Los Angeles Rams vs. Denver Broncos match summary
Two teams with Super Bowl championship aspirations face off in prime time as the Denver Broncos host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.
Both the Broncos and Rams bounced back from Week 1 losses with wins last week, as the Broncos battled back to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars while Los Angeles picked up a win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
The Rams have won their last five meetings with the Broncos, their last defeat coming in this matchup in Denver in 2002 when they were based in St. Louis.
But the trip to Empower Field at Mile High presents a stern test of the Rams’ championship credentials, as the Broncos boast an aggressive defense more than capable of disrupting a Los Angeles offense that is once again set to be without star receiver Puka Nacua due to a hip/groin issue.
Without Nacua, Davante Adams was the star against the Giants, as the veteran exploded for 195 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions.
Adams will have a tough assignment on Sunday, as he faces cornerback Pat Surtain II, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year.
The former Green Bay Packers star is very familiar with Surtain, having caught a touchdown in overtime against him while playing against the Broncos for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.
But Adams is under no illusions about the task he will face in parting ways with Surtain to make life easier for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
“They have a lot of guys,” Adams said of Denver’s defense.
“Obviously Pat is probably one of the best defensive backs in the league. Before I came in this year and played with Trent (McDuffie), I was saying he (Surtain) is the best. That’s the guy I see every day, and that’s no disrespect to Pat.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to play against Pat a few times now and I love and respect his game. He’s got some length and speed and a lot of things you can’t teach at that position.
“We’ve had some battles in the past. Obviously, the game where we got a touchdown there. That was a good memory for me. Then I came back the next time and I can probably honestly say he probably played a game in Denver against me a little bit better than I played against him, that opener in 2023. I have a lot of respect for a lot of players, but he’s definitely up there as far as one of the players I respect the most.”
Denver’s defense is hoping to get more support from the offense, which struggled during the first two weeks. The Broncos rank 27th in expected points added per game, while just 42.2 percent of their offensive plays are successful, which puts them 22nd in the league.
But the Broncos scored 17 unanswered points to overturn a 10-point third-quarter deficit against the Jaguars, with the turnaround likely to boost confidence in their offense ahead of a defense that includes three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald following his decision to come out of retirement.
“It’s exciting to play with the greats; it always is,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said of facing Donald.
“I know he’s a really good footballer, and he’ll be a challenge that we haven’t necessarily faced before. He’s literally one of the best players in his position ever, so you don’t play that many Sundays.
“We just have to limit the time he dominates.
“We just have to find ways to finish the drive, score in the red zone, and convert on a few extra downs so we can get into the red zone. It’s just total football.”
