The Rams and Broncos arrive at Sunday Night Football in Week 3 with nearly matching résumés. Each team took a Week 1 division loss, then answered in Week 2 with a solid win.
Now Los Angeles heads into a tougher stretch of the schedule, and a road victory in Denver would carry real weight. The Rams also may have to make do without Puka Nacua for a second straight week, while Myles Garrett remains on injured reserve.
At quarterback, the Rams hold the cleaner edge. Bo Nix looked better last week, though Sean Payton also dialed back some of the offense’s aggressiveness.
Matthew Stafford, meanwhile, responded against the Giants with 327 passing yards and three touchdowns. The pressure battle matters here, because Stafford’s production drops when he’s hurried, but Nix under pressure has been the worst quarterback in the NFL with a -1.18 EPA per dropback.
Advantage: Rams
Los Angeles also has a major weapon in the backfield tandem of Blake Corum and Kyren Williams. The two combined for more than 150 yards last week, and Corum has shown more creativity and explosiveness this season.
Denver’s backfield situation is less settled, with Jonah Coleman out and RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins both on the injury report this week.
Advantage: Rams
Tight end is another area where the Rams can lean on depth. Terrance Ferguson broke out last week with a career-high six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown, giving Los Angeles another useful piece at a spot that entered the season with plenty of questions.
Evan Engram is a steady option for Denver, but the Rams still get the nod because of the depth. Advantage: Slight Edge Rams
Wide receiver is where the picture changes. If Puka Nacua were healthy, Los Angeles would have a clear advantage.
Without him, that edge tilts to Denver, where Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle are plainly stronger than Davante Adams and Xavier Smith, Jordan Whittington, or Konata Mumpfield. Advantage: Broncos
Up front, the matchup is close enough to feel like a coin flip. Denver can point to Garrett Bolles at left tackle and Quinn Meinerz, one of the league’s best guards.
The Rams counter with Kevin Dotson and Steve Avila in the middle, while Alaric Jackson is solid at left tackle. The Broncos may have the slightest overall edge, but not by much.
Advantage: Slight Edge Broncos
The defensive line matchup is just as tight. Denver has an edge on the outside with Nik Bonitto and Jonah Ellis, while Los Angeles may be a little stronger on the interior with Aaron Donald, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, and Poona Ford.
This one lands squarely in the middle. Advantage: Even
Linebacker is another area where the Rams do not project to have the advantage against many teams, and Denver is no exception. Advantage: Broncos
Cornerback brings one of the more interesting individual comparisons. Patrick Surtain has the edge over Trent McDuffie, though both are top-tier No. 1 corners.
Jaylen Watson has started slowly, but he should still be better than Riley Moss. Still, with Kam Kinchens out for Los Angeles, Denver may have the slight overall edge in the secondary.
Advantage: Slight Edge Broncos
Special teams is not much of a race. The Rams have already found themselves back in the same territory they occupied at points last season as the NFL’s worst special teams unit, while Denver clearly owns the advantage here. Advantage: Broncos
On the sideline, this one feels balanced. Sean Payton and Sean McVay both belong in the top tier of NFL coaches, and Vance Joseph may have the edge over Chris Shula on defense.
Meanwhile, Nate Scheelhaase and Davis Webb are both in their first seasons as offensive coordinators. Advantage: Even
In Other News...
Rams Loss Sparked An Officiating Outrage Fans Will Want To See
A late officiating decision turned a tight Rams-Broncos game into a postgame argument as much as a loss. Los Angeles fell 30-26 to Denver in a 2026 NFL matchup, and the most talked-about moment came on a controversial pass interference call against Josh Wallace that drew immediate criticism from former players, analysts and even a rules expert.
The flag helped set up the Broncos decisive touchdown, leaving the Rams with another frustrating result to sort through before heading home. Their next test comes against the Philadelphia Eagles, and given the way this one ended, the conversation around the officiating figures to linger well into the week. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Just Got The Myles Garrett Update They Were Dreading
Myles Garretts knee situation is shaping up to linger longer than the Rams first hoped, after arthroscopic surgery led to a recovery timeline of about six weeks. Los Angeles already placed him on injured reserve after the season opener, and the early view was that this could be a short-term absence. Now, though, the picture is clearer: the Rams are looking at multiple games without one of their most important defenders.
Week 9 is the rough target for a possible return, but even that comes with the usual caution that follows a knee rehab. The Rams are taking a careful route with Garrett, which makes sense given how much they need him once he is back. For now, the focus is less on rushing him into the lineup and more on making sure the injury does not become a bigger issue later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Sean McVay Added To Rams Frustration After Brutal Collapse
The Rams spent Sunday trying to explain away a collapse that felt all too familiar, a 16-point halftime lead against the Broncos slipping into a loss that pushed Los Angeles to 1-2. It was the kind of defeat that leaves more questions than answers, especially for a team trying to establish a rhythm early in the season and avoid letting a strong first half get buried by everything that follows.
Sean McVay only added to the frustration afterward with a notably short postgame press conference, a move that did not sit well with the team's beat writers and left the mood around the team even sharper. He is expected to address it more fully at the next media session before the Rams turn their attention to the Eagles, where the pressure to reset quickly will only grow. [Read more 🡒]