were 0 for 12 on third downs. They converted only one of four fourth downs and managed just 172 yards.
“When it was the time for us to make a play, the defense stepped up,” said edge rusher Byron Young, who had 2½ of the Rams’ four sacks, “and we had to do what we do.”
Despite their elation over Sunday’s victory, the Rams have plenty to fix.
Stafford was great down the stretch but otherwise did not look like the reigning NFL most valuable player. He completed 32 of 51 passes for 317 yards with two interceptions.
The Rams, historically one of the league’s least-penalized teams under McVay, had 13 penalties for 91 yards in last Sunday’s 30-26 defeat by the Denver Broncos. On Sunday, they were flagged eight times for 100 yards.
“Any way you could shoot yourself in the foot — we were doing it on the offensive side of the ball,” Stafford said.
Special teams also continued to be an issue. The Rams gave up a long punt return that set up a touchdown, and usually reliable kicker Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt.
But the defense kept the Rams within striking distance.
“You’d like to see [us] play as a team where you go and score, and then hold ‘em, score and hold ‘em and score,” receiver Davante Adams said. “But sometimes that’s not how it plays out.
“[The defense] did their thing to put us in a position to win it, and we went down there and finished the job.”
The Rams trailed, 20-10, at halftime, as the Eagles turned two interceptions into 10 points, and Jalen Hurts tossed two touchdown passes to receiver Darius Cooper.
After Mevis missed, it got uglier.
Near the end of the third quarter, it finally looked like the Rams’ defense would be rewarded for a good play: It stopped Hurts on a fourth-down tush push, giving the offense a first down at the Eagles’ 38-yard line.
But Nacua’s penalty for an illegal block stymied the possession, and Stafford’s fourth-down pass for tight end Tyler Higbee fell incomplete.
McVay rallied the offense on the sideline.
“He said, ‘Make things go. Wipe it. Get to the next play,’” Higbee said.
Stafford said McVay was “trying to put some belief” in the team.
“I think we had it,” Stafford said, “but it was great to hear from him.”
The defense came up big again, stopping the Eagles on downs at the Rams’ two-yard line.
On came Stafford, who ranks fourth all time in fourth-quarter comebacks.
“We call it the Mamba period,” said Williams, who rushed for 80 yards in 15 carries and had 10 receptions for 67 yards. “We knew we had to get things done. … Matthew, man, he got us all together. He said ‘Let’s freakin’ do it’ and we did the dang thing.”
Stafford engineered a nine-play, 98-yard drive that Williams finished with a one-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 20-17 with less than four minutes left.
Stafford got the ball back with 2:55 left at the Rams’ 21-yard line. He connected with Nacua three times and Higbee once before Williams scored on a seven-yard run with 1:10 remaining.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford slides after running the ball against the Eagles on Sunday.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
The play included Williams’ trademark second and third efforts.
“I wasn’t looking at any defender,” Williams said. “I wasn’t looking at any blocks. I was just having that smell, that nose for the end zone.”
Next up: Josh Allen and the 3-1 Buffalo Bills, a 29-26 loser Sunday against the New England Patriots.
The Rams will go into the game a .500 team riding the high of a comeback victory rather than trying to get out of a 1-3 hole.
At some point, the Rams will welcome back edge rusher Myles Garrett, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who sat out because of a sore back, and tight end Terrance Ferguson, who like Garrett is on injured reserve. They are still more than capable of becoming the team that was hyped throughout the offseason.
So Sunday’s victory — rather than another loss in Philadelphia — could pay dividends.
“Hopefully,” Stafford said, “it was really important come later in the year.”
PHILADELPHIA — Safety Kam Curl did not see it happen initially because he was on the Rams sideline teasing the Philadelphia Eagles about what he thought was his team’s certain victory.
Punter and holder Ethan Evans had a close-up view of the first part, but could not stop the second.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, an 18th-year pro, said he had never witnessed a game-ending play like it.
Those were just a few of the memories from Rams players when asked about last season’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Minutes after the Eagles blocked a late field-goal attempt, the Rams lined up for another one on the final play. Jordan Davis of the Eagles leaped and blocked the kick, scooped the ball and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown that sent the Rams to a 33-26 defeat.
“All I heard was ‘boom, boom,’” Curl said of the kick and subsequent block, “and then I looked and it was all bad from there.”
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis prepares to pick up a loose ball after blocked field-goal attempt against the Rams on Sept. 21, 2025.
(Chris Szagola / Associated Press)
The not-so-Super Rams return to the scene of that fiasco on Sunday.
And they arrive with several special teams units that remain a concern for a star-studded team that opened the season as the overwhelming favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.
Not that the Rams have looked the part.
They lost their opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, rebounded with a victory over the New York Giants, and last Sunday blew a 16-0 halftime lead in a 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos in Denver.
Now they play an Eagles team coming off a 27-7 defeat by the Chicago Bears.
Late last season, coach Sean McVay fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn, and Ben Kotwica served as interim coordinator for the final two games. During the offseason, McVay hired Bubba Ventrone, who had coordinated special teams for the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.
They also signed veteran long-snapper Joe Cardona and linebacker Grant Stuard, a special teams veteran.
The Rams’ field-goal unit is seemingly in a better place than it was last season.
Kicker Harrison Mevis replaced Joshua Karty several games after the debacle against the Eagles. He made 18 of 19 field-goal attempts in nine regular-season games and the playoffs, and has made four of five attempts this season, including two against the Broncos.
The Rams have improved in “that particular phase,” McVay said, “but you have to do it again” against a formidable Eagles field-goal block unit.
“That certainly is not anything we’re taking for granted,” McVay said.
On the same day the Rams lost to the Eagles last season, Ventrone was coaching for the Browns, who blocked a field-goal attempt by the Green Bay Packers with less than 30 seconds left, and then won the game with a field goal.
“It comes down to execution and playing with good fundamentals in those areas,” Ventrone said. “If we can do that, then we’ll be in a better spot.”
While the field-goal unit has mostly thrived, Evans has struggled with consistency, specifically directional placement of his kicks. On Friday, the Rams waived punt returner Xavier Smith, who fumbled in last season’s NFC championship game and made several decision-making errors against the Broncos. Alex Bachman will return punts against the Eagles, McVay said.
The kickoff coverage unit gave up a long return against the 49ers but appears to have improved.
The Rams will need solid performances from the offense, defense and special teams if they hope to defeat the Eagles for only the second time in eight games under McVay.
The Rams would be going for the second consecutive victory over the Eagles had they not blown a 19-point third-quarter lead and had two kicks blocked last season.
The Rams trailed 27-26 when they lined up for a 44-yard attempt with three seconds left.
“You knew it was going to be the last play no matter what,” Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “You weren’t going to [overtime]. I think I put my headset down.
“You put everything away and you’re like, ‘All right, here we go. This kick is going to decide my mood for this next week.’”
Evans recalled that after Davis blocked Karty’s kick, the ball went over Evans’ head. He attempted to dive on the ball, but he was hit in the back.
“By the time I got up and looked,” Evans said, “[Davis] was already in the end zone.”
The Rams aim to avoid a repeat.
Curl said the formula for success was simple. And it applied for offense, defense and special teams.
“Just finish,” he said.
During the offseason, Rams coach Sean McVay said that receiver Davante Adams’ name came up when the Philadelphia Eagles were shopping for trade partners for receiver AJ Brown.
