The New England Patriots won’t be the toughest opponent the Los Angeles Rams face this season, but there are several factors that are working against Sean McVay’s team in Week 11.
For one, it’s an East Coast game that requires a long trip across the country for the West Coast Rams. To make it even more challenging, it’s a 1 p.m. ET kickoff, which means it’ll feel like 10 a.m. for the Rams.
But wait, that’s not all (said the pitchman).
The Rams are coming off a Monday night game, which means they’ll have one fewer day of rest than the Patriots, who played on Sunday afternoon. One day may not seem like a big deal, but the Rams held a walkthrough on Wednesday instead of a regular practice because of the shorter week.
Now for the good news.
The Rams absolutely excel in games like this one with McVay as their head coach.
Looking at Stathead, the Rams are a remarkable 10-3 in early kickoffs in the Eastern Time Zone since 2017. Their only three losses were to the Bills (35-32) in Week 3 of 2020, to the Dolphins (28-17) in Week 8 of 2020 and to the Ravens (37-31 in OT) in Week 14 of last season. Two of those losses were one-possession games, with one of them coming in overtime.
| Rk | Date | Day | Week | Opp | Result | Pts | PtsO | PtDif | PC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-11-05 | Sun | 9 | @ | NYG | W 51-17 | 51 | 17 | 34 | 68 |
| 2 | 2021-10-17 | Sun | 6 | @ | NYG | W 38-11 | 38 | 11 | 27 | 49 |
| 3 | 2019-10-20 | Sun | 7 | @ | ATL | W 37-10 | 37 | 10 | 27 | 47 |
| 4 | 2020-10-11 | Sun | 5 | @ | WAS | W 30-10 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 40 |
| 5 | 2020-09-20 | Sun | 2 | @ | PHI | W 37-19 | 37 | 19 | 18 | 56 |
| 6 | 2018-12-02 | Sun | 13 | @ | DET | W 30-16 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 46 |
| 7 | 2023-10-01 | Sun | 4 | @ | IND | W 29-23 (OT) | 29 | 23 | 6 | 52 |
| 8 | 2021-09-19 | Sun | 2 | @ | IND | W 27-24 | 27 | 24 | 3 | 51 |
| 9 | 2019-09-08 | Sun | 1 | @ | CAR | W 30-27 | 30 | 27 | 3 | 57 |
| 10 | 2023-12-31 | Sun | 17 | @ | NYG | W 26-25 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 51 |
| 11 | 2020-09-27 | Sun | 3 | @ | BUF | L 32-35 | 32 | 35 | -3 | 67 |
| 12 | 2023-12-10 | Sun | 14 | @ | BAL | L 31-37 (OT) | 31 | 37 | -6 | 68 |
| 13 | 2020-11-01 | Sun | 8 | @ | MIA | L 17-28 | 17 | 28 | -11 | 45 |
They also have four wins by at least 20 points in those games and two others that were two-possession victories. “Dominance” might be a stretch, but it’s clear the Rams aren’t the least bit bothered by early games on the East Coast – a testament to the job McVay does of getting his players ready.
Short rest has never bothered these Rams, either. According to Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal, the Rams have won five straight games on short rest. This week’s game isn’t as quick a turnaround as playing on Thursday night after a Sunday game, but there’s still a disadvantage for Los Angeles being the road team on short rest compared to the home Patriots.
The Rams have won 5 straight games on a short week (5 or fewer days of rest). They’ll be playing on short rest Sunday in Foxborough.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) November 14, 2024
The Rams should beat the Patriots, who are 3-7 on the year. They’re road favorites in this game and it’s a good bounce-back spot after Monday’s deflating loss to the Dolphins.
There’s no question McVay will have his players ready to go on Sunday. It’s just a matter of executing the game plan.