Hours before beginning defence of their Super Bowl title, the Los Angeles Rams announced they have agreed to extensions with head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead through the 2026 season.

McVay has led the Rams to four playoff appearances and two trips to the Super Bowl in five seasons since the team made the then 30-year-old the youngest head coach in modern NFL history in 2017.

He became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at age 36 when Los Angeles defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in February.

The 2017 NFL Coach of the Year's 55 regular-season victories are tied with Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin for the third-most of any coach through his first five seasons in NFL history.

McVay also sports a 7-3 postseason record with three NFC West titles over his tenure, along with an NFC championship in 2018 that resulted in the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance in 17 years.

Snead, entering his 11th season as the Rams' GM after remaining with the team following its move from St. Louis back to Los Angeles in 2016, has also played a major part in the franchise's recent success by assembling one of the league's most talented rosters through the draft and trades.

The Rams have drafted five Pro Bowl players, most notably three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, under Snead's watch.

The 51-year-old has also established a reputation as one of the league's most aggressive and shrewd executives by acquiring several other members of last season's championship core via the trade and free agent markets.

Snead snared three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 and landed quarterback Matthew Stafford in a blockbuster trade with the Detroit Lions in March 2021.

He later made two significant in-season moves that contributed to last season's title run by trading for star pass rusher Von Miller and signing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

"As an organisation we constantly strive to better ourselves every day. This requires selflessness, dedication and great leadership throughout. Sean and Les personify this mindset," Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement.

"They have been crucial to many of our successes that transcend wins and losses. They epitomise the 'We, not me' mantra that permeates the entire organisation.

"We look forward to many more exciting seasons at SoFi Stadium as Sean and Les continue to play meaningful roles within the organisation and throughout the community."

Los Angeles will kick off the 2022 NFL season Thursday night at SoFi Stadium against reigning AFC East champion, the Buffalo Bills.

The Los Angeles Rams will be without their top draft pick for the 2022 season after Logan Bruss tore his ACL and MCL against the Houston Texans.

Bruss headed to Los Angeles as a third-round selection from Wisconsin and arrived with great potential as a right guard, starting the first two preseason games as competition for places heated up.

However, the 22-year-old will not feature in the upcoming campaign after sustaining a season-ending injury to his right knee in the second quarter on Friday against the Texans.

"We obviously drafted him with confidence that he could be a guy that could potentially contribute for us this year," Rams coach Sean McVay said.

"Unfortunately now, as a result of what's occurred, that won't be the case. But [you] put your arm around him, you help him attack the rehab the right way.

"And I trust that he's going to do everything in his power to come back better next year than he was this year."

Bruss had been competing with Coleman Shelton for the starting right guard spot, though it will be the latter who appears in Week 1 at home to the Buffalo Bills on September 9.

While McVay believes Shelton's versatility will help the Rams, the Los Angeles coach expects his other players to step up and seize their opportunities in the absence of Bruss.

"It's an unfortunate thing for Logan, but guys have to be able to step up," McVay added.

"And that's the unfortunate part about this business and this game is that injuries do occur and let's go ahead and respond the right way with the way we attack our rehab.

"I hate it for Logan, but I am encouraged and very excited and optimistic about what we can be up front this year."

Tremayne Anchrum Jr., AJ Jackson and Bobby Evans were all cited by McVay as those who have shown development in preseason and could excel in 2022.

"I've seen incredible strides from Tremayne Anchrum, he's been outstanding in the preseason," McVay said.

"I think he's really done an outstanding job in these first two preseason games of showing that he absolutely belongs and he's a guy that could play and be ready to go if need be. And then the same thing with AJ Jackson.

"Those guys have stood out, and then you've got a guy in Bobby Evans that has started at guard, he's started at tackle in meaningful games that we've won over the last couple of years.

"And then you've got some young intriguing prospects in guys that have been here."

Sean McVay has announced he signed a contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams over the offseason, but talks are ongoing with general manager Les Snead.

Head coach McVay guided the Rams to a Super Bowl win last season, and tying down his long-term future represents a major boost for the franchise.

Yet McVay revealed he and Snead were waiting until both men were committed to the team before formally confirming the deals.

"We are in a good place," McVay said at training camp. "I feel really good about the direction that's going in, and I think it'll be something where it'll be me and Les, and you guys will know when that is finalised for us.

"We wanted to be able to announce that when both of us got it done.

"It is something that we've been taking care of, but it is very important for Les and I to kind of have that represented as we're a partnership and a pair."

McVay has been Rams coach since 2017, with this his first head coaching role after holding various assistant positions in Washington.

Earning his first title against the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowl LVI earlier this year, McVay, 36, became the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl.

McVay has a 55-26 career record, with his winning percentage of 67.9 the seventh-best of all time among coaches to oversee 80 or more games.

Snead was the man who brought McVay to Los Angeles, having been the Rams GM since 2012, when the team were in St. Louis.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has played down the elbow injury troubling Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Stafford did not throw during Monday's training session during their spring workout as he continued to deal with elbow soreness which he described as "irritating" on Saturday.

McVay, however, insisted that the issue was not a major concern for the 34-year-old quarterback.

"[His absence was] part of the plan," McVay told reporters on Monday.

"We've always stayed true to the first day. This one is a three-day bucket. He'll work tomorrow and you'll see him do a similar workload to what he did last week."

The QB had declined to go into any detail about the extent of the elbow issue on Saturday, with McVay having admitted it was a "little bit abnormal" last week, leading to questions.

Stafford was crucial to the Rams' success last season following his off-season move from the Detroit Lions, becoming the third starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl in his first season with a team, joining Tom Brady (2020 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Trent Dilfer (2000 with the Baltimore Ravens).

Stafford played in all 17 regular-season games in 2021 and then played four postseason games, leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl title since returning from St. Louis.

He finished with 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season.

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said Thursday that the continuing elbow pain quarterback Matthew Stafford is experiencing is unusual for a football player, comparing it to what baseball pitchers often deal with.  

Stafford has been skipping the Rams’ full-team portions of training camp practices and instead has been throwing in individual drills and 7-on-7 setups. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback dealt with an elbow injury last season and received an injection in the affected area during the offseason. 

''It's a little bit abnormal for a quarterback,'' McVay said Thursday. ''Some of this stuff is things that MLB pitchers deal with, so it is something that we're kind of learning about on the fly with his feedback.'' 

While McVay stressed that Stafford could probably play in a game this week, the Rams clearly are trying to figure out how to keep him healthy for the season and are being careful not to overtax his arm. 

"We want to try to have him operate in as little pain as possible,'' McVay said. ''I think anytime that you've played as long and are as tough as he is, I don't know if you're ever truly pain-free, but the goal would be for September 8, and really looking towards 17 games, then hopefully some games after that, if we earn that opportunity. 

"That's kind of the perspective and the big-picture approach that we want to be able to take. I don't know that I would feel as comfortable taking that approach if it wasn't for the experience that he's accumulated.'' 

Stafford, 34, played in all 17 regular-season games in 2021 and then played four postseason games, leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl title since returning from St. Louis. He finished with 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season, his first with Los Angeles after 12 in Detroit.  

After helping the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI in February, Aaron Donald reportedly considered walking away from football at the top of his game. 

He, obviously, ended up not retiring, with the Rams ultimately restructuring his contract to give him a record payday in early June. 

But from the time the Rams raised the Lombardi Trophy to the time Donald agreed to the massive raise, coach Sean McVay says his ongoing conversations with the future Hall of Famer were crucial in getting a deal done. 

"My dialogue with Aaron throughout the process I thought was key to be able to feel good about it but also understand what needed to get done to have him come back and lead the way for us," McVay said on Monday. 

Donald’s restructured deal guarantees him $95million over the next three years, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. 

The hefty price is justified, however, given he’s widely considered one of the best defensive players in NFL history. 

A Super Bowl championship was the last major accomplishment left to achieve for the 31-year-old Donald, who has three Defensive Player of the Year Awards and seven consecutive First Team All-Pro selections on his resume. 

So McVay understood why Donald wanted to take some time to evaluate his career after playing a vital role in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals with a pair of sacks against Joe Burrow. 