Adams said at the start of training camp — months after the Eagles traded Brown to the New England Patriots — that he understood that was part of the business.
The Rams are happy that Adams remains in the fold.
Heading into Sunday’s game against the Eagles, the 13th-year pro has amassed a career-best 358 receiving yards through three games.
“Fine wine gets better with time,” offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase said.
Adams, 33, is coming off two consecutive 100-yard receiving performances.
With receiver Puka Nacua sidelined because of a hip injury, Adams caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-6 victory over the New York Giants, and he had seven receptions for 137 yards in a 30-26 defeat by the Denver Broncos.
“I don’t necessarily need a 100-yard game to validate what I can do on the field,” said Adams, who is in his second season with the Rams. “Coming to a team like this where you have playmakers literally at every single position, it’s not necessary.
“If it is necessary and I’m called on, then I’ll go and answer the bell on that. Whatever my game or my role looks like for whatever the situation is, I try to live up to that.”
Adams is tied for the league lead with nine catches of 15 yards or more.
Asked if he was conscious that after catching passes in space at 33, he might not get to a faraway end zone as quickly as he did in his 20s, Adams had a good-natured response.
Adams said he has never been looked at in the same way as “a burner” such as Tyreek Hill. But he makes the most of speed and experience.
“When I see an open field, I’m running, obviously, as hard as I can to get to the end zone and try to score any time that I can,” he said. “Angles and certain things obviously influence whether or not you can get in. I don’t have a whole lot of 91-yard touchdowns in my career so I don’t know if I would have got in as a 24 or 23-year-old.
“When I see that space, I’m always pushing to get there. I’m running as hard as I can without pulling any ‘hammies’ [hamstrings] or doing anything crazy out there.”
Nacua, the NFL receptions leader last season, will return to the lineup against the Eagles. Nacua and other Rams receivers continue to be awed by Adams after his back-to-back 100-yard performances.
“It’s funny because with him being the veteran in our group and quote-unquote ‘the old guy,’ it’s been really exciting for him,” Nacua said. “There’s a breath of fresh air that I think we bring to him, but also that standard where he’s as competitive as it comes.”
Rams: DL Aaron Donald (back) out; CB Jaylen Watson (shoulder) out; TE Terrance Ferguson (ankle) out; TE Colby Parkinson (shoulder/knee) questionable; OLB Josaiah Stewart (groin) questionable.
Eagles: LB Zack Baun (concussion) out; WR Marquise Brown (ankle) out; TE Dallas Goedert (knee) out; OL (knee); WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) out; S Marcus Epps (groin) out.
The Rams and Philadelphia Eagles will play Sunday at 10 a.m. PDT at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The game will be televised in California on Fox and will be available nationally via a subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. In Southern California, fans can listen to the game on 710 AM, 93.1 FM and 1330 AM (Español).
The return of Nacua — and the odds against the Rams losing to the Eagles again on a last-second blocked field goal returned for a touchdown — will help McVay get his first win against Eagles coach Nick Sirianni.
Gary Klein’s pick: Rams 27, Eagles 20
Star receiver Puka Nacua will play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia, but star defensive lineman Aaron Donald is out because of a back issue, Rams coach Sean McVay said Friday.
Donald, a three-time defensive player of the year, has not practiced this week following the Rams’ loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Denver. McVay said Donald, 35, was experiencing back soreness.
“He’s as tough as it gets. Just not feeling good enough,” McVay said, adding, “He would do it and he could probably go be productive but part of our job is to protect these tough dudes like him from themselves.”
Donald has played in two games since ending a two-year retirement in late August. He did not make the trip to Australia for the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, but made three tackles in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium.
Donald had one tackle and one quarterback hit in the 30-26 loss to the Broncos.
“He’s working as hard as he can to get himself feeling as good as possible and we’re hopeful and optimistic that good days are ahead,” McVay said.
Nacua sat out the last two games because of a hip injury that caused hip, groin and abdominal soreness.
McVay said Nacua has been “strong, looks sturdy, looks explosive,” during practice this week.
“I think it will really just be a feel for the overall conditioning,” McVay said, adding that he hopes “the magic of the [game] jersey” will help Nacua have a productive game against the Eagles.
Tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle) and cornerback Jaylen Watson (shoulder) will not play on Sunday, McVay said. Tight end Colby Parkinson (shoulder, knee) and edge rusher Josaiah Stewart (groin) are questionable.
Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson jogs back to the locker room against the Giants on Sept. 21.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
The Rams opened the season with five tight ends on the roster, which some might have regarded as a surplus.
But the Rams need the depth.
On Friday, the team put Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve because of an ankle injury.
Ferguson, a 2025 second-round draft pick, was injured Sept. 21 against the Giants, but he played through it against the Broncos.
Ferguson has seven catches for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Ferguson must sit out at least the next four games against the Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. He is eligible to return for the Nov. 1 game against the Chargers.
The Rams began the season with five tight ends on the roster. Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen are at full strength. Max Klare, a second-round draft pick from Michigan, could get his first action on offense against the Eagles.
Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith runs the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during a preseason game in August.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
What a difference a day makes.
Less than 24 hours after Rams special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said the team was not going to replace punt returner Xavier Smith, the team released him.
“We just need better production out of that position,” McVay said, adding that some of the “decisions” that Smith made in last Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos proved costly.
“We’ve got to make better decisions,” McVay said. “We’ve got to be able to field it.”
Receiver Alex Bachman is expected to be promoted from the practice squad to handle punt returns. McVay said he was “optimistic that I think we’re going to see some good stuff from Alex on Sunday.”
Smith, 29, is a third-year pro who signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent and worked his way into a role as a kick returner and rotational receiver.
Smith appeared to be on his way to overcoming a major error in last season’s NFC championship game, when he lost a fumble in the 31-27 defeat by the Seattle Seahawks.
But through three games, Ventrone on Thursday described Smith’s performance as “inconsistent.”
“We need to do a better job of tracking the ball, judging the ball, fielding the ball when necessary, not fielding it in other situations,” Ventrone told reporters. “He knows that and hopefully we’ll get the improvements that we need in that area.”
Ventrone was asked if there was any thought about replacing Smith as the punt returner.
“No, we have a lot of trust in ‘X’, I really do,” Ventrone said. “He’s put in a lot of time and effort in training camp and obviously moving into the season. I think that he’ll do the necessary things to be able to sustain at that position for us.”
But on Friday morning, the Rams announced they had waived Smith.
McVay said the Rams “weren’t thinking” about making a change when Ventrone spoke to reporters Thursday.
“As you get a chance to kind of take a step back, evaluate the totality of our group, what’s the best way to try to be able to put together all three phases, did feel like that was in the best interest of the group,” McVay said, adding, “and that decision was made kind of later [Thursday night].”
After sitting out the last two games because of injury, Rams star receiver Puka Nacua appears on track to play Sunday against the Eagles in Philadelphia.
But the status of star defensive lineman Aaron Donald remains unclear.
Nacua was sidelined for a victory over the New York Giants and Sunday’s defeat by the Denver Broncos because of a hip injury that caused groin and abdominal soreness. But Nacua returned to practice in a limited role on Wednesday and was listed as limited again on Thursday.
“It’s exciting,” Nacua said after practice. “That’s my safe space out there, and to be out there with the guys, I think that’s been the most important thing, feeling that camaraderie and then also the ability to put my foot in the ground.”
