As the Los Angeles Rams prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, there’s been a lot of consternation among fans and analysts about their travel plans. The 49ers have been in Australia for a few days already, leaving for Melbourne this past Wednesday.
The Rams, on the other hand, won’t leave until this coming Wednesday, getting there one day before kickoff.
But who are we to question Sean McVay’s approach? Just look at his record in international games as the Rams’ head coach.
Rams international record since 2017
The Rams have played three games outside the U.S. under McVay since 2017. In those games, the Rams have gone 3-0, outscoring their opponents 92-17. That’s a 25-point average margin of victory.
All of those three games were played in London, so the Rams have yet
to travel anywhere else, but it’s not as if it’s a short trip from the states to England.
2017: Rams 33, Cardinals 0
This was McVay's first international game with the Rams, and also the start of Los Angeles' ownership of the Cardinals. After a slow start, leading just 3-0 after the first quarter and 6-0 after the first 20 minutes. But then the Rams turned things up a notch, scoring 17 points in the final 6 minutes of the first half to go up 23-0 before the break.
They added 10 more points in the second half, capped off by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Cooper Kupp.
2019: Rams 24, Bengals 10
In 2019, McVay faced his former assistant, Zac Taylor, for the first time. It wasn't much of a contest at Wembley Stadium, with the Rams winning by double digits. Kupp went off in that game, catching seven passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns, while Goff had one of the best games of his career; he threw for 372 yards and two touchdowns on 17-for-31 passing.
The game was tied until Kupp's 65-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter to put the Rams up 17-10, with Todd Gurley scoring a 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter to make it a two-score game.
2025: Rams 35, Jaguars 7
Last year, the Rams took a unique approach to their travel abroad. They landed in London one day before facing the Jaguars and put a beatdown on Liam Coen's group. They cruised to a 35-7 win, which was the inception of 13 personnel because of Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell's injuries.
Matthew Stafford threw for just 182 yards, but he had five touchdown passes and no interceptions, with Davante Adams scoring three times.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: How have Rams fared in international games under Sean McVay?