"When you reach (and win the Super Bowl), when he had been working so hard to try to get to that goal, there's an exhale," McVay said. "I think you want to be able to let the dust settle, figure out what's important. What can we do to accommodate that? If you still want to be able to play football."

Donald still has the passion to play and McVay credits their conversations as a big reason why one of the most feared defensive players ever will be suiting up for the Rams in their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions. 

"(Donald and I) had great dialogue throughout the course of the offseason," McVay said. "I think like anything else, it's such a long process when you're able to play 21 games and if you include the pre-season, you're talking about 24 games last year. So many emotions."

The final celebration of the Los Angeles Rams' 2021 championship season concluded with Thursday's Super Bowl LVI ring ceremony.

And with that, Sean McVay and the Rams are focused on the season ahead.

The Rams open training camp on Sunday, just over five months after they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the Super Bowl.

"It was kind of good timing, because now it represents, 'Let's turn the page,'" McVay said on Friday. ''Let's not minimise what a great year last year was, but that's not going to have anything to do with this year.''

No team has won back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots did so in February 2005, and McVay realises there is a reason it has been nearly two decades since it has been accomplished.

''So many things have to go right,'' McVay added. ''We could be a better team this year, and I think we've got a chance to do that, and it might not mean we win a Super Bowl, because there are a lot of things that take place throughout the course of a game - the bounce of a ball here - certain things that are out of your control.''

The Rams had quite a few close calls en route to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with three-point victories over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Bengals in the playoffs.

While there are some parts of the game that coaches and players cannot control, McVay acknowledged that with proper preparation and the right mind-set, the team will be in the best position to win and avoid a dreaded Super Bowl hangover.

''A hangover, to me, what that entails is guys think they're better than they are,'' said McVay, whose Rams missed the playoffs in 2018 after reaching the Super Bowl the previous season.

''They stop working the right way, complacency sets in and the previous success you think is going to have anything to do with your future success. We've got the right kind of guys in our locker room, the right kind of coaches that are intrinsically motivated.''

As the defending champions, the Rams have the honour of kicking off the 2022 season when they host the Buffalo Bills on September 8.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has suggested the team are close to agreeing a deal for Aaron Donald to return for the 2022 season.

The Super Bowl LVI champions had hoped Donald would do so after he hinted he would "run it back" during the victory parade following the win against the Cincinnati Bengals at the NFL's big show in February.

Ahead of the game at SoFi Stadium, it was reported the highly rated defensive tackle could retire if he finally won a championship to go with his individual achievements.

And the three-time Defensive Player of the Year could scarcely have been more influential in the 23-20 Rams win.

Donald held up Joe Burrow and the Bengals on third and one and then fourth and one on their final drive, finishing with two sacks and three quarterback hits – tying the best marks of his playoff career.

The 30-year-old penned a six-year, $135 million extension before the start of the 2018 season, but has now outplayed that deal.

Speaking at a media conference on Tuesday at the annual league meeting, McVay addressed Donald's situation, saying: "It's a huge priority for us. I know that our group is working with [Donald's agent] Todd France and trying to get that figured out.

"[I] feel really good about Aaron's excitement about coming back and continuing to lead the way for us. But that is a piece that we do want to be able to get figured out for him. And I think he's deserving of it.

"We're in the process of working through that right now."

Donald recorded 12.5 sacks for 111 yards and 17 quarterback hits in the 2021 regular season, before adding another 3.5 sacks for 20.5 yards and nine quarterback hits in the postseason.

The immediate futures of head coach Sean McVay and veteran defensive lineman Aaron Donald will not be determined for a month according to Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff.

McVay guided the Rams to Sunday's 23-20 Super Bowl LVI triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, making him the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl in NFL history at 36-years-old.

Donald made a series of key plays to clinch victory for the Rams but speculation has been rife about the 30-year-old's playing future, although he declined to discuss it in the aftermath of victory.

“I think all of these guys are wiped,” Demoff told reporters on Monday. “When you get to this point, the gas tank is empty and you’re sitting there holding a trophy.

"I think that’s daunting to some degree when you wake up this morning and realize you’ve got to go do it all over again, and you don’t have the energy so I think the talk is actually natural.