Nacua, the NFL receptions leader in 2025, caught five passes for 74 yards in a season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
What would it mean to return to action against the Eagles?
“I can’t think of anything else but smiling,” he said.
Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, has not practiced this week because of a back issue that surfaced after the loss to the Broncos, a defeat that dropped the Rams’ record to 1-2.
Donald, who ended a two-year retirement in late August, did not make the trip to Australia. In his season debut against the Giants at SoFi Stadium, he made three tackles in the Rams’ 28-6 victory.
Donald had one tackle and one quarterback hit in the 30-26 loss to the Broncos.
“Aaron’s been awesome,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “I think he’s really elevated that whole group.”
With edge rusher Myles Garrett out at least two more games while recovering from knee surgery, the Rams for the first time this season could line up without either of the two future Hall of Famers.
“Those are two of the best players in the world — two of maybe the best players of all time,” Shula said. You’re always going to want them on the field, but we’re lucky where if those guys are out we have a lot of depth and a lot of capable guys. … You’re never going to expect them to perform at the level of Aaron Donald or Myles Garrett, but we expect a lot of guys to go out and contribute and play really well and have a really good rotation going.”
The line feature interior players such as Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Poona Ford, and edge rushers Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, Desjuan Johnson and Wesley Bailey.
A controversial pass-interference call cost the Rams dearly in their defeat by the Denver Broncos, but coach Sean McVay said Monday that neither he nor the team would play the victim card.
With just over a minute left in the game, Rams cornerback Josh Wallace battled with Broncos receiver Pat Bryant before intercepting a Bo Nix pass at the Rams’ seven-yard line. Had the play stood, it would have preserved a second consecutive Rams victory.
But officials cited Wallace for pass interference, giving the Broncos another set of downs. Nix eventually scored a touchdown to give the Broncos a 30-26 lead and an eventual victory that dropped the Rams to 1-2.
Share via
Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in a 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.
“I’m not going to play the victim card,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters. “Doesn’t really matter. It is what it is. That was the call that was made, and there was a lot of opportunities that we had to be able to close the door on that game. … I wouldn’t have any additional coaching points for how Josh plays through the cycle of the snap.
“But I’m not going to make excuses either and we’re not going to play the victim card.”
Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie reviewed the play “over and over.”
“I told Josh, ‘Hey, nothing you can do. Refs got to call their calls. We can’t control that,’” McDuffie said. “But, I mean, looking back at it, I don’t know what they saw but I thought it was a great play. Got the interception for us.
“But like I said, whatever the refs saw they saw and threw the flag and ain’t much we can do about it, so it’s really just on to the next week.”
The Rams play the Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia.
They will probably do so without cornerback Jaylen Watson, who left against the Broncos after suffering a dislocated right shoulder.
Watson will not be placed on injured reserve, McVay said, “but will probably be out for this week. We’ll see if we can kind of get him strengthened and harness it. It’s something that he’s dealt with before.”
Tight end Terrance Ferguson sustained an ankle sprain and is probably out against the Eagles. Tight end Colby Parkinson’s (shoulder) status will be evaluated this week.
Receiver Puka Nacua, who has been sidelined the last two games because of a hip injury, went through a lengthy on-field workout before the game against the Broncos.
Will he play against the Eagles?
”I’m hopeful,” McVay said, adding, “We’ll continue to see, but if he is able to progress the way that we hope there’s optimism that he’ll be able to play this week.”
McVay apologized for taking only a few questions during a postgame news conference after the defeat by the Broncos.
“I understand my role and responsibility is to be able to talk whether it’s after a win or whether we don’t get the results that we want,” McVay said, adding that the brevity resulted from a mix-up in timing. “There was a pause in any sort of questions and obviously an emotional game and so that was kind of what led to that.
“But if there was any misinterpretation, do apologize for that.”
DENVER — Mile sigh.
The Rams came here aiming to put together a second consecutive impressive prime-time performance.
And for the first half against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, it looked like the Rams would do just that.
But the Rams’ 16-point halftime lead literally vanished into thin air.
After rallying briefly, the Rams could not hold off the Broncos in a 30-26 defeat in front of 76,633 at Empower Field at Mile High.
Matthew Stafford passed for two touchdowns, and Harrison Mevis kicked four field goals for the Rams, but it was not enough.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix passed for two second-half touchdowns and dived one yard for a touchdown with 47 seconds left, dropping the Rams’ record to 1-2.
Under 10th-year coach Sean McVay, the Rams had started a season 1-2 only once before. In 2024, the Rams were 1-2 after three games and 1-4 after five. They rebounded to finish 10-7 and advanced to the divisional round, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Next Sunday, the struggling Rams play the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Against the Broncos, less than a week after limiting the New York Giants to two field goals in a 28-6 victory at SoFi Stadium, the Rams’ defense dominated for two quarters.
But the Rams could not overcome Nix or a Broncos defense that got a 66-yard interception return for a touchdown by safety Talanoa Hufanga, who also intercepted a pass in the end zone on the final play.
The Rams built a 16-0 halftime lead on Stafford’s touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee and three field goals by Mevis.
But the Broncos ended any hope of a shutout midway through the third quarter when what had been a mostly anemic offense came to life.
Nix fired a five-yard touchdown pass to Pat Bryant and then completed a two-point conversion pass to Jaylen Waddle to cut the lead in half.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix passes against the Rams in the first half Sunday.
(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)
A few minutes later, Nix found tight end Nate Adkins for an eight-yard touchdown pass and then fired a two-point conversion pass to Bryant to tie the score.
The Broncos were driving again early in the fourth quarter when Rams cornerback Josh Wallace intercepted a pass, setting up Mevis’ fourth field goal for a 19-16 lead.
The Rams got the ball with about seven minutes left and Stafford connected with Adams for a 49-yard gain. But Hufanga picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown that put the Broncos ahead, 23-19.
But Stafford’s 48-yard touchdown pass to receiver Konata Mumpfield put the Rams back in front, 26-23.
Nix all but sealed the victory when he dived and reached over the pile for the one-yard touchdown with less than a minute left.
The Rams drove to the Broncos’ 14-yard line with two seconds left. But after a false-start penalty, Stafford’s pass was intercepted by Hufanga in the end zone.
Stafford completed 30 of 55 passes for 390 yards. He was sacked four times.
Davante Adams caught seven passes for 137 yards and Higbee had eight catches for 62 yards.
Running back Kyren Williams rushed for 88 yards and had 70 yards receiving.
Nix completed 17 of 34 passes for 186 yards.
Rams coaches and personnel executives call it “the moment of truth,” the split second when a defensive back, usually on the run in full stride next to a receiver, must decide how he is going to play a pass that is already in the air.
Top NFL cornerbacks remain calm. They do not panic.
“It’s those guys that just kind of — their blood pressure never rises,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.
Trent McDuffie is one of those guys.
The Rams traded for the All-Pro cornerback in March, sending the Kansas City Chiefs the 29th overall pick and three other draft picks for the four-year veteran. They quickly signed McDuffie to an extension that includes $100 million in guarantees.
Last Monday, McDuffie intercepted a pass in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants, a win that helped erase some of the sting from their embarrassing season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
In McDuffie, a two-time Super Bowl winner, the Rams got even more than expected, coach Sean McVay said.
“He just has an amazing emotional intelligence of how to uplift and lead his teammates and challenge them in a way that’s authentic to his personality,” McVay said. “He loves the opportunity to be able to have some of the hard downs that a lot of corners sometimes don’t want, but this guy wants them.”
