Why All Eyes Are on Rams’ Adams in Week 7

The Los Angeles Rams' game against the Jacksonville Jaguars couldn't have come at a more unfortunate time, as the Rams are still reeling from Puka Nacua going down with an injury. He won't be available for this game, and that places so much pressure on the rest of their offense to step up.

Matthew Stafford can rise to the occasion, and he has plenty of weapons around him, even if none of them are as complete a playmaker as Nacua was. Most notably, Davante Adams is expected to fill in the shoes of Nacua as the team's primary wide receiver, and it'll be interesting to see if he can step up and cement himself as their top option moving forward.

Matchups To Monitor

Bradley Locker is a sports writer for Pro Football Focus, and he released an article going over the top ten matchups to look out for in week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. One of those matchups is Adams going up against Jaguars defender Jourdan Lewis.

"Rams-Jaguars is a tremendous contest between two great defenses and former colleagues in Sean McVay and Liam Coen. What’s especially worth getting up to watch in this game is the battle between Adams and Lewis", said Locker.

It's bad enough what's happened to the Cowboys' defense, but to then see how Jourdan Lewis is playing his best ball ever in Jacksonville after eight seasons in Big D... that's a pretty big oof. pic.twitter.com/7DBMtutpzq
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 8, 2025

Lewis has been a scrappy defender in his debut with the Jaguars, fighting over receivers' hands and recovering from losing his assignment on the field. With two interceptions, he's a ball hawk that's capable of rising in the air and spectacularly snagging the ball.

Stafford will have to be careful of sailing his balls too far away from Adams, because Lewis may be lurking, waiting to tie his career-high interceptions in a season just seven games into 2025. It'll be difficult for Stafford and Adams' connection to blossom in this game if Lewis is going to be stuck to him like glue, waiting for his chance.

Sep 28, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) is hugged by head coach Sean McVay as time runs out against the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

"With superstar Puka Nacua likely out, Adams will step into the Rams’ WR1 role. Even as a complementary option in 2025, Adams has thrived with a 73.4 PFF receiving grade and 1.94 yards per route run".

Adams has benefited the most from the defensive attention being placed primarily on Nacua, especially after the blazing hot start he had to the season. However, now he'll have to contend with the attention being placed on him, as he's the biggest threat the Rams currently have in their arsenal of weapons.

"At the same time, Adams has already dropped four of his 54 targets, plus hauled in only four of his 15 contested opportunities. Lewis has been a revelation on the Jaguars’ stingy defense, which ranks fifth in PFF coverage grade".

As good as Adams has been for the Rams so far, his age has begun to show itself in some aspects of his game. He's dropped passes this season that he would've caught five years ago, and his route-running remains silky, but the speed isn't always there anymore.

"The former Cowboy owns a 78.5 PFF coverage grade — good for seventh among qualified cornerbacks — but is looking to rebound after an underwhelming showing against the Seahawks. In Week 6, Lewis permitted four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown across six targets".

The Rams want to show that they have faith in Adams as their top receiving option, but this may not be the game to do it. They have players outside of Adams who can take their passing game over the top, and what the Rams should avoid is trying to feed Adams the ball the same way they would with Nacua.

Ultimately, this matchup will determine how successful the Rams will be on offense. If Adams is able to get the best of Lewis, the Rams' explosive passing attack can continue to function at a high level. If he can't get away from him, the Rams will have to hope their run game can hold firm against a ferocious Jaguars defense. The biggest thing will be not forcing the ball in harm's way, and if Adams can't get separation, they'll have to look at their other pass catchers to step up.

Ensure you follow us on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @BrockVierra for all Rams content.

Please let us know your thoughts on Adam's matchup in week seven when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.