“I would agree. I don’t think Sean’s current pace is sustainable in terms of how much work he puts in if you want to have a family. But I think the one thing, these guys all love football.

"They love being around each other… These are all natural questions that are hard to answer in the moment. A month away, two months away from everybody, and I think things will feel a lot better.”

McVay added that good things happens when you get great players pulling in the same direction, as the Rams claimed their first Super Bowl victory since 1999, when they were based in St Louis.

The Rams invested heavily in success ahead of this season, bringing in quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr and outside line backer Von Miller in the past 12 months.

"When you get around great players and great coaches who are all committed and pulling in the same direction, pulling that rope in the same direction, good things can happen," McVay told reporters on Monday.

"Each team is a new team every single year but when you have the right foundational pieces like Cooper [Kupp], [Andrew] Whitworth, Stafford, Aaron Donald, the list goes on, you just feel grateful to be a part of it.

"Because of their success other people get a chance to grow."

Sean McVay described the nature of the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl LVI triumph as "poetic" after they came up big on offense and defense to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Rams – playing at their SoFi Stadium home – had led in the first half before Odell Beckham. Jr, who scored the opening touchdown, departed with a knee injury.

The Bengals took control for a period and had a four-point advantage inside the two-minute warning.

But a record-breaking 15-play go-ahead drive ended with Matthew Stafford throwing a TD pass to Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp.

There was still work to do on defense, with the Bengals within a field goal of overtime, yet Aaron Donald stuffed the run on third-and-one and then forced an incompletion on fourth down to clinch victory.

McVay considered the dramatic conclusion fitting for his team, who became the first to win three games by three points or fewer in the same postseason thanks to this 23-20 success.

The coach, who reserved praise for the "great job" from Stafford and Kupp, who "took over the game", said: "It feels outstanding.

"You talk about a resilient team, coaches, players, I'm so proud of this group, just proud to be associated with it.

"We talk about competitive greatness all the time, being your best when the best is required. For the offense to be able to find the way and then Aaron to be able to finish it off, it's poetic."

There was talk Sean McVay could ride off into the sunset after Super Bowl LVI, but both he and counterpart Zac Taylor are set to stick around as head coaches for the long term.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Rams coach McVay and Bengals coach Taylor are in line to receive contract extensions from their respective teams once the dust settles on Sunday's clash at SoFi Stadium.

McVay has two seasons remaining on his deal, while the 2022 campaign is the last year of Taylor's current contract.

There had been reports that 36-year-old McVay, who has previously expressed a desire not to coach into his 60s, could step away from coaching at the end of the season, with talk of a potential move into broadcasting.

Such suggestions appear to have been erroneous, as the indication is now that he will continue a head coaching career in which he has reached the playoffs in all but one of his five seasons in charge of the Rams.

McVay also looks set to be tied to the quarterback that has led his team back to the Super Bowl for the long term.

Indeed, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported the Rams are set to hammer out a contract extension with Matthew Stafford, whom the Rams traded a pair of first-round picks to acquire in the offseason.

Stafford's contract expires at the end of next season but, regardless of whether he gets the job done on home turf, the Rams are poised to reward him for a campaign in which he set franchise records for completions (404), passing yards (4,886) and touchdowns (41).

The Los Angeles Rams would not be in the Super Bowl without two-touchdown NFC Championship Game hero Cooper Kupp, according to head coach Sean McVay.

The Rams edged the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 with quarterback Matthew Stafford finding Kupp for two touchdown passes.

Kupp had 11 receptions for 142 yards for the game, with his fourth-quarter TD helping them reel in a 10-point final-change deficit.

The 28-year-old led the NFL in the key receiver statistics with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Kupp has 386 receiving yards this postseason, which is the third all-time most in playoffs history before the Super Bowl.

"He's just a special player," McVay said at the post-game news conference. "I talked about Matthew [Stafford], competitive greatness, Cooper was that today.

"Just big catch after big catch. He's competing in the run game. He does so many things.

"We'd have no chance of being here today without Cooper Kupp."

