Rams vs. Broncos in Week 3: Preview, Storylines

The Los Angeles Rams got their first win of the season last week as they beat the New York Giants 28-6. It was a much-needed win following the 27-7 Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Sunday night’s matchup against the Denver Broncos begins one of the more difficult stretches on the Rams’ schedule. 

Sunday’s matchup features two teams that fell short during conference championship weekend last season. The Broncos fell to the Patriots without Bo Nix and the Rams came up short on the road against the Seahawks. 

Both teams enter the week at 1-1 following Week 1 losses and will be looking to carry some momentum into the next few games with a win against a good team. 

How to Watch Rams-Broncos in Week 3

• Location: Empower Field at Mile High
• Date: Sunday, September 27
• Time: 5:20 p.m. PT
• How to Watch/Listen: NBC/Peacock | ESPN LA 710 | La Primera 1330 AM | 93.1 JACK FM | SiriusXM
• Play-By-Play: Mike Tirico (TV), J.B. Long (Radio), Tony Santiago (Spanish)
• Analysts: Cris Collinsworth (TV), Maurice Jones-Drew (Radio), Ricardo Lopez (Spanish)
• Sideline Reporter: Melissa Stark (TV), Kaylee Hartung (TV), D’Marco Farr (Radio)
• Official: Bill Vinovich (Referee), Scott Campbell (Umpire)

The Rams and Broncos will play on Sunday Night Football, marking the Rams’ third consecutive game in primetime. Sunday’s game will be televised on NBC and Peacock and will be broadcast over radio on SiriusXM and locally on ESPN LA 710.

Officiating Sunday’s game will be Bill Vinovich and his crew. Vinovich was the head referee for the Rams’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers last year as well as the Rams’ loss to the Seahawks in Week 17 of 2024. The Rams have lost their last four games with Vinovich as the head referee, with their most recent win coming against the Ravens in 2021. 

Sean McVay vs. Sean Payton

When Sean Payton was the head coach of the Saints, he and Sean McVay had quite the rivalry. The rivalry hit its tipping point in the 2018 NFC Championship Game, a game in which the Rams won on the back of a controversial non-call. McVay is 3-1 against Payton and the two have not coached against each other since 2019. 

Matthew Stafford Making History

Last week, Matthew Stafford surpassed Philip Rivers for sixth place on the NFL’s all-time passing touchdowns list. With 111 yards against the Broncos, Stafford can become the first player in NFL history to record at least 20,000 passing yards with multiple teams. While it would be difficult against the Broncos’ defense, with 300 yards and three touchdowns, Stafford can surpass Dan Marino for the fifth-most such games in NFL history. 

Rams in Primetime

The Rams are set to become the first team since 1970 to begin a season with three consecutive primetime games. Under McVay, the Rams are 6-6 on Sunday Night Football, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-7 in their last appearance. Prior to that, the Rams had lost three straight Sunday Night Football games dating back to 2021.