...you can tell how much the loss depressed him. He struggled to voice his usual mantra of bouncing back, staying connected, and moving on the the Cards game.
It's significant to me because as fans, our frustration permeates us. Our need to point fingers divides us. But we should recognize that the loss probably doesn't affect us nearly as much as it does him. This is the third time this year he said that the offense knew what they would get from the defense, had answers, and failed to execute them. Then he defends Goff as being able to bounce back and strains to say he believes in him. But this post isn't about that. He also admits he needs to do a better job of coaching, though he can't understandably get too specific. Even Big Whit couldn't watch the game on TV and sit still as he had to go for a walk to calm down. Did anyone else notice McVay on the sideline pointing out the holding call missed against Ramsey? Believe me, everything we are complaining about, Sean knows and feels.
I expect a good response from the Rams this week. But the cumulative toll McVay is feeling has begun to show and I fear will bubble up again later in the year. He is struggling to maintain his composure as any of us would in his shoes. We will see now how he handles it. Will he press too hard? Has his tried and true core message played out? Even Phil Jackson had to grow and adapt over the years....sometimes allowing his team to fail for stretches just to get them to pay attention to their own emotional need to get back to the basics Phil was teaching schematically.
What a difficult job he has. Some melt down like Denny Green. Some remain stoic like Belichick and Wooden. Some burn out like Vermeil. Some utilize humor like Lasorda and McKay. Personally, I'm hoping he finds a way to retain his sense of humor.
