How the Rams pulled off every week in Baltimore, London — and received

LONDON — On Sunday morning, earlier than the Los Angeles Rams performed the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Davante Adams awoke at 4 a.m. British Summer time Time. The veteran receiver bought to say goodnight to his youngsters at dwelling in Los Angeles after which “laid in mattress for an additional 5 hours and could not return to sleep.”

He wasn’t the one one in that scenario, he mentioned, so for that purpose, he was particularly happy with the vitality the Rams confirmed of their 35-7 victory over the Jaguars in Week 7.

The Rams, who performed the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, opted to remain in Baltimore for the week as a substitute of flying dwelling to Los Angeles. In addition they selected to remain the full week, holding three practices at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, earlier than flying to London on Friday evening. The Rams’ arrival lower than 30 hours earlier than their 2:30 p.m. BST kickoff is broadly believed to be the closest for an NFL workforce earlier than the beginning time of a global recreation.

However regardless of any jet lag the gamers have been battling, Rams head coach Sean McVay mentioned he felt the workforce completed its aim of a “nice week of preparation” main as much as the sport.

“I believe it is a super credit score to essentially our gamers and their psychological toughness and their resolve and their understanding of, ‘Hey, it’s a completely different time clock. Let’s not make it a much bigger deal,'” McVay mentioned. “Let’s be prepared when the sport kicks off to indicate up. Let’s do the whole lot inside our management, however let’s not waste our emotional or psychological vitality on issues that we won’t management.”

The outcome was the Rams’ highest level complete of the season thus far — led by three landing receptions from Adams — and a 5-2 document heading into their bye week.

By comparability, the Jaguars flew to London on Monday afternoon, holding follow exterior the town.

“You would not have guessed we have been right here for every week, ready, able to go play on this ambiance by taking a look at it when it comes to the way in which we began the sport,” Jaguars coach Liam Coen mentioned after the sport.

Rams exterior linebacker Jared Verse mentioned he “thought the vitality was precisely the place it needed to be” and “would possibly’ve been higher than wherever else we performed” this season.

“I simply really feel just like the mindset in understanding that we did not have that a lot sleep and all people identical to, ‘Oh they simply flew in,'” Rams exterior linebacker Byron Younger mentioned. “We had vitality like OK, all people considering we’re simply lackadaisical, sleepy, stuff like that. We have been prepared. We have been able to go and get dwelling. So that is what we did.”

THE RAMS BEGAN planning the journey in Might, when the NFL launched the schedule for the season and granted Los Angeles’ request for a recreation on the East Coast earlier than their journey to London.

The thought for holding follow at Camden Yards got here from Rams chief working officer Tony Pastoors, as Orioles chief monetary officer Darline Llamas Llopis spent practically three years because the director of finance and controller for the Rams.

Senior director of kit Brendan Burger mentioned when the Rams began the planning course of, they did not know if the Orioles would nonetheless be taking part in or not. When it grew to become clear the Orioles wouldn’t be within the Main League Baseball playoffs, the groups have been in a position to signal an settlement.

By the point Rams gamers ran out onto the follow area in Baltimore on Wednesday, the wheels had been in movement to arrange for this week for fairly a while.

Actually.

On Oct. 5, 10 days earlier than the Rams would maintain their first follow at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Los Angeles gear workers despatched three semi vehicles to Baltimore. The vehicles contained the whole lot they would wish to maneuver their whole operation to Baltimore for the week, together with a full “gear room, coaching room, weight room [and] video operation,” Burger mentioned.

The Rams additionally introduced aim posts for kicker Joshua Karty to make use of, in addition to audio system for follow.

“You title it, we introduced it, from taping tables to video screens to toiletries,” Burger mentioned. “We bought all of it right here.”

The load room was a precedence due to how completely different baseball weight rooms are arrange in contrast to what’s wanted for soccer, Burger mentioned, so the Rams loaded up their full setup used throughout coaching camp at Loyola Marymount College.

