Matthew Stafford<\/a> passed for five touchdowns \u2014 three to Davante Adams<\/a> and one each to rookies Konata Mumpfield and Terrance Ferguson<\/a> \u2014 and edge rushers Jared Verse<\/a> and Byron Young<\/a> led a mostly suffocating defense as the Rams improved their record to 5-2 heading into an off week.<\/p>\n \u201cMan,\u201d coach Sean McVay<\/a> said, \u201cit will make for a much more enjoyable flight home.\u201d<\/p>\n A giddy one, even, if the Rams don\u2019t conk out en masse during the 11-plus hours in the air.<\/p>\n Rams wide receiver Davante Adams leaps above Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown to catch his third touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter Sunday.<\/p>\n (Ian Walton \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n In a light rain, and without injured star receiver Puka Nacua<\/a>, McVay and Stafford poured into 10 different receivers during a victory that not only made the nine-day road trip worth it, but also showed the rest of the NFL that the Rams remain a legitimate Super Bowl contender.<\/p>\n Stafford, 37, is playing like he did in 2021, when the Rams won the Super Bowl. The defense is keeping opponents out of the end zone. And the troubled placekicking unit played without error.<\/p>\n For the first time since 2021, the Rams will go into their off week with a winning record.<\/p>\n In 2023, the Rams were 3-6 at the bye and then won seven of eight games to finish 10-7 and make the playoffs.<\/p>\n Last season, they were 1-4 at the bye and then won nine of 12 games to finish 10-7 and make the playoffs.<\/p>\n But Sunday\u2019s victory trends closer to 2017, when the Rams shut out the Cardinals 33-0 at Twickenham Stadium in London to improve to 5-2 going into the bye. The Rams went on to win the NFC West and make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.<\/p>\n The Rams\u2019 defeats this season by the Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> and San Francisco 49ers<\/a> \u2014 \u201cI can\u2019t think of a time where we\u2019ve had two more gut-wrenching losses,\u201d McVay said \u2014 are now behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like we\u2019re right where we need to be,\u201d edge rusher Jared Verse said. \u201cWe learned the lessons we had to learn and realize what it\u2019s like when we put together four quarters.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Stafford: \u201cStill a lot to be cleaned up and a lot of things we can get better at, but we\u2019ve done a nice job through the first seven of finding ways to win games most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n