Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Head Coach Sean McVay - September 6, 2021

Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Head Coach Sean McVay - September 6, 2021


Head Coach Sean McVay



Head Coach Sean McVay
(On if it’s nice to have another team in sight)
“It is. It’ll be good getting into game week preparation. It's why you do it. We’ve got a good work week ahead of us, but today thought we started off the right way. Guys had a good look in their eye and it was good to get out here and get that prep going.”

(On if he has a measuring stick for the Bears)
“Well, I think every team is a great measuring stick. This is a playoff team. They've got great players in all three phases. (They’re) really well coached. Really every single week in this league is so difficult and this definitely represents a very difficult opener. One we're excited about.”

(On if preparation is different for this game given this is the fourth straight meeting between the teams)
“It doesn't change much. I think if anything, it gives you greater appreciation for what you're going against. They’ve obviously got a couple of things different where some key personnel at some key spots. They've got a change at the defensive coordinator position, but they still got great players. And I've heard great things about (Bears Defensive Coordinator) Sean Desai and it's going to be a great challenge for us. But, you know that they'll do some good stuff offensively with (Bears Head) Coach (Matt) Nagy and (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Bill) Lazor and (Special Teams Coordinator) Coach (Chris) Tabor does a great job special teams wise. So, it'll be a good challenge.”

(On how close DL A’Shawn Robinson is to returning)
“He’s on track to be able to go, so that's the goal. On Sunday. That was kind of the goal, and we'll take it a day at a time with him. He’s on track right now.”

(On if RB Sony Michel will be ready to play on Sunday night)
“It’s on track. We were really in the early phases of our preparation, and I’ll have a better gauge and a good feel for that once we get through Wednesday and Thursday.”

(On how pleased he is with the progress Michel as shown with learning the playbook)
“I'm very pleased. I think (Running Backs Coach/Assistant Head Coach) Thomas (Brown) is probably a better person to ask that. You can get a good gauge for guys when you go on script. When we've got 20 shots on offense where it's all kind of predetermined, you don't always get the best gauge, but he's been intense in meetings. He's got a good look in his eye. I know Thomas has been really pleased with him. So, he’s on track and he's doing the things that we had hoped up to this point.”

(On how concerned he was about positive COVID-19 cases coming back from the mini-bye weekend)
“It was, and it had nothing to do (with our players). I have total trust in our players. But you just never know because of some of the ways that guys have gotten COVID, whether it be on our coaching staff or our players, that I know have been doing all the right things. Fortunately, we came out clean. That was a good thing when you test everybody today and got good results. That’s something that definitely you breathe a sigh of relief.”

(On if preparing for Bears QB Andy Dalton is a bit of an advantage given that there is so much NFL film on him as opposed to Bears QB Justin Fields)
“I think it would be naive for us not to prepare for them to be able to utilize him in some form or fashion. But (Bears Q Andy (Dalton) is a winning quarterback in this league. (He) does a great job. I really have seen a lot of film of Andy, even going back to when Jay Gruden was his (offensive) coordinator at Cincinnati. So, very familiar with what a really good quarterback he is. He does a great job, accurate, anticipation, recognizes the looks defensively, can straighten up protections. Andy Dalton's a really good quarterback and he'll be a great challenge. And then you see the ways that (Bears Q Justin (Fields) made a lot of plays going back to his career at Ohio State (and) what he showed in the preseason. So, I think you got to be ready for either or, but it's going to be challenge, for sure.”

(On how having an extra quarterback like Bryce Perkins that is versatile helps prepare for every scenario)
“I think it does. I think, in a lot of instances too, you want to make sure that you have really good execution. You can have a tendency sometimes to chase ghosts as a coach early on. Every year is a new year. You have a feel for it and really it's going to be about us executing to the best of our ability to understand our keys and tips. But, having (Q Bryce (Perkins) definitely gives you an advantage to be able to get a good look, both as a quarterback and an athletic quarterback, that can buy some time with his legs.”
(On how the trending rise of high shell post snap rotations affect the play action under center)
“It just depends on what type of play action you're talking about. Some of those elements in it make it a little bit more difficult to get over the top, but it's all about the timing – what type of play action, how many guys are you protecting with – but definitely poses some challenges and that's where it's a tough defense to go against.”

(On if he sees the evolution of the shotgun play action snap, especially seeing that quarterback Matthew Stafford did it at an 11% rate last year)
“I think it really just depends on – what are you trying to attack second level defenders? Are you trying to create a vertical stretch on a three-level type of throw? So, it's kind of all what the intent is. I think the idea is to be able to have stuff that you can activate from underneath the center or in the gun, and really who are you trying to manipulate? Who are you really trying to influence and affect with that action? And both the gun and underneath the center give the ability to do that. But, to say how you're trying to influence the third level of the defenses – we'd have to get real specific on those.”

(On how far he thinks that he and QB Matthew Stafford have come since the offseason)
“I think it's more about his comfort. I think he has done such a good job getting acclimated to his teammates, this environment, this atmosphere. He has been such a quick study and there has been collaboration of what we're doing and so really our goal now is, ‘Hey, let's get a great plan together that our guys on offense, and especially (Q Matthