wembley stadium

LONDON — Goodbye London. Hello bye week.

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

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

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

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

They arrived Saturday and played on Sunday.

And they showed no signs of jet lag.

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

(Ian Walton / Associated Press)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Ian Walton / Associated Press)

That opened the door for Adams and others.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LONDON — Oleksandr Usyk disagreed with the idea that he’s become one of boxing’s all-time greats, but the evidence is mounting after his fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

The victory, sealed with a crunching left hook to Dubois’ jaw, made Usyk the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time.

The undefeated southpaw retained his WBA, WBC and WBO belts and regained the IBF belt he relinquished just over a year ago.

The bad news for opponents — especially the British ones that he keeps beating — is that the 38-year-old Ukrainian has no plans to stop anytime soon. He said he’s still a “young guy” and named Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker as possible next foes. Jake Paul threw his own hat in the ring.

“I will continue boxing and I will continue training, but now I cannot say who my next opponent will be,” Usyk said at his press conference.

“I prepared 3 1/2 months, I’ve not seen my family, my wife. Every day I live with my team — 14 guys in one house. Now I want to go back home.”

Usyk dropped Dubois twice in the fifth — the second time with a lunging left hook midway through the round after Dubois missed with a right. The London native looked stunned on the canvas and couldn’t beat the count before about 90,000 spectators at Wembley.

Usyk, best known as a slick tactician rather than a power puncher, certainly answered questions about his age and whether he’d slow down.

He said that hook is called an “Ivan.”

“Ivan is like a big guy who lives in [the] village and work in (a) farm… it’s a hard, hard punch,” Usyk said.

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk and Britain’s Daniel Dubois trade punches during an undisputed world heavyweight boxing title fight in London on Saturday.

(Frank Augstein / Associated Press)

No controversy

Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) beat Dubois for the second time in under two years and this time there was no low-blow drama. It was a ninth-round stoppage in Poland with, of all things, a straight jab. But the finishing shot Saturday was a no-doubter.

Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) joined British countrymen Fury and Joshua in having lost twice to Usyk, who was an undisputed world champion as a cruiserweight before he moved up in weight six years ago.

The 27-year-old Dubois’ last fight — also at Wembley — had been a stunning knockout of Joshua last September.

He couldn’t muster the same magic, telling DAZN: “I gave everything I had. Take no credit away from that man, I’ll be back.”

The Briton gave a better showing than two years ago, when Usyk peppered him with jabs and won almost every round. Between the fourth and fifth rounds Saturday, Dubois’ corner was urging him to use a double jab but there was not time to carry out the orders as Usyk ended it shortly thereafter.

Dubois was hoping to become the first British heavyweight to hold every major belt since Lennox Lewis just over 25 years ago.

Dubois had inherited the IBF title that Usyk vacated last year when the Ukrainian chose to focus on his rematch with Fury.

Usyk said flatly “No” in response to whether he thinks he’s one of the sport’s all-time greats.

He said he’s just disciplined.

“I don’t have motivation, I have discipline. Motivation is temporary,” he said.

U.K. has been good to Usyk

Usyk said Britain has been like a “second home” to him. He won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. He dethroned Joshua at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021.

“I’m very grateful for this country. Thank you so much, you’re the best,” he said.

In 2008 in Liverpool, Usyk was crowned European amateur champion in the light heavyweight category.

In his last fight at the cruiserweight level, Usyk knocked out Liverpool’s Tony Bellew in Manchester. He remains undefeated as a professional and hasn’t lost any bout in 16 years.

Jake Paul eyes Joshua and Usyk

Unsurprisingly, Paul had his share of the spotlight Saturday. He was loudly booed during his entrance to the stadium — shown on the big screens.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer told DAZN that a fight against Joshua is “going to happen,” possibly at Wembley.

After the ring cleared out, Paul and Usyk engaged in a brief “stare down.”

Paul posted a message on his social media accounts: “Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time… I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world.”

He added: “First AJ then OU. Book it.”

Frank Bruno was among the VIPs. The London native won the WBC heavyweight belt 30 years ago at the old Wembley Stadium when he beat Oliver McCall. He was knocked out by Mike Tyson six months later.

Usyk entered the stadium with an Eeyore stuffed donkey from the “Winnie the Pooh” books tucked into his jumpsuit. He brought it to past fights as well, apparently given to him by his daughter.

Maguire writes for the Associated Press.