Yahoo Finance Rams vs. Jacksonville Jaguars matchups, start time and TV channel
Breaking down how the Rams (7-4) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) match up heading into their game at 1:05 p.m. PST on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The game will be carried on FOX.
When Rams have the ball: Quarterback Matthew Stafford is looking to get back on track after putting the Rams in a hole in each of the last three games. In losses to the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers, he had five passes intercepted and lost a fumble. Three of the interceptions were returned for touchdowns. Stafford has passed for 27 touchdowns, with nine interceptions. Coach Sean McVay has of late gone away from the play-action game that worked so effectively during his tenure, a result perhaps of playing from behind. Cooper Kupp leads the NFL with 92 catches for 1,237 yards and 10 touchdowns. Odell Beckham Jr. showed his deep-threat speed against the Packers, catching a 54-yard touchdown pass. But Beckham suffered a hip injury in the game. Though listed as questionable, Beckham said he will play Sunday. Van Jefferson has scored on two plays of at least 67 yards. Running back Darrell Henderson suffered a quadriceps strain against the Packers. He did not practice this week and is questionable. Sony Michel will start if Henderson is sidelined. The Jaguars are led by linebacker Myles Jack, the former UCLA star, who has a team-best 42 tackles. Linebacker Josh Allen has a team-best 5½ sacks and an interception.
When Jaguars have the ball: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the top pick in the 2021 draft, has become less prone to error as the season has progressed. The 6-foot-6 Lawrence has passed for nine touchdowns, with 10 interceptions. Seven of those passes were picked off in the first three games. Lawrence has had only one pass intercepted in the last four. But the Jaguars rank next-to-last in the NFL in scoring, averaging only 15.7 points per game. Running back James Robinson, who has rushed for seven touchdowns, is questionable because of heel and knee issues. Receiver Marvin Jones has a team-best 46 receptions, three for touchdowns. Laviska Shenault Jr. has 45 catches. The Rams defense was supposed to be buoyed by the addition of outside linebacker Von Miller, but the pass rush has not been a factor in the two games he has played. Edge rusher Leonard Floyd has 7½ sacks, lineman Aaron Donald six. The defense has failed to create a turnover in the last two games. Jalen Ramsey has intercepted three passes, but the 49ers and Packers found ways to neutralize his impact and take advantage of other matchups. Cornerback Darious Williams, who intercepted four passes in 2020, has none this season.
When they kick: Rams kicker Matt Gay has been a model of consistency, making 20 of 21 field-goal attempts. But the rest of the Rams special teams have been up and down. Johnny Hekker is averaging 41.2 net yards per punt. Michel returned kickoffs against the Packers, but J.J. Koski could resume the role if Michel starts at running back in place of Henderson.
Gary Klein’s prediction: After a near-monthlong absence, the Rams return to SoFi Stadium, where they will defeat the struggling Jaguars and save Sean McVay from having to experience a four-game losing streak for the first time.
RAMS 27, JAGUARS 16
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