McDuffie, 26, is looking to make more plays Sunday night when the Rams play the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
With the Chiefs, McDuffie played against the Broncos six times, and he is still looking for his first interception against the former AFC West rival.
But mainly, he aims to help the Rams continue their momentum after giving up only two field goals against the Giants.
“It was one of those attitude games, where we didn’t have the greatest Week 1 performance,” McDuffie said. “So there was a little chip on our shoulder, a little attitude we brought.”
McDuffie began his rise to NFL stardom during a high school career that featured stops at Santa Ana Mater Dei, Anaheim Servite and Bellflower St. John Bosco, before playing in college at Washington.
Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie walks off the field after a win over the New York Giants on Sept. 21.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
The Chiefs selected him in the first round of the 2022 draft, and he helped them make three Super Bowl appearances, winning two.
McDuffie said he learned a tough but valuable lesson against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona in 2023.
With the ball at the Chiefs’ 45-yard line, the 5-foot-11 McDuffie lined up against 6-1, 225-pound receiver AJ Brown. As they ran downfield, McDuffie saw the ball in the air. But he did not know which way to turn his head. He did not know how he wanted to play the ball.
Brown caught the pass for a touchdown.
“Too much thinking in my head to where I didn’t make the play,” McDuffie said.
McDuffie turned the experience into a positive while developing into one of the NFL’s top players at his position.
“From then on, it was almost like, ‘All right, the ball’s in the air, it’s not so much a panic, it’s like you get an opportunity now,’” McDuffie said. “When you’re a DB in the NFL, there’s only so many times they’re going to throw the ball your way. There’s only so many times you’re in a position to make a play, so just kind of calming myself down.
“When the ball’s in the air, don’t panic — just become the receiver. Get back to the basics. You know how to play football. You know how to catch the ball. Just go make a play.
“And really, it’s the fear of failure that I don’t have anymore. Like if they make a play, they make a play. Let’s just line up and let’s keep attacking.”
The next season, despite not intercepting a pass, McDuffie earned All-Pro recognition. He forced five fumbles and had three sacks.
It did not take long for McDuffie to make an impression on his Rams teammates. During offseason workouts and training camp, he established himself as a leader and was voted a team captain.
His first interception for the Rams was the fourth of his career.
“I was in the right place at the right time to make the play,” said McDuffie, who also broke up three other passes, “but I think overall as a group we really took a step in the right direction, which looking back at the film was the most exciting part for me.”
Rams receiver Davante Adams raved about McDuffie during training camp. This week, he said McDuffie had been the “best-kept secret” in Kansas City.
“I’m just glad to see him making plays on guys that aren’t our receivers now,” Adams said. “Go out there and do his thing, show the world.”
Defensive lineman Aaron Donald did not see McDuffie up close until he came out of retirement to rejoin the Rams last month. McDuffie made an impression in Donald’s first game against the Giants.
“I usually don’t watch the DBs,” Donald said, “but he caught my eye. He’s something special.”
On Sunday, McDuffie won’t be the only elite cornerback on the field. “There’s a ton of great corners in the league,” McDuffie said, but he regards Patrick Surtain II of the Broncos, the 2024 NFL defensive player of the year, as the best.
“It’s always fun just being able to see him in person and work his craft,” McDuffie said.
McDuffie intends to showcase his own against a Broncos team that features quarterback Bo Nix operating coach Sean Payton’s offense.
The Rams are seeking another dominant performance.
“Now that we did it once,” he said, “now we have to prove it again.
“That’s kind of the standard.”
Aaron Donald is still earning his spot.
In his mind, anyway.
During defensive line drills, the Future Hall of Famer continues to go third — even when groups are split — rather than lead.
“Earning my keep right now,” Donald said after Rams practice Thursday. “I’m a guy that likes to work and earn everything I get.”
Donald, 35, has one game under his belt after returning from a two-year retirement to rejoin the team that selected the three-time NFL defensive player of the year in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.
Donald played 33 snaps in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants on Monday. He made three tackles, including one for a loss.
Donald said he watched tape of his performance six times — two times by himself, once with his brother and three more times on his own.
“Not as bad as I thought,” he said. “A lot of things to clean up but on the right track.”
Donald looked “excellent,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.
“He was awesome,” Shula said. “He put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and then you see like some of the run plays … that group as a whole played really tough, played stout, played physical at the line of scrimmage and Aaron was a huge part of that.”
Now, one of the top interior pass rushers in NFL history is preparing for Sunday night’s game against the Denver Broncos in Denver.
Will Donald’s playing time increase?
“Every game is going to kind of tell its own story,” Shula said. “I think we have a general range of where he would be, but I think depending on how the game plays out, you never know how many snaps and the situations that you’re going to be in.
“You never want to put a full hard cap on it.”
Donald is happy with the way his return to game action is playing out.
“We’ve got a good rotation … keeping guys fresh and right now I’m liking it,” he said. “I think it’s at a great pace right now.
“I’m getting my feet wet, get going, get a feel for the game again and other guys are out there working and getting work too.”
Rams receiver Puka Nacua (hip), who sat out against the Giants, did not practice for the second day in a row. On Wednesday, coach Sean McVay told reporters he was “not sure” if Nacua would play against the Broncos. Later in the day, he told ESPN radio that Nacua was “not making great progress.” … Tight end Colby Parkinson (knee) and safety Kam Kinchens (hamstring) also did not practice.
Sam Farmer makes his picks and predictions for each game in Week 3 of the NFL season, with the Chargers falling to the Bills and the Rams winning again.
Source link
Rams star receiver Puka Nacua remains sidelined because of groin soreness and his status for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos is unclear, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.
Nacua was not scheduled to participate in a light team jog-through. Asked if he expected Nacua to play against the Broncos, McVay said, “I’m not sure.”
Will Nacua practice this week?
“I would say it’s more likely than not, but we’ll see,” McVay said.
Nacua, the NFL’s receptions leader in 2025, sat out the Rams’ victory over the New York Giants on Monday night.
Are the Rams concerned that Nacua’s injury could be a longer-term issue?
“I don’t think so,” McVay said, adding. “When you’re a skill player and you’re really trying to hit high-speed yards and really open up… it’s like some of the things that can almost be pre-hernia is kind of what he’s feeling.
“You err on the side of caution. Usually time is the best thing that allows that thing to heal.”
McVay said Nacua does not have a hernia, and that the team’s training and medical staff did not feel the issue was “any type of long term threat.”
“I just know that he’s frustrated,” McVay said, “and we all want him to be able to be out there. But we want him to be able to return to performance, not just be able to just kind of gut through it.”
Quarterback Matthew Stafford said Nacua is an “unbelievable” player and loves having him on the field. But he trusts in all Rams receivers.
“Certain things that he does at a high level that maybe move down the list a little bit on things that we might run,” Stafford said. “But once the play’s called and things that we do, I trust all those guys to go out there and execute at a high level.”
Running back Ronnie Rivers, who is also a key special teams player, was placed on injured reserve because of a “freak” calf injury suffered when he jumped to loosen up during the game against the Giants, McVay said. Running backs Dean Connors or Jordan Waters could be promoted to the roster for the game against the Broncos. The Rams signed safety Maximus Pulley to the roster.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart appears to have avoided a “devastating outcome” after leaving Monday night’s game against the Rams with a left knee injury, coach John Harbaugh told reporters following his team’s 28-6 loss at SoFi Stadium.