The vehicles arrived on Oct. 9, three days earlier than the Rams performed the Ravens at M&T Financial institution Stadium, which is lower than a mile from Camden Yards. At that time, the gear workers began the build-out course of, getting the whole lot prepared besides what was wanted on Sunday in Baltimore.

After the Rams’ Week 6 recreation towards the Ravens, the workers introduced the gear to the close by baseball stadium to arrange lockers for the gamers. As a result of the Rams’ roster — they introduced all 53 gamers plus their 13-member follow squad — is a lot larger than a baseball clubhouse, they needed to cut up up the locker room: offense within the Orioles’ clubhouse and protection within the guests clubhouse.

Whereas a novel arrange, Burger mentioned, the Rams had the whole lot they wanted.

“No, there is not any limitations,” McVay mentioned of training in Baltimore. “It is unbelievable. We would not be capable to take among the vertical photographs. We’re slightly bit extra restricted with among the vertical grass, however that is in all probability a great factor. We’ll be capable to do the whole lot. Now we have two spot walkthroughs. We’ll be capable to get particular person [drills]. We’ll be capable to come collectively in workforce settings and activate all elements of the sector. It is a fairly rattling cool setting so we’re enthusiastic about it.”

The Rams have beforehand spent a part of the week away from their coaching facility earlier than a London recreation earlier than underneath McVay. In 2017, the workforce spent the week in Jacksonville earlier than taking part in the Arizona Cardinals, and in 2019, the Rams practiced at Georgia Tech earlier than taking part in the Cincinnati Bengals.

The distinction? They practiced at soccer fields each of these instances.

“You possibly can’t match a full area [in] both route,” Burger mentioned of the variations of getting ready for follow on a baseball diamond in comparison with a soccer area. “So form of improvising with that and ensuring our specialists can hold doing what they should do.”

Together with the setup for the gamers, the workforce additionally had a coaching room at their Baltimore resort, and the coaches had places of work within the stadium and on the resort.

“I used to be telling my spouse, we simply have to indicate up, plug in our computer systems and it is like we’re again at work,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula mentioned. “It has been very regular and it is an awesome place to be.”

Added offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur: “For coaches, a pc display screen is a pc display screen and a area is a area.”

After the week of follow, Burger and the gear workers loaded up gear from the week of follow and despatched it again to Los Angeles. And due to the brief journey to London — with a walkthrough on Saturday at Wembley Stadium however no follow — the Rams needed to pack solely their recreation gear for London, which is similar as another of their journeys this season.

“It is like an everyday recreation,” Burger mentioned. “We go to Seattle, proper? Similar deal. In order that was a blessing and a part of the explanation we did what we did. … We really feel prefer it was a greater surroundings for our gamers right here for the week [and] make it slightly extra routine for them.”

ALONG WITH THREE practices in Baltimore, it additionally meant Rams gamers spent their Tuesday off day there as nicely.

Although Verse joked earlier than the journey that the one distinction in the place he spent the week is that he “needed to deliver his PlayStation someplace else,” different gamers mentioned the problem disrupted just a few routines.

Adams mentioned he has a “lot of various checkpoints” all through the week that he does in Los Angeles, together with flying in folks from the Bay Space and Las Vegas.

“Twelve years in, you discover a method to hold it working for you,” Adams mentioned the week earlier than the journey. “I’ve discovered my manner and like I mentioned, it will simply be every week, however I would somewhat have them with me.”

Adams additionally mentioned being dwelling together with his youngsters and spouse in the course of the week is “a giant a part of my therapeutic course of and mentally all through the week.”

“Not having that ingredient … I imply, we’ll get by means of it,” Adams mentioned. “I have been away from them for every week or so earlier than that. It isn’t the tip of the world, but when I used to be drawing it up, I would like to have my household with me. It is a week that’ll be slightly bit completely different from what we usually do, however we’ll be capable to get by means of it.”