The victory means the Rams have reached the Super Bowl for the second time in five seasons under McVay, having been beaten by the New England Patriots three years ago.

Stafford completed 31 of 45 passing attempts for 337 yards with his two touchdown passes for Kupp.

The Rams traded in 33-year-old QB Stafford from the Detroit Lions in March last year, with the move paying off.

"We went out and got him because we thought it was a chance to get a great player of his magnitude," McVay said. "Those things don’t come around often.

"He's elevated everybody around him. He's made me a better coach. He's made his teammates better. He's such a great person.

"He's a great competitor. We've seen that all season but it's really been on display this last couple of weeks. We talk about competitive greatness, he embodied that today."

Stafford endured years of under-achievement with the Lions, with only three postseason games which were all defeats, and was delighted to reach a Super Bowl for the first time in his 13-year career.

"I don’t know that I ever thought about what I'd be feeling at this moment," Stafford said. "I probably just sat there and wished I'd be in those games.

"I'm so happy that I've got that opportunity and we've got an opportunity to be in another one that I've always wanted to play in."

He added: "Long time coming, you know. [I] Spent a lot of years in this league, I've loved every minute of it. I feel blessed to be able to play in this league as long as I have. It's an opportunity."

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is thrilled that quarterback Matthew Stafford will no longer have to face questions about never winning a game in the NFL playoffs.

NFC West rivals the Arizona Cardinals were convincingly swatted aside by the Rams in the Wild Card round on Monday, the hosts triumphing 34-11.

The Rams will now move on to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a huge Divisional Round game with a place in the NFC Championship up for grabs.

Stafford had only previously reached the playoffs three times in 12 years with the Detroit Lions before his trade to LA ahead of the 2021 campaign and had been winless in each of those postseason appearances.

"I thought he did a great job leading the way," McVay said, per ESPN, after Stafford threw touchdown passes to Odell Beckham Jr. and Cooper Kupp.

"He's still the same great player to me, and he always was before this game.

"So I think it's good so you guys don't have to talk about [him not having a playoff win] anymore. So he can get that one out of the way. 

"I am really proud of him. Just so lucky to be able to do this with him. He's our leader. We wouldn't be here without him."

Stafford only had to throw a season-low 17 pass attempts, but he was impressive in completing 13 of them, with three of his four incompletions being dropped passes.

The Rams' defense played a big part in the win too. The Cardinals were 21-0 behind before they were even able to record a first down, while cornerback David Long had a three-yard pick six on Kyler Murray, the shortest in playoff history.

"I'm just excited for our team to get the win," said Stafford. 

"What a team effort. Our defense played outstanding, special teams basically set up a score with [punter] Johnny [Hekker] pinning them down there, we did a great job on field goals. 

"And we were good enough on offense to score some points and come away with the win. Just happy to be moving on."

The Rams must now beat the defending NFL champions on the road to progress further in a postseason schedule which will culminate with the Super Bowl being hosted at their own SoFi Stadium.

LA were one of only three teams who beat the Bucs in the regular season but Stafford is under no illusions over the size of the task facing them.

He added: "It is a huge challenge. Obviously, a fantastic quarterback, great defense, a really good football team.

"I think their team is different than when we played them last [in Week 3], and I think we are, too, both [in] personnel and scheme a little bit. You always evolve throughout the season. 

"So it'll be interesting to see what they look like here as of late, and we'll go out there, attack and see what happens."

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has labelled Monday's 30-23 win over division rivals the Arizona Cardinals as "big" but says it will mean little if they do not continue to improve.

The Rams toppled the Cardinals, who are ahead of them in the NFC West, to improve their record to 9-4, while Arizona go to 10-3.

Stafford's side had lost three in a row against the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers before winning their past two and refused to get carried away.

"Obviously it's big. Obviously it's a great win for us but at the same time we've got to make it worth something," Stafford told ESPN after the game. "We win this one and don’t take care of business in other weeks, then it don't mean much.

"We're on to the next one. This is a nice win for us, a division opponent, at a tough place to play, without some big-time key players, it's a good win to get but we've got to continue to get some more of them."

