The Jacksonville Jaguars flew across the Atlantic looking to make a statement in London. Instead, they ran into a Los Angeles Rams team that looked ready to make one of their own. In a game that quickly spiraled out of control, the Jaguars fell 35-7 — a score that felt every bit as lopsided as it looked.
From the opening whistle, Jacksonville was its own worst enemy. Thirteen penalties for 119 yards erased big plays and extended Rams drives. Every time Trevor Lawrence and company seemed poised to find rhythm, a flag, a drop, or a misfire snuffed it out. You can’t spot a veteran quarterback like Matthew Stafford extra chances — and he made the Jags pay for every one of them.
Stafford dissected the secondary with surgical precision, tossing five touchdown passes to four different receivers. Davante Adams was his favorite target, hauling in three scores despite modest yardage. Even without injured standout Puka Nacua, the Rams’ offense hummed, spreading the ball around and controlling the tempo.
Jacksonville’s offense, on the other hand, looked stuck in neutral. The run game never gained traction, and the offensive line struggled to protect Lawrence against L.A.’s pressure packages. When the Jaguars finally broke the shutout in the fourth quarter — a 34-yard touchdown from Lawrence to rookie Travis Hunter, the first of his NFL career — it was too little, too late.
The good news? It’s still early. At 4-3, the Jaguars are very much alive in the AFC playoff race. But this game should serve as a wake-up call. Penalties, mental lapses, and inconsistency continue to be the difference between being good and being great.
The coaching staff's message this week will likely be simple: clean it up. The Jaguars have the talent to compete with anyone, but until they eliminate self-inflicted mistakes, they’ll remain a team that teases greatness rather than delivers it.
The flight home from London is long — plenty of time for reflection. The Jaguars still control their destiny. The question is whether they’ll learn from this overseas embarrassment or let it define them.
What went well for the Rams
- Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw five touchdown passes, tying a personal high and doing so in a dominant 35-7 win.
- Stafford completed 21 of 33 passes for 182 yards — efficient, particularly given it was an international game.
- Receiver Davante Adams caught three of those touchdowns despite limited yardage (just 35 receiving yards).
- The Rams spread the ball out: Stafford connected with 10 different receivers on his 21 completions.
- Even without their star receiver Puka Nacua (who was sidelined with an injury), the Rams’ offense found a way to click.
- On defense and special teams, the Rams kept the Jaguars primarily in check, forcing many stops early and allowing only a late touchdown.
What went wrong for the Jaguars
- Despite out-gaining the Rams in total yardage (the Jaguars had more yards), Jacksonville shot themselves in the foot with 13 penalties for 119 yards.
- They missed a field goal (50-yard attempt), which is a momentum swing.
- Many of their possessions ended with punts or failed fourth-down conversions: nine out of twelve possessions were either turnover on downs or punts.
- The offense couldn’t get on track until very late. Their lone touchdown came with about 9 minutes left in the game, when they were already down big.
Key Moments
- The Rams jumped out early and built a significant lead: by halftime, they were ahead big and essentially put the Jaguars away.
- Jacksonville’s rookie Travis Hunter caught his first NFL touchdown (34-yard pass from QB Trevor Lawrence) in the fourth quarter.
- But the timing and the deficit made it more of a consolation than a momentum-builder.
- On the Rams' side, a young player, tight end Terrance Ferguson, scored his first NFL touchdown (31-yard catch) in the game.