LA Rams regroup for London NFL showdown

Oct 19, 2016 - 9:58 PM Los Angeles coach Jeff Fisher has often stressed the importance of a quick emotional turnaround.

Dwell on the result of a game for a day, then move on.

And while the Rams had to endure a seven-hour flight after a 31-28 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, coping with the outcome didn't last much longer.

"That 24-hour rule is serious," left tackle Rodger Saffold said. "For us, we moved eight hours ahead, so our 24-hour rule was a lot shorter."

Avoiding any type of panic could be fortunate for the Rams (3-3), who dropped their past two games after winning three of their first four for the first time since 2006.

As they regrouped on Wednesday for practice, beginning their on-field preparations for a game on Sunday against the New York Giants at Twickenham Stadium, they did so believing that a week in London could spur them out of their skid.

"It was a good day to get back out here," strong safety T.J. McDonald said. "We got back into the feel of things, and to be back here on the grass feels good."

Rather than return to Los Angeles following the loss to the Lions, the Rams crossed the Atlantic, arriving just before 9 am local time on Monday.

To give his players ample opportunity to rest and get acclimated to the time change, Fisher reworked the team's practice schedule, granting players the rest of Monday and all of Tuesday off.

"I think you shortchange the players if, you know, we wake up in the morning and we go out and practice and we come in and we go to meetings and that's it," Fisher said.

On the field, significant attention will be paid to the matchup against the Giants' offence, which enters Sunday ranked third in the league with 288.2 passing yards per game.

That's of particular concern to Los Angeles, which had a three-game winning streak earlier this season because of a stout defence, but that group has struggled each of the past two weeks.

The Rams allowed 30 points at home to the Buffalo Bills on October 9 and then squandered a seven-point lead over the Lions late on Sunday.

Source: AAP