The Los Angeles Rams faced a tough test in Week 7, traveling overseas to London to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars without their top receiver, Puka Nacua. Yet instead of struggling, Sean McVay’s offense delivered one of its most complete performances of the season — a 35-7 victory that came with a surprising twist in offensive design.
McVay’s Bold Adjustment to Rams Offense
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Without Nacua, the Rams were forced to reimagine how they’d attack a defense coordinated by a familiar face — Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, who previously served as McVay’s offensive coordinator. That led to one of the most creative wrinkles of the McVay era.
“What the Rams did on offense today deserves a lot of credit,” The Athletic’s Robert Mays said on The Athletic Football Show. “They used so much 13 personnel — at one point, it was the highest rate in the Next Gen Stats era — that’s a huge shift for a team that’s known for living in 11 personnel. It was such a smart wrinkle, especially because they didn’t have Puka Nacua.”
Mays noted that the move was both strategic and situational: “You’re doing this because you don’t have your best offensive player, and also because Jacksonville struggled against base defense looks last week. I guarantee Sean McVay saw that and said, ‘Okay, if 13 personnel gets them into base, let’s lean into it.’”
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | LONG | TGTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Parkinson | 3 | 47 | 0 | 23 | 3 |
| Terrance Ferguson | 1 | 31 | 1 | 31 | 3 |
| Tyler Higbee | 3 | 19 | 0 | 9 | 6 |
| Davis Allen | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Combined Total: 8 REC, 101 YDS, 13 TGTS
The Emergence of Terren Ferguson
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The formation change also gave rise to rookie tight end Terren Ferguson, who capitalized on his increased role. “With all the 13 personnel stuff, we finally got the Terren Ferguson game,” analyst Derrik Klassen said. “Outside of Tutu Atwell, the vertical element in this offense can be limited at times. Ferguson can really fly down the seam — and they literally hit him on a big touchdown doing that today.”
Puka’s Hidden Impact
Even in his absence, Nacua’s influence was felt. “They were also missing Puka Nacua, who’s such a huge part of what the Rams do in the blocking game,” NFL Daily’s Jourdan Rodrigue noted. “They used 12 and 13 personnel more than they have by volume since 2020 — almost 40% of the time. They just got heavy, and they got good doing it.”
McVay’s creativity — and his ability to adapt — kept the Rams tied atop the NFC West, proving once again that innovation, not just talent, drives this team’s success.
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