After beating the Falcons 37-10 in Week 7, the Rams are remaining in Atlanta ahead of their Week 8 matchup with the Bengals. Rather than flying back home to Los Angeles and then over to London, the Rams will shorten their flight time and stay on the East Coast for the week.
Sitting at 4-3, the Rams are hoping to enter their bye week at 5-3 with a win over Cincinnati. Being double-digit favorites, beating the 0-7 Bengals shouldn’t be much of a challenge.
Here are five things to know ahead of this matchup.
McVay’s first game vs. former coach on his staff
The Rams have lost countless coaches to promotions with other teams in the last two years, from Greg Olson to Matt LaFleur to Zac Taylor. On Sunday, Sean McVay will face one of his former assistants as a head coach for the first time since joining the Rams.
McVay hopes he isn’t the one who gives Taylor his first win as an NFL head coach, as the Bengals have limped to an 0-7 record up to this point.
Andrew Whitworth seeking NFL history vs. Bengals
Whitworth is in his 14th season and he’s played against every single team in the league except for one: the Bengals. After spending 11 seasons in Cincinnati, he never faced the Bengals, but he’ll get that chance on Sunday.
He’s beaten 31 of the 32 NFL teams up to this point, and if the Rams win this weekend, he’ll become the 12th player in league history to win at least one game as a starter against every team. Furthermore, Whitworth would become just the second offensive lineman ever to accomplish the feat, according to the Rams’ weekly release.
Rams are 1-2 in London
The Rams have played three games in London: one in 2012, another in 2016 and most recently in 2017. They lost their first two International Series games– 45-7 against the Patriots in 2012 and 17-10 to the Giants in 2016, but that was before McVay took over.
In 2017, they blew out the Cardinals 33-0 at Twickenham Stadium in front of a crowd of more than 73,000 fans. The Rams were supposed to play in Mexico City last season, but it was moved to L.A. due to poor field conditions.
Bengals rank last in total defense, rush defense
The Bengals have the worst defense in the league, which is difficult to argue against at this point in the season. They rank last in yards allowed and rush defense, and 25th in points allowed per game. Not to mention, they’re 29th in sacks and interceptions, recording nine and two, respectively. Their minus-nine turnover differential is 30th in the NFL.
The offense hasn’t been much better, ranking 28th in points per game, 27th in total offense and last in rushing yards. They’re tied for 30th in time of possession, too.
Jared Goff, Andy Dalton have very similar numbers
Dalton is viewed as a below-average quarterback and he’s certainly not as talented as Goff, but their numbers are very similar this season. Here’s how they compare:
- Goff: 175-for-283, 1,995 yards, 9 TDs, 7 INTs, 83.3 passer rating
- Dalton: 172-for-286, 1,923 yards, 8 TDs, 8 INTs, 77.9 passer rating
Both offensive lines in Los Angeles and Cincinnati have been terrible this season, so Goff and Dalton are working with what they have up front. Dalton has been sacked 24 times this season, which is the third-most in the NFL. Goff has only been taken down 12 times, but he’s been hit 23 times, which is the fourth-most.
