Rams Face Broncos on Sunday Night Football in Week 3

The Los Angeles Rams prepare to face the Denver Broncos in a high-stakes Week 3 matchup at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, September 27. Scheduled for 5:20 p.m. PT, the contest will be broadcast nationally on NBC and Peacock, marking the Rams’ third consecutive appearance in primetime. With this game, Los Angeles becomes the first team since 1970 to open an NFL season with three straight primetime games. Both franchises enter the contest with 1-1 records and are seeking momentum following compelling Week 2 performances.

Los Angeles rebounded from a 27-7 Week 1 loss against the San Francisco 49ers by securing a decisive 28-6 victory over the New York Giants. Denver also sits at 1-1 as both squads look to build momentum after falling short during conference championship weekend last season. During last year’s postseason, Denver fell to the New England Patriots without quarterback Bo Nix, while the Rams dropped a road decision to the Seattle Seahawks.

Sunday’s game reignites a notable head-to-head coaching rivalry between Sean McVay and Sean Payton. The rivalry reached its peak during the 2018 NFC Championship Game, which Los Angeles won following a controversial non-call. McVay currently holds a 3-1 record against Payton, though the two head coaches have not faced each other on the sidelines since 2019.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford enters the game on the verge of individual league history. Last week, Stafford surpassed Philip Rivers for sixth place on the NFL’s all-time passing touchdowns list. Throwing for just 111 yards against Denver would make Stafford the first player in NFL history to reach 20,000 passing yards with multiple franchises. Furthermore, a performance of 300 passing yards and three touchdowns would allow Stafford to surpass Dan Marino for the fifth-most such games in league history.

The Rams hold a 6-6 record on Sunday Night Football under McVay. While Los Angeles defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-7 in its most recent appearance, the team had previously dropped three consecutive Sunday Night Football contests dating back to 2021.

Officiating the contest will be referee Bill Vinovich and umpire Scott Campbell. The Rams have lost their last four games officiated by Vinovich, including a Week 17 defeat to Seattle in 2024 and a loss to San Francisco last year. The franchise’s last victory with Vinovich officiating came in 2021 against the Baltimore Ravens.

The national television broadcast features Mike Tirico on play-by-play, Cris Collinsworth as analyst, and Melissa Stark alongside Kaylee Hartung on the sidelines. Local radio coverage will air on ESPN LA 710, 93.1 JACK FM, and SiriusXM, featuring J.B. Long, Maurice Jones-Drew, and D’Marco Farr, alongside a Spanish broadcast on La Primera 1330 AM with Tony Santiago and Ricardo Lopez.