Quarterback Matthew Stafford described his Tuesday as “fairly nondescript,” watching tape and attempting to prepare for the week. Adams mentioned his Tuesday appeared like “lots of movie, lots of teammate interplay.”

Inside linebacker Nate Landman and operating again Ronnie Rivers had a fishing journey booked for Tuesday in Baltimore, nevertheless it was canceled due to an excessive amount of wind. As an alternative, the pair, together with security Tanner Ingle and inside linebacker Elias Neal, took a rideshare to Bass Professional Outlets.

There, they “bought some starter rods, some spin rods after which simply tried to stroll across the bay,” Landman mentioned.

“However we did not know that there was a complete water turnover factor that occurred a few week in the past,” Landman mentioned. “So fishing has not been nice.”

The water turnover, which is attributable to dramatic climate modifications, additionally affected proper guard Kevin Dotson. Dotson, who mentioned he tries to fish wherever he can, ordered some fishing gear for same-day supply.

“He had some catfish bait and shads and he was throwing form of smelly stuff, however I assume he did not catch something both,” Rivers mentioned. “Nevertheless it was good to see him on the market too.”

On Wednesday, when speaking about his buy, Dotson mentioned he wasn’t positive how he was going to get it again dwelling, however he was going to attempt.

“I imply, I do not need to waste it,” he mentioned.

That day, Landman mentioned if he may discover someplace to donate it to, he would, or he would “discover a child that is strolling across the Bay and provides it to him.”

Rivers mentioned he requested a few teammates in the event that they wanted an additional pole and if not, he would depart it at his resort room. When informed Dotson wished to ship his fishing rod again to Los Angeles, Rivers mentioned, “Oh, he should have purchased a great one then.”

Verse described the distinctive week in Baltimore like taking part in in a bowl recreation, whereas Dotson mentioned it felt like “a highschool area journey the place you are out of state and also you form of get free time to discover the town.”

After follow Wednesday, a number of gamers traded a soccer for a baseball, throwing down the third-base line or pitching from the mound. Stafford, who mentioned he thought he’d play baseball till his sophomore yr of highschool, pitched to and caught passes from security Quentin Lake.

“I beloved it rising up,” Stafford mentioned. “This was my favourite sport and I nonetheless love watching it.”

The Rams completed their week in London on Friday, training for the ultimate time in Baltimore earlier than flying to London that evening.

“The blokes have accomplished an awesome job,” McVay mentioned Friday. “I have been so impressed. There are such a lot of folks which were instrumental on this being a clean, fluid journey. I am grateful for all of the folks behind the scenes that we actually do not take with no consideration which have made this actually seamless.

“Guys are enthusiastic about this enterprise journey that we’ve got, however I believe it has been a great week for a workforce camaraderie that is organically unfolded. It has been concerning the week of preparation and guys have accomplished an awesome job.”

THE “BUSINESS TRIP” ended Sunday after the Rams’ Week 7 victory, after they flew again to Los Angeles, scheduled to land Monday round 1 a.m. PST to start their bye week.

The Rams are 5-2, their second-best document getting into their bye week prior to now 20 seasons, in accordance with ESPN Analysis. They’ve additionally had their greatest seven-game begin since 2021, after they began 6-1 on their method to successful Tremendous Bowl LVI.

This bye week shall be “rather a lot completely different” than the previous two, McVay mentioned, when the Rams have been 1-4 (2025) and 3-6 (2024). Each seasons, McVay identified, the Rams “end[ed the season] higher” and made the playoffs.

“I need to see us be capable to put it collectively,” McVay mentioned. “I am actually happy with this group and I am unable to consider a time the place we have had two extra gut-wrenching losses. The best way that these unfolded. … There’s one thing about this workforce the place the way in which that they go to work, the intentionality.”

And though the Rams had a protracted flight dwelling, Adams mentioned the win “goes to make this bye a hell of rather a lot sweeter, that is for positive.”

“Having the ability to rally and determine it out and are available out with lots of vitality and have a great convincing win like this, it was nice,” Adams mentioned.