Harbaugh stopped short of confirming the multiple media reports that Dart suffered a sprained MCL when his leg bent in an unnatural manner after he was hit hard by Rams linebackers Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart early in the first quarter.
“That’s in the neighborhood of it, I would say,” Harbaugh said of those reports after the his team’s 28-6 loss. “We’ll get an MRI tomorrow and have a real good feel for it, and give you more information from there.”
SNY Giants reports that Dart could miss two to four weeks with the injury. Still, it could have been much worse. A torn ACL could have ended the season for the second-year quarterback who missed two games last year after sustaining a concussion.
“Never play to hurt anybody,” Young, a fourth-year player and 2025 Pro Bowl selection for the Rams, posted in an Instagram Story after the game. “I pray for a healthy recovery.”
Former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning seemed to fear the worst while watching the situation unfold live on their alternative broadcast of the game on ESPN2.
“Oh no. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no,” Peyton Manning said as he watched Dart writhe on the ground while holding his knee. “That is not what we want to see. Gosh!”
“Tough to watch,” Eli Manning said as a replay aired. “Hate to see that. Hope he’s OK.”
Dart was able walk off the field and into the locker room gingerly but under his own power. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported that the former USC and Mississippi quarterback actually wanted to return to the game but was not allowed to do so by his team.
Instead, Dart watched the second half from the sideline in street clothes, with video appearing to show him telling someone, “They wouldn’t let me come back out.”
Veteran quarterback Jameis Winston filled in for Dart and completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with one interception.
Dart was one of several key Giants (1-1) players to suffer injuries during the loss. Top pass rusher Brian Burns sprained his left ankle and left tackle Andrew Thomas sustained an apparent lower-body injury, with neither player returning to the game.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers had to pop his right shoulder into place after dislocating it during the first quarter. He stayed in the game but indicated afterward he would undergo X-rays the next day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
From Sam Farmer: Aaron Donald made his triumphant return to NFL relevance on Monday night, and notably so did the Rams.
The team that looked lost in its Down Under debut returned to form against the New York Giants, even with star receiver Puka Nacua watching in street clothes because of hip pain.
Matthew Stafford was surgical with his passing, throwing four touchdown passes in a 28-6 victory. Receiver Davante Adams made several acrobatic catches befitting of the retina-burning yellow “Classic Sol” jerseys that turned the Rams into human highlighter pens.
“Played with a bunch of passion, energy, excited to be back home,” Stafford said, speaking about the team as a whole and especially the defense.
“We did enough offensively, but we still left some plays out there. I wasn’t as efficient as I would have liked in certain areas. Some plays that we can make that we didn’t make. We’ll keep working on that. But it was nice to get a win as we’re finding a way to get better.”
Adams had eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
“To be here with Matthew, just to be able to bond a little bit, be a part of his deal…,” Adams said. “It’s just a blessing.”
Get the latest on L.A.’s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
From Mirjam Swanson: Be careful what you wish for when you’re wishing for a new offensive coordinator.
Chargers fans were so over Greg Roman. Anything would be better than his run-heavy scheme stunting quarterback Justin Herbert’s anticipated ascension. Anyone would be preferable to the man holding the reins while the Chargers scored just three points in last season’s wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, after which Roman was fired.
Anyone such as, say, former Miami Dolphins coach and purported offensive guru Mike McDaniel?
Yeah?
About that.
Somehow, after just two games, the Chargers’ offense under McDaniel has Bolts fans wishing anyone else was running the show. Roman included.
Because Roman wouldn’t have overcomplicated a third-and-inches play-call. He wouldn’t have had the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Herbert line up in shotgun and call for motion.
And the subsequent snap wouldn’t have hit receiver Tre’ Harris before it got to Herbert. And instead of losing five yards and having Herbert, in a rare show of emotion, slapping the turf in frustration, the Chargers probably would have gotten a fresh set of downs.
So far, McDaniel’s brief Chargers’ tenure hasn’t just been a disappointment. It has, through two games, been a disaster. Because the Chargers really needed these first two wins against opponents who both won only three games last season.
Instead, the Chargers’ offense looked as disjointed and discombobulated in Sunday’s 26-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders as it did the previous week in their 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Times sports reporter Kevin Baxter wants to talk to a few Dodgers fans for an upcoming story. If you are interested in speaking with him, please email him at kevin.baxter@latimes.com
The Clippers hired John S. Gibson as interim chief executive and governor on Monday, taking over the roles previously held by team owner Steve Ballmer, who is serving a one-year ban by the NBA.
Ballmer recently said he won’t fight the league’s salary-cap circumvention punishment in a reversal of the team’s initial defiance and vow to fight against what it called “a heavily biased investigation.”
The league suspended Ballmer for one year, fined the team $30 million and forced it to forfeit five first-round draft picks. Ballmer said the team has paid the fine.
1905 — Willie Anderson wins the U.S. Open for the fourth time in five years, beating Alex Smith with a 314-total at the Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Mass.
1927 — Gene Tunney wins a unanimous 10-round decision over Jack Dempsey at Soldier Field in Chicago to retain his world heavyweight title. The fight is marred by a long 10-count in the seventh round. Dempsey knocks Tunney to the mat, but Dempsey doesn’t go to a neutral corner. The referee doesn’t start counting until four or five seconds after Tunney is down. Tunney regains his feet and goes on to win.
1974 — The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos are the first teams to play to a tie, 35-35, with the new overtime rule in effect.
1984 — Mississippi Valley State’s Willie Totten passes for 526 yards in a 49-32 victory over Jackson State. Wide receiver Jerry Rice has 285 yards receiving.
1987 — The 1,585-member NFL Players Assn. goes on strike after the New England-New York Jets Monday night game. The strike lasts 24 days.
1990 — Illinois’ Howard Griffith sets an NCAA record when he scores eight rushing touchdowns in a 56-21 rout of Southern Illinois. Griffith gets touchdowns in three consecutive carries in the second quarter and ties an NCAA record with four touchdowns in the third quarter. Griffith doesn’t play in the fourth quarter. It’s the most points scored in an NCAA game by a player other than a kicker.
1991 — Miami coach Don Shula gets his 300th career victory in the Dolphins’ 16-13 win over Green Bay.
2002 — New England’s Tom Brady completes 39 of 54 passes for 410 yards and throws touchdown passes to four different receivers, leading the Patriots to a 41-38 overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
2007 — Graham Harrell of Texas Tech completes 46 of 67 passes for 646 yards, the fourth-best total in major college history, in a 49-45 loss to Oklahoma State.
2007 — Kentucky’s Andre Woodson sets a major college record for consecutive passes without an interception, breaking the mark of 271 held by Fresno State’s Trent Dilfer.
2012 — Cobi Hamilton of Arkansas has 10 catches for a Southeastern Conference record 303 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-26 to Rutgers.
2012 — Old Dominion’s Taylor Heinicke smashes NCAA Division I records by throwing for 730 yards. He completes 55 of 79 attempts without being intercepted and leads the Monarchs back from a 23-point, third-quarter deficit to a 64-61 victory against New Hampshire.
2018 — Anthony Joshua retains his IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles by stopping Alexander Povetkin in the seventh round at Wembley Stadium.
