Although the Los Angeles Rams have an upcoming Week 6 battle on the road against the Detroit Lions, the minds of the National Football League are focused a week ahead. Following the Sunday contest, the Rams have their Week 7 matchup slated in London at Twickenham Stadium.
The Rams were one of the original teams to agree to the partnership of their games in London. The franchise signed a contract, in order to publicize a few games as a NFL overseas experiment.
The Week 7 matchup against the New York Giants has sparked discussion amongst the roster, but the Rams remain focused and ready for the Lions.
Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold gave some insight into the pending London matchup and their step-by-step outlook, via Myles Simmons of theRams.com:
“None of our team is thinking about it, either,” Saffold said. “We are focused. We’re trying to get a good win and that’s the only thing that we’re focused on this week. When it comes time to travel and all that, we’re still going to be focused on our next opponent.”
After gaining a share of the division lead in the NFC West, the Rams are hungry to get back their again. The disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills is over with. In order to carry momentum into London, the team needs a bounce back victory.
Each of these next two contests can potentially salvage or tarnish the season. When discussing the outlook of the team, Saffold reiterated the step-by-step approach:
“So this week is the most important, and no day is more important than tomorrow,” Saffold continued. “So we’re going to have to win tomorrow, and we’re going to have to keep winning to win the game on Sunday.”
There remains an entire other process when it comes to preparing for their departure. The team will need to be debriefed on the process most likely after the conclusion of their next game.
Earlier this season, the Indianapolis Colts lost a 30-27 matchup to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. The trip into another continent is quite the gesture from commissioner Rodger Goodell. The NFL has experimented overseas the past few seasons.
As a part of the marketing tactics of the NFL, viewership will be key. Goodell has been insistent on the formation of a team in London for quite some time.
Now that the Rams are associated completely with Los Angeles, it should be viewed as a bigger attraction in terms of interest. Association with Los Angeles will bring in more revenue for the NFL, especially with revenue for tickets and jersey sales.