Stafford had three touchdown passes, completing 23 of 30 attempts for 287 yards. He has an NFL-high six games without three TD passes and no interceptions this season, ahead of Kirk Cousins, Justin Herbert and Aaron Rodgers with four.

The win came with the Rams without five players due to COVID-19 protocols, including Jalen Ramsey and Tyler Higbee who were both ruled out on the day of the game. Rob Havenstein, Dont'e Deayon and running back Darrell Henderson were also unavailable.

"It's a total team win," Stafford added. "A lot of adversity this week and today with some stuff going on with the players and personnel, I'm just proud of our team and our coach, and everyone sticking together. Getting one at their place, it's a tough place to play."

Rams head coach Sean McVay reiterated Stafford's comments, with the side scheduled to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday after they had managed back-to-back wins.

"It's a measuring stick for tonight. I thought the guys answered the bell," McVay said at the post-game news conference. "We've talked about it throughout the course of the year, how do we build on this, this is one night, we'll enjoy this but we've got a short week.

"Seattle has really gotten rolling over these last couple of weeks. Big win over San Fran, they looked good versus the Texans yesterday. Really pleased with these guys but we want to continue to be totally and completely present. Enjoy this but let's keep building on it.

"That's what the good teams do, they get better in the month of December. That's our goal, you've got to continue to be relevant but you want to make sure that you're improving so if you do give yourself an opportunity to play after the regular season, you're playing your best ball."

The loss is Arizona's third in a row at home and they were left to bemoan their final possession, having got within seven points, as quarterback Kyler Murray ran out of options with the clock ticking down, before being sacked for a third time by Aaron Donald.

On the final play, Murray said: "It was a miscommunication between me and the line. They thought it was a spike. It was a heat of the moment deal. I don’t even recall what was being said in the helmet."

Kyle Shanahan was filled with pride as the San Francisco 49ers finally ended their long home-win drought with a 31-10 upset of the Los Angeles Rams, but he warned that cannot be a flash in the pan.

All eyes were on debutants Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller after the high-flying Rams (7-3) acquired the star duo to boost their Super Bowl bid.

But the 49ers (4-5) spoiled the party – Jimmy Garoppolo throwing two touchdown passes as San Francisco celebrated just their second home win in the past two seasons, keeping their playoff hopes alive on Monday.

The 49ers, who have now won five straight games against the Rams – the longest active streak by either side, matching their 2008-10 run – had last emerged victorious on home soil in October 2020, also over the Rams.

Part of that was down to the 49ers having to play part of the 2020 season in Arizona due to COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara, but there was still a sense of relief as they eventually enjoyed success in their own backyard.

Shanahan was grateful to put such a run behind them.

"It's been frustrating," he said. "We haven't won at home yet this year. The last time we did win at home was versus the Rams.

"We had one game after that versus the Packers, and we spent are our home [games] in Arizona, but just going to this year was very frustrating.

"Especially, the crowds that we've had, the way our fans have been. They were awesome today. Just like they were awesome last week, but I'm glad we gave them something to be proud of today.

"I just told [the team] how proud of them I was. I said we've got a short week. I think we've got a real good team [the Jacksonville Jaguars] ahead of us – that's how we expect to play here.

"It's been long overdue and we've got to make sure that we take a day off. Those guys rest, come back healthy on a short week, make sure we keep it going forward."

There were entirely different thoughts going through the head of Rams coach Sean McVay, however, with the Super Bowl hopefuls suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season.

"I choose to believe that these last couple weeks are not who we are," he said. "I refuse to believe that, even though, you know what, you're only as good as your last game.

"These last two weeks have certainly been humbling."

Beckham was rather less dramatic, though, despite his debut being overshadowed by a chastening defeat.

The wide receiver, who joined the Rams as a free agent this week following his release by the Cleveland Browns, simply felt the 49ers were better all over the field.

"I was excited, I felt like I was ready for the moment," Beckham added. "I've been through so much and God has put me in this position for that exact moment.

"It just wasn't our night. There's really no way around it, it just wasn't our night. Any given Sunday any team can win.

"The Niners came out and they played better than us in all phases of the game, and that's really the moral of the story. There's no trying to find what happened, they just outplayed us."

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