Rams charge to win over Jags despite Hunter score

Travis Hunter’s first NFL touchdown came in the 35-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley for the Los Angeles Rams, but it was just a consolation.

The final game of this season’s London series, which was the 43rd regular-season game played in the English capital, was scheduled for Saturday morning, the day before the Rams made their first appearance in the UK.

The Jaguars, who also had a 4-2 record entering the game, have been here since Tuesday, so that’s the latest team to arrive for an NFL game in London.

However, the Rams took a 11-0 half-time lead before extending it until the second half, when veteran receiver Davante Adams added a hat-trick of touchdowns to finish with five overall.

With nine minutes left, rookie Hunter’s contribution to reducing the Jaguars’ lead to 28-7 helped the league’s first real two-way player in about 30 years.

Some teams travel from one place to the next while others do things differently during NFL international games.

After arriving early in the morning, the Rams were well-beaten on their first two trips to London.

Then, after arriving late for both of their previous two visits in 2017, and 2019, they prevailed.

Also, this time, they chose to arrive late, even even later than usual, and their unusual pre-game schedule irked them.

The Rams won their first non-baseball competition at Camden Yards, which opened in 1992, by winning 17-3 against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday. They also spent the entire week practicing at the Baltimore Orioles’ home field.

Even though Adams claimed he still awoke at 4am on Sunday and was unable to fall back asleep, that meant they had a shorter flight and time difference to deal with.

When rookie receiver Konata Mumpfield opened the scoring with his first NFL touchdown, it didn’t seem like that. He did, however, score two touchdowns before half-time.

The Rams have the receiving corps to fill Puka Nacua’s void, who was previously ruled out with an ankle injury, with tight ends Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson claiming LA’s other two scores.

A “unicorn” who spends a lot of time in offence and defense, the NFL hasn’t had a two-way player like Travis Hunter for decades.

The Jaguars traded Hunter for the second overall pick in the 2018 draft to play him at wide receiver and cornerback, and they have since continued to play him there. In 2024, he was named college football’s best player.

Hunter hasn’t had a stellar NFL start, but head coach Liam Coen claimed this week that the Jaguars have been creating plays to make the 22-year-old more active on offense.

On their first possession of the third quarter, quarterback Trevor Lawrence found Hunter on back-to-back plays for his first catches of the game, but there was little evidence of that in the first half because the Jags appeared to be sluggish in the first half.

Hunter continued that strategy as he finished with eight touchdown passes for 101 yards. His longest catch was a 34-yard touchdown pass.

After that play, Lawrence and Hunter had a lively discussion on the sidelines as they continue to learn and strengthen a friendship that they hope will serve as the franchise’s foundation for many more years.