LOS ANGELES RAMS KICK OFF 2018 SEASON ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON SEPT. 10 AT OAKLAND RAIDERS
Rams to appear in a team-high five primetime games in 2018;
For tickets visit TheRams.com/Tickets
LOS ANGELES – The defending NFC West Champion Los Angeles Rams will be featured in five primetime games for the first time in the team’s history, beginning with a Week 1 matchup at the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football, the team announced today in conjunction with the release of their preseason and regular-season schedules.
“This is one of the most exciting times on the NFL calendar for both fans and teams with the start of the offseason program, schedule announcement and the draft,” Rams Head Coach SEAN MCVAY said. “We are looking forward to competing against this group of opponents and making our fans proud as we open with the Oakland Raiders on September 10.”
The Rams will be featured on Sunday Night Football twice this season, first in Week 7 at San Francisco and then again in Week 15 at home vs. the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. This marks the first time that the Rams will play in two Sunday Night Football games in a single season.
Los Angeles will also appear on Monday Night Football a second time in Week 11 for an international home game in Mexico City vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, as was previously announced. The Rams’ single-season high for Monday Night Football appearances is three games. L.A. will kick off FOX’s inaugural Thursday Night Football package, when the team hosts the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4 on Sept. 27.
The Rams will open divisional play in Week 2 at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Last season, L.A. swept the Cardinals, a feat the team last achieved in 2012. The Rams will look to extend their winning streak at University of Phoenix Stadium to four games in their second faceoff against Arizona on Dec. 23.
In Week 3, the Los Angeles Chargers will travel cross-town to the Coliseum. The last time two Los Angeles teams played in the regular season was on Nov. 13, 1994 in a Week 11 matchup between the Rams and Raiders. Since returning to Los Angeles, the Rams and Chargers have only met in preseason action (2017).
L.A. will be on the road for three consecutive weeks beginning with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5. In 2017, the Rams won their 10th game of the season in a dominating 42-7 road win over Seattle, marking the franchise’s first 10-win season since 2003. In last year’s road contest at CenturyLink, DT Aaron Donald set a new career high for single-game sacks with three, contributing to the team’s overall total of seven. In the ensuing week, L.A. will face off against the Denver Broncos for the first time since 2014. That year, the Rams defeated the reigning AFC champions, 22-7, and held the NFL’s third-ranked offense to one touchdown, ending Peyton Manning’s streak of 15 games with multiple touchdowns. K Greg Zuerlein helped seal the game for the Rams with five field goals, including two of 50-plus yards.
Upon returning to Southern California in Week 8, the Green Bay Packers will visit the Coliseum. During the teams’ last meeting (10/11/15), RB Todd Gurley rushed for a career-high 159 yards to add to his award-winning rookie season. Also in that game, the Rams defense tipped a pass that was intercepted by the franchise’s leading tackler James Laurinaitis, marking Packers QB Aaron Rodgers’ first interception at Lambeau Field since 2012.
For the third time in as many seasons, the Rams will face the New Orleans Saints in regular-season play on Nov. 4 in Week 9. Historically, the Rams have achieved significant offensive milestones against the Saints, including Willie Ellison’s franchise-leading 247 rushing yards in 1971 and Willie “Flipper” Anderson’s NFL record-setting performance of 336 receiving yards in 1989. His total yardage in that game remains an NFL record.
Before the Rams travel to Mexico, the Seahawks will head down the coast to the Coliseum on Nov. 11. Then following the team’s Week 12 bye, Los Angeles will play three of their final five games on the road, including back-to-back games against members of the NFC North (at Detroit-Week 13, at Chicago-Week 14). The Rams will close out the year at home against the San Francisco 49ers, for the second-consecutive season.
Fans interested in tickets should visit TheRams.com/Tickets. PRIMESPORT, the Official Gameday Experience and Fan Travel Partner of the Los Angeles Rams, has preferred home and away game packages for Rams fans. For more information, please visit PRIMESPORT.com