2018 — Jess McDonald scores two goals and the North Carolina Courage win the National Women’s Soccer League championship with a 3-0 victory over the Portland Thorns.
Compiled by the Associated Press
1911 — Cy Young, 44, beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 for his 511th and final major league victory.
1936 — The Detroit Tigers swept the St. Louis Browns 12-0 and 14-0 to record the biggest double shutout in major league history.
1954 — Karl Spooner of Brooklyn became the first pitcher in the majors to strike out 15 in his first game as the Dodgers beat the New York Giants 3-0.
1966 — The Baltimore Orioles clinched their first AL pennant in 22 years with a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City A’s. Their last pennant came in 1944 when they were the St. Louis Browns.
1968 — Cesar Tovar played one inning at each position for the Minnesota Twins, becoming the second major leaguer in history to do it. Bert Campaneris of the Oakland A’s was the other.
1969 — Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants became the second player to hit 600 home runs, joining Babe Ruth. The two-run shot off San Diego’s Mike Corkins in the seventh inning, gave the Giants a 4-2 win.
1973 — Baltimore’s Al Bumbry tied the major-league record with three triples as the Orioles beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 and clinched the American League East title.
1977 — Bert Blyleven tossed a 6-0 no-hitter for Texas against the Angels at Anaheim Stadium.
1986 — Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers became the first Mexican to win 20 games, beating the Houston Astros 9-2 while giving up two hits.
1990 — Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs stole his 300th base in an 11-5 loss to the New York Mets, to become the second player with 300 homers, 300 steals and 2,000 hits. Willie Mays was the other.
1993 — Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers faced three Seattle batters before hurting his right elbow. He never pitched again. Ryan finished his career with 324 wins, 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters.
2000 — Houston’s Jose Lima set an NL single-season record by giving up his 47th homer in the Astros’ 12-5 loss to Cincinnati. The major league record for home runs allowed in a season is 50, set by Minnesota’s Bert Blyleven in 1986.
2003 — Detroit set an AL record with its 118th loss, falling 12-6 to Kansas City. The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics (36-117) set the record.
2003 — Second baseman Alfonso Soriano broke a major league record by hitting his 13th leadoff homer of the year in the New York Yankees’ 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox.
2006 — Alfonso Soriano became baseball’s first 40-40-40 player in Washington’s 3-2 win over the New York Mets. Soriano hit his 40th double and stole his 41st base. With 45 homers, he already was only the fourth major league player with 40 homers and 40 steals in a season.
2018 — The Atlanta Braves capped a most surprising season by clinching their first NL East crown since 2013, with Mike Foltynewicz taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. A year after going 70-92, manager Brian Snitker and his Baby Braves surged back into the playoffs.
2023 — By hitting his 40th homer of the season, Ronald Acuña Jr. becomes just the fifth member of the exclusive 40-40 club consisting pf players who have hit 40 homers and stolen 40 bases in the same season. He already has over 60 steals, the first player to ever combine the two totals, and has a chance to reach 70. The Braves defeat the Nationals, 9-6. For the second time in a month, Aaron Judge hits three homers in a game to lead the Yankees to a 7-1 lead over the Diamondbacks. Judge had never had such a game before this year, and becomes the first player in Yankees history to have two in one season.
Compiled by the Associated Press
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Did the Rams’ humiliating season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia make you reevaluate your preseason choices?
Did it make you doubt the veracity of the Rams’ championship claim?
Were you among the dummies who, as Davante Adams put it, were “freaking out”?
“You’re a fool if you think that that’s what it’s going to look like every single week,” a confident Adams said before putting on a cape and a show in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants on Monday at SoFi Stadium.
The 33-year-old receiver was confident because, for one, the Rams are never again going to fly 16 hours, hop off a plane and play NFL football.
Also, the Rams are very good.
And anybody — or “everybody,” per Adams — who doubts these Rams, does so at their own peril.
Because this is a team with so many weapons they seem sometimes to almost forget about one of them — Adams.
Prime-time ’Tae, the six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro first-teamer and future Hall of Famer.
A 13th-year professional scorer who, on Monday, passed Art Monk (12,721) to enter the top 25 on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list. Adams also passed Antonio Brown, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Jimmy Smith (46) and tied Torry Holt and Michael Irvin (47) for the ninth-most games in NFL history with 100-plus receiving yards.
With star receiver Puka Nacua out nursing a hip injury, all eyes were on Adams — and hopefully you didn’t blink.
In Adams’ best game as a Ram, he caught eight passes for two touchdowns and 195 yards — 13 more than the Giants’ yardage total. And just 11 yards fewer than his career high.
Among his snags Monday was a leaping, two-handed grab off a sidearm sling from quarterback Matthew Stafford on the Rams’ second possession. Adams brought that down and sashayed in for a 31-yard touchdown that opened the scoring.
Then Stafford hit him in stride for a 64-yard monster gain on the Rams’ third drive, which set up Kyren Williams’ 10-yard touchdown reception.
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams, right, celebrates with wide receiver Xavier Smith after catching a touchdown pass in the first quarter Monday against the Giants.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Stafford and Adams also had one of their patented over-the-shoulder touchdown connections in the corner of the end zone, which made it 21-3 in the third quarter.
“We’ve done that quite a few times on that route in particular,” Adams said, with a grin. “They did double-team it, but just tried to hide it a little too much. And if you’re going to double, you better get over there — because we’re going.”
And if you’re someone who thought the Rams play things too cool, well, Monday was too cool: “Our O-line did a great job protecting, to allow Matthew and Davante to have a bunch of cool connections,” coach Sean McVay said. “Anytime you go eight for 195, it’s a pretty special deal.”
Adams made high-degree-of-difficulty catches look elementary, like foregone conclusions. He was clinical, smooth with his body control.
“It’s a blessing, man,” Adams said. “Games like this. … I think you guys know what I’m capable of. I certainly do.”
But maybe Monday’s performance was a reminder not just of the Rams’ super-upside, but for the Rams themselves: As obvious a target as Nacua is, Adams remains a special talent. They ought to feed him more.
“He’s Wide Receiver 1 to me,” McVay said. “He ain’t a 2 … and I’m really happy for him. I thought he made some great plays, but you could see there’s a lot of trust that he and Matthew have. They were able to get a lot of work together this offseason, and it’s only going to continue to build.”
That investment in time and trust might have all been for naught had the Rams traded Adams — who previously was released by the New York Jets in March 2025 — when the Philadelphia Eagles were shopping A.J. Brown in the offseason.
The Rams didn’t hide that fact from Adams, McVay said: “I did want to acknowledge it. He’s a grown man, and I think he understood that this is a part of this business.”
And Adams didn’t take umbrage, he said at the start of training camp: “It’s just the way that this business goes … ultimately I’m still a Ram and I’m here and I’m happy to be here.”
Here, in L.A., still pursuing the elusive, ultimate goal — a Super Bowl title.
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Giants.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Last season, Adams lost in the NFC championship for the fifth time when the Rams were ousted 31-27 by the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seahawks.
And now, despite the debacle Down Under, the Rams remain the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year.
Monday’s victory — imperfect but convincing — reinforced those assumptions.
And proved Adams’ point.
“We’ve still got another level we can tap into,” he said. “This team, we got to the confidence level we’re at because of the work we put in. … We’re trying to be great and be a Super Bowl-caliber team, you gotta hold yourself to a high standard.
“This is definitely on track with what we’re capable of.”
