Jaguars vs. Rams series history: Unfamiliar foes

It’s series history recap day! The Jacksonville Jaguars and (as badly as I still want to refer to them as St. Louis) Los Angeles Rams are set to face off on Sunday in Jacksonville just after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

The Week 6 matchup features a battle between two surprising 3-2 teams. The Rams are kind of opposite of their normal identity this year — strong offensively, and weaker on defense. The Jaguars have been getting it done with one of the most elite defenses in recent memory, as well as a strong run game.

Despite the Rams now having their second stint in L.A., this will be the first matchup in series history in which the Jaguars play the Los Angeles Rams, not the St. Louis Rams.

Week 6’s matchup is only the fifth time ever the two inter-conference franchises have seen each other on the gridiron. But it hasn’t gone well for the Jaguars. Let’s recap the short history between the squads.

Series history

All-time regular season series record: Rams lead 3-1

Last Jaguars win: Oct. 18, 2009 (23-20)

Last Rams win: Oct. 6, 2013 (34-20)

Current Streak: Rams with a one-game winning streak

Biggest Jaguars win: 23-20 (Oct. 18, 2009, only win)

Biggest Rams win: 34-20 (Oct. 6, 2013)

Interesting takeaway: Three out of the four games, and the first three games in the series, were all decided by exactly three points.

Quick thoughts: Again, not a ton of history to go off of here, but two things stick out to me. One is, obviously, that the Rams have had the Jaguars’ number in terms of wins. However, the second thing is that the majority of the games have been competitive. And not just “the final score made it look close” kind of games, but neck-and-neck throughout in 75 percent of the matchups. It may be worth noting that the Rams are 0-1 in Jacksonville, and their three wins all came at home in St. Louis.

Last Matchup

Winner: Rams

Score: 34-20

Date: Oct. 6, 2013

Location: Edward Jones Dome

Team Stats: Jaguars — 270 passing yards, 96 rushing yards, 16 first downs

Rams — 222 passing yards, 143 rushing yards, 22 first downs

Quick recap: So, this game was kind of the outlier in the series, as it was the only one of the four previous matchups where the Jaguars really never threatened. Blaine Gabbert injured his hamstring in this game and was replaced by Chad Henne. Prior to that, Gabbert threw two interceptions, including an 82-yard pick-six (man, it’s been a while since the Jaguars have had good quarterback play). He also fumbled twice, but the Jaguars recovered both. The Rams rushed for 143 yards, and Sam Bradford was highly efficient, throwing three touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Jags led 10-7 after one quarter, but the Rams went on a 17-0 run in the second quarter and never looked back.

Prior Matchup

Winner: Jaguars

Score: 23-20

Date: Oct. 18, 2009

Location: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium

Team Stats: Jaguars — 335 passing yards, 166 rushing yards, 33 first downs

Rams — 213 passing yards, 55 rushing yards, 13 first downs

Quick recap: Jacksonville’s lone win against the Rams came against a (then) St. Louis team that finished just 1-15, and also when we were still referring to the stadium as Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. This was also the only time the squads played in Jacksonville. The Jaguars actually dominated in time of possession, first downs and total yards, but the Rams were able to force three turnovers to keep it close. David Garrard threw two interceptions, including a pick-six, and the game was close throughout. The Rams forced overtime after a last-second field goal, but the Jaguars were able to end the game in one long drive with a Josh Scobee field goal (back when field goals on opening drives could win games in overtime).

Through the Decades

1990s: Rams 1-0 (1996)

2000-2010: Tied 1-1

2011-Present: Rams 1-0 (2013)

Quick thoughts: Basically, these two teams are very unfamiliar with each other. The two clubs played just one time in the 1990s, and also just once in Jacksonville’s first 10 seasons as a franchise. The series has picked up a bit, as this weekend will mark the third matchup since 2009, but they are still few and far between. So this is quite easy to read as the Rams get to claim the ‘90s with just one victory, the first decade of the 2000s was a stalemate and, most recently, the Rams currently have a one-game winning streak going.

Regarding Sunday, this is quite an intriguing matchup. The Rams have a potent passing attack and score a lot of points, while the Jaguars have an incredible passing defense and don’t give up a lot of points. The Jaguars lead the NFL in rushing, and the Rams are in the bottom six of the league in rushing yards allowed.

Part of me believes that Jacksonville will keep its effort from last week going strong. The analytical part of me sees a Jaguars team that is 0-1 in Jacksonville, 0-1 as a favorite and 0-2 in even-numbered weeks. Which Jaguars team is going to show up? If this pattern continues, we are not going to be happy around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday evening.

How does the Big Cat Country community see this one shaking out? Please vote in the poll below.