McVay and Goff comments

Los Angeles Rams Transcripts -
December 20, 2020

Head Coach Sean McVay
(Opening Remarks)
“First of all, congratulations to the Jets. They came in here ready to go, made enough plays to win the football game and hats off to them. We didn’t do enough to get it done and it’s very disappointing. I thought we had a good week of preparation, but offensively, just unbelievably poor to start the game, penalties shot ourselves in the foot, dug ourselves in too deep of a hole. You get a punt blocked, defense kind of kept us in it, and then it was kind of a flip of momentum. But ultimately, we make no excuses. We’re going to go back, look at this, and we’re going to learn from it and we’re going to move forward. That’s all I know how to do. It’s extremely disappointing, but you’re not going to get any excuses from me and I have to do a better job at having our team ready to go.”

(On his decisions on the last offensive series with the two long passes on third and fourth down)
“Yeah, we felt like we were going to be able to get an opportunity. Really on the third-down, we had some looks that we felt like we had a good isolation, but clearly, we have to be able to progress there. And then on the fourth down, had (TE) Gerald Everett in a man-to-man situation, and then (WR) Cooper (Kupp) on an underneath route, where, if we didn’t love that, kind of a little high low. Ultimately, we didn’t make those plays, but we got the coverage and the looks that we were looking for there.”

(On if he could sense why they were making uncharacteristic mistakes such as dropped passes)
“It’s hard to say. I think you have to go back and look at it. You don’t want to make any sort of excuses. Had a little bit of a layoff and we weren’t nearly as sharp. I thought the penalties were really hurtful for us too. We had some big hits in the run game where you look like you’re getting yourself. We had one that actually scores and it comes back, so it’ll be interesting to really go back and look at this. I’m not going to make any excuses though. We didn’t do enough, and I have to be better for our football team.”

(On what he saw from QB Jared Goff today)
“I have to go back and look at it. I thought he did a good job getting us a couple scoring drives, and then we had our opportunities and ultimately, collectively we didn’t make enough plays and get it done.”

(On what he believes the main issue was with their performance today)
“I have to do a better job of getting us ready to go. And really, it was in all three phases. It wasn’t good enough. This loss will demoralize us only as much as we allow it to. It’s going to be embarrassing, sick to your stomach about it, but we do have two games left and we have to find a way to respond and rebound on a short week, not really a short week but this week, as we get ready for the Seahawks. That was very humbling, and it’s going to be humbling, but we’re going to move forward. That’s exactly what we’ll do. That’s all I know how to do.”

(On why he didn’t go to two tight end sets earlier, which seemed to work the previous two weeks)
“Yeah, we really didn’t have a chance to get any plays because we were three and out. The snaps were so few and far between and we had the penalties. So, the first half was really just not much of an opportunity to get any sort of drive continuity or rhythm if you will. I don’t know if it was as much about the personnel groupings as it was the execution.”

(On what he said to the players afterwards, and how he learns from what happened today)
“Just like anything else, whether you lose or you win, you always learn. You move forward and you can’t allow the previous result, whether it be good or bad, to affect the way that you prepare for the following week. And so, what I say to the team, I keep that between us but I expect us to be able to respond. I’m going to go back to work, look at this, be honest with the mistakes that I made and where I can be better to help prepare and make sure that we avoid making some of the same mistakes twice. But like I said, this is not the result, or not the type of game that we expected, but this is why you play sports.”

QB Jared Goff
(On why the offense did not have rhythm the first half of the game and what he was seeing from his perspective)
"Yeah, I think they did a good job defensively doing some things to prevent us from getting into that rhythm. I think with that being said though, bottom line we didn’t execute up to our standards offensively in the first half. I thought in the second half we bounced back and played a lot better, but it was too little, too late obviously."

(On if he had any sense that a letdown against the Jets would be possible over the last ten days of preparation)
"No."

(On losing an opportunity to clench a playoff spot and where he feels this puts the team going into the games against the Seahawks and Cardinals)
"Yeah obviously a disappointing loss and it’s going to sting for a day. We have a game coming up next week that we were going to have to win anyways and I think we know that and obviously we’re disappointed with how today went and embarrassed. You’re sick to your stomach about it, but I think like I said, we knew we have to win that game against Seattle next week and we’ll handle Week 17 when it gets here. Next week will be a big one for us, absolutely."

(On if he can diagnose the final two passing plays on the last offensive series)
"Yeah, the first one to (R Cam (Akers), I would have liked to give him a little bit more of a chance there or maybe progress through the play. Didn’t love where I put it. The second one, yeah I got everything we wanted, threw a ball out there and (Jets S Marcus) Maye made a good play. I mean, he made a great defensive play and we weren’t able to convert on it.”

(On what happened with the interception)
"I forced a ball I shouldn’t throw. I just thought I could fit one in to (WR) Robert (Woods) and he made a great play."

(On if it’s possible for the young team to mature to the point where it can take advantage of these opportunities)
"I think it’s very possible. I think, like I mentioned today, it’s extremely disappointing but we’ve shown time and time again that we respond in the right way. What better chance is there to respond then next week against the Seattle Seahawks? I know for this week, really for these 24 hours, we’ll be disappointed about this, but starting tomorrow we’ll be ready to go and geared up to go up to Seattle."

(On if the New York Jets were executing well or if there were some missed plays)
"Both. Honestly, I think it was more missed execution on our part. They played well defensively, and especially up front they were able to play really well. But honestly, we didn’t execute. I didn’t execute. We didn’t do a lot of the things we had prepped to do and that’s how you lose a game, is by not executing what you’re supposed to execute."

(On if there was any thought to change the play to something shorter on third down and fourth down deep shots)
"No."

on one job every single week and that’s winning a game. Anything other than that, we’re not focused on.