Myles Garrett is out for four games following knee surgery, but other Rams edge rushers said they were ready to step up against the New York Giants on Monday night at SoFi Stadium.
Second-year pro Josaiah Stewart could start in Garrett’s place opposite Byron Young with Desjuan Johnson and rookie Wesley Bailey rotating in.
Share via
Aaron Donald will play for the Rams against the New York Giants on Monday, but will Puka Nacua be on the field?
“I’m not going to go out there and be Myles Garrett,” said Stewart, who made six tackles and had one quarterback hit in the Rams’ season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers, “but as a group we’ll fill our role and help do the job.”
The Rams’ pass rush will be aided by the addition of lineman Aaron Donald, the three-time NFL defensive player of the year who will make his season debut after coming out of two-year retirement.
But the outside linebackers plan to contribute.
“The room is full of talented guys, so everybody always smells blood,” said Johnson, a fourth-year pro. “We’re all sharks in the room, but we’re all helping each other. … It’s time for everybody to put on them big-boy boots.”
Bailey was the only first-year undrafted free agent to make the roster. He did it with outstanding performances in preseason games.
Young said losing Garrett was “huge” but he is confident the group will perform well.
“We’ve got guys that can definitely rush,” Young said. “I definitely think as a collective we can affect it together. He’s going to be back soon, and while he’s gone we’re going to hold it down and do what we do.”
Aaron Donald made his triumphant return to NFL relevance on Monday night, and notably so did the Rams.
The team that looked lost in its Down Under debut returned to form against the New York Giants, even with star receiver Puka Nacua watching in street clothes because of hip pain.
Matthew Stafford was surgical with his passing, throwing four touchdown passes in a 28-6 victory. Receiver Davante Adams made several acrobatic catches befitting of the retina-burning yellow “Classic Sol” jerseys that turned the Rams into human highlighter pens.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie, acquired by the Rams in an offseason trade with Kansas City, made the most of his home debut with an interception in the second quarter that snuffed a Giants scoring threat. He broke up a game-high four passes.
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald runs onto the field during player introductions before a 28-6 win over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium on Monday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
SoFi Stadium, meanwhile, was a house of horrors for the Giants, who lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart five minutes into the game when he was sandwiched by Rams defenders Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart and his left leg bent in an unnatural way.
That was a devastating blow to the Giants (1-1), who watched Dart wincingly limp off the field and into the blue medical tent. Later, it was off to the locker room for the second-year quarterback, and TV cameras showed him getting picked up by a cart in the bowels of the stadium, presumably for a more thorough medical examination before he was ruled out with a knee injury.
Surely, Dart could hear the roar of the Rams-heavy crowd as Adams made catch after catch — including a 31-yard touchdown in the first quarter and an 11-yarder in the third — and Kyren Williams pitched in with some pivotal plays of his own.
The Rams (1-1) extended their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter when, on third and six, Stafford connected with Williams on a 10-yard touchdown pass. That was set up by a 64-yard reception by Adams.
Stafford threw touchdown passes to Adams and Terrance Ferguson in the second half to take over sole possession of sixth place on the NFL’s all-time list with 427 passing touchdowns.
These were the Rams that most everyone anticipated seeing, the team with designs on ending this season with another Super Bowl at SoFi, where they raised the Lombardi Trophy in 2022.
Losing Dart was a gut punch to the Giants, who also got a scare early in the second quarter when standout receiver Malik Nabers doubled over in pain after a pass breakup. It was a shoulder injury that briefly sidelined him, although he was able to return later in the quarter.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes under pressure in the first half against the Giants.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Dart delirium was growing among Giants fans after the quarterback threw for three touchdowns and had a lofty passer rating of 134.2 in a 28-20 season-opening win over Dallas. So to lose him is a spirit-withering development.
Oddsmakers had the Rams as 7½-point favorites.
By the second half, a somber Dart was watching from the sideline in street clothes. It was a brutal weekend for a few of the NFL’s rising-star quarterbacks. Washington lost Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury, and Chicago’s Caleb Williams was carted off the field in tears, although that hamstring injury apparently wound up less serious than originally feared.
Donald, who spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams, retired after the 2023 season as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. After months of speculation, he decided to unretire and rejoin the Rams, who had traded for star Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett.
Garrett underwent knee surgery after the season-opening loss to San Francisco and was placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss four games. Donald helped pick up the slack Monday, and got a rollicking ovation in pregame as the last Rams defender announced.
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald wraps up Giants running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss near the goal line late in the second quarter Monday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Donald, who frequently commanded double-team blocking, made a memorable play near the end of the second quarter with the Giants — who had feasted on a Williams fumble — threatening to score.
On third down from the three, Donald pushed his way into the Giants’ backfield and wrangled running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss. The beleaguered visitors opted to kick the first of their two field goals.
The Rams are squarely in the national spotlight with four prime-time games in five weeks. First, the opener in Australia, followed by the Monday night game. Next week, a Sunday night game at Denver, followed by a day game at Philadelphia, and finally another Monday night home game against Buffalo.
The Los Angeles freeway system has its downsides, especially during traffic-jammed weekdays, but the Rams are absolutely looking forward to commuting from their Woodland Hills facility to SoFi Stadium for Monday night’s game against the New York Giants.
After traveling about 16,000 air miles round trip for their season-opener in Australia — and suffering a humiliating loss to the San Francisco 49ers — the home opener requires only a 28-mile journey and offers a chance for a reboot.
And the embarrassed-but-still-Super-Bowl-favorite Rams are eager for the opportunity.
Share via
Aaron Donald will play for the Rams against the New York Giants on Monday, but will Puka Nacua be on the field?
“An eternity,” coach Sean McVay said when asked about the 11-day wait between games. “It has been forever. We’re excited to compete again.”
In the 27-7 defeat by the 49ers, the Rams’ offense never established a rhythm, the defense gave up three touchdown passes and special teams gave up a long kickoff return.
Veteran receiver Davante Adams cautioned about overreaction.
“Everybody’s freaking out, which I understand,” he said. “We didn’t put together the greatest showing out there. But you’re a fool if you think that that’s what it’s going to look like every single week.”
The Rams will be without edge rusher Myles Garrett, who is on injured reserve for at least four games following knee surgery. Star receiver Puka Nacua is listed as questionable because of a hip injury.
But defensive lineman Aaron Donald is expected to give Rams a much-needed boost.
Donald, 35, ended a two-year retirement when he returned to the team a few weeks ago. The three-time NFL defensive player of the year did not travel to Australia for the opener, but McVay is happy to have him available for the first time since 2023.
“Aaron is a stud, and he’s been at the forefront of setting the foundation of everything that we’re about here,” said McVay, who is in his 10th season as Rams coach. “I remember my interview process included meeting with him and he’s looking at me like, ‘This is the guy that they’re thinking about hiring?’”
One of the reasons Donald returned was to play alongside Garrett, a two time NFL defensive player of the year who amassed an NFL season-record 23 sacks last season.
Now that combination — which boasts a combined 236½ sacks — is on hold.
The double- and triple-team schemes Donald thought he had put behind might once again be in full effect.
“You think they’re going to double/triple team me [after] not playing for two years?” Donald quipped when asked about the prospect. “They ain’t worried about me, man. They don’t have to be worried about me.
“They don’t have to worry about me at all. No man, they don’t have to worry about me.”
But does he anticipate getting that kind of attention?
“I don’t know what they’re going to do out there,” he said of opponents. “I don’t know what I’m going to get. All I can know is I got a game plan. I’m going to go out there, execute it, and just try to play ball. That’s it.”
The Giants, under new coach John Harbaugh, are coming off a 28-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart, receiver Malik Nabers, tight end Isaiah Likely and running back Cam Skattebo lead the offense, outside linebacker Brian Burns the defense.
Rams players have said that they quickly put their performance against the 49ers behind and were focused on the Giants.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL most valuable player, passed for only 155 yards, with an interception, against the 49ers.
“You get trained, whether it’s a game or a play. Good, bad, and different, move on to the next,” said Stafford, an 18th-year pro. “Don’t think too much about it. Don’t harp too much about it. Just be honest with yourself, play in and play out, game in and game out.”
That next game is here.
The Rams will be “primed and ready,” Adams said, “at the right time.”
Aaron Donald said Friday that he planned to make his season debut for the Rams against the New York Giants on Monday night, but star receiver Puka Nacua’s status is more hazy because of a hip injury.
Donald, 35, rejoined the Rams after ending a two-year retirement. The three-time NFL defensive player of the year did not travel to Australia for the season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers, but he has participated in several 11-on-11 drills this week.
Asked if he would play on Monday, Donald said, “That’s the plan.”
Donald’s plan? Or the Rams’?
“I think that’s all of our plan,” he said. “We have a conversation, we figure it out.”
Donald said he felt as if he had never been away.
“Kind of getting in the groove of things, understanding everything a lot better out there playing a lot more free, a lot more loose and looking more like myself to me,” he said.
Nacua, who was sidelined for a few weeks during the preseason because of a psoas injury, caught five passes for 74 yards against the 49ers and practiced on Thursday. The psoas is involved in hip movement, so it is not clear whether Nacua’s absence was caused by the same injury or a new one.
Nacua was scheduled to speak with reporters on Friday, but did not do so because he did not practice. Coach Sean McVay is scheduled to speak with reporters on Saturday.
Regardless, the Rams are expected to get a boost from Donald, an eight-time All-Pro.
Edge rusher Byron Young played with Donald as a rookie in 2023. Now he will be playing alongside him again.
“He hasn’t missed a beat,” Young said.
The Rams will be without edge rusher Myles Garrett for at least the next four games.
Will they have Aaron Donald for Monday night’s game against the New York Giants?
“We’ll see how this week goes,” coach Sean McVay said Thursday before practice.
The Rams are coming off an embarrassing 27-7 defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
Garrett, who failed to record a tackle or a quarterback hit in the defeat, had surgery on his left knee Monday. He will not play against the Giants, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills.
McVay noted that Garrett was on crutches Wednesday but walking without them Thursday.
“He’s like Wolverine, healing fast,” McVay quipped, adding that Garrett would not be rushed back.
Donald, 35, ended a two-year retirement when he rejoined the Rams late last month. He did not travel to Australia.
Asked what benchmarks Donald would have to hit before returning, McVay said it was up to how Donald felt after getting more 11-on-11 reps during practice.
Aaron Donald chats with DL coach Giff Smith before practice. McVay said determination about Donald’s status for Monday will be determined by more 11 on 11 work. pic.twitter.com/QQg2VIS4vR
— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) September 17, 2026
“There just hasn’t been a whole lot of opportunities for different reasons … based on the schedule that we’ve had,” McVay said. “But we are hopeful … that he’ll have some good work [Thursday], tomorrow and then hopefully he’s feeling good enough.
“And if he says he’s ready to go, then we’ll be excited to see him rock.”
McVay said the Rams have moved forward from the loss to the 49ers.
“It’s almost like you try and do the ‘Men in Black’ thing,” McVay said, referencing the movie franchise, “where you say all right, ‘hey I don’t remember what happened.’ That was so long ago. We’re not playing in Australia ever again, I hope. Not because it wasn’t a great atmosphere. That will get taken out of context.”
Sean McVay and the Rams thought the situation was under control, or at least manageable.
Star edge rusher Myles Garrett first experienced knee discomfort and swelling during training camp, a condition that caused him to sit out the majority of team workouts throughout the weeks leading up to the season opener.
But Garrett failed to record a tackle, and was clearly not himself, in an embarrassing defeat by the San Francisco 49ers on Friday in Australia.
On Monday, Garrett was scheduled to have surgery, and he will sit out at least the next four games on injured reserve.
“Our job is to put our players and our team in positions to have successful outcomes,” McVay said Monday during a videoconference with reporters. “Thought we would take an approach where he’d be feeling good enough to go, contribute positive change and be the player that he’s capable of.
“But that wasn’t the case, and so the next right thing for us is to be able to get this thing fixed.”
Garrett, 30, will miss next Monday’s home game against the New York Giants, road games at Denver and Philadelphia and home game against the Buffalo Bills before he is eligible to return.
McVay did not have a timeline for his return.
“It’s all contingent on how do things go [Monday],” McVay said. “But I think it would be unfair to him, without having the totality of all the information, to put any sort of timeline on it.”
Garrett, a two-time NFL defensive player of the year, played only 40 of 65 snaps against the 49ers. McVay said the decision to pursue surgery was made after consulting with Garrett immediately after the game.
“We thought we were doing the right thing,” McVay said of the Rams’ attempt to manage the situation. “In hindsight, you’ll always be able to learn from it. I’ll never hang onto whether you want to say it was a mistake or just different things to be able to kind of change course.”
With Garrett out, the Rams could use a spark for a defense that gave up three touchdown passes and 174 rushing yards against the 49ers.
Will lineman Aaron Donald, who has returned from a two-year retirement, make his season debut against the Giants?
Aaron Donald practices for the Rams in August.
(Greg Beacham / Associated Press)
“We haven’t decided that yet,” McVay said. “He’s going to continue to work his process and we’ll see what that looks like.”
McVay said Donald’s situation is “totally separate” and “totally independent” of Garrett’s.
“It’s more about Aaron and how he can contribute to the collective,” McVay said. “What does that feel like with how he’s feeling to be able to resume 11-on-11 and being able to play and do the things that he’s capable of.”
In the meantime, the Rams will look to fill the void of Garrett’s absence with Josaiah Stewart, Desjuan Johnson and rookie Wesley Bailey.
Share via
The Rams lose to the San Francisco 49ers 27-7 in the 2026 season opener at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia on Friday.
Stewart, a second-year pro from Michigan, made six tackles and had one of the Rams’ two hits on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
“He’ll be asked to step up,” McVay said, “as will everybody in that group.”
McVay speaks often about how adversity during a season is bound to come.
But for the Super Bowl-favorite Rams, it came early.
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” McVay said of anticipating when adversity will come. “I just know this: that these are the opportunities to really separate yourself with how you handle ‘em.”
The 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals all won their openers, putting the Rams in last place in the NFC West.
It’s still early, of course, but the road to a spot in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium suddenly appears more challenging.
“That is over with,” McVay said of the loss to the 49ers. “That’s in our rearview mirror. We’re all eyes moving forward.”
Linebacker Omar Speights suffered a hip pointer against the 49ers, McVay said. “We’ll kind of manage him throughout the week, but he’s feeling better than we anticipated,” McVay said. Linebacker Nate Landman sustained shoulder and thumb injuries, but McVay said he is expected to play against the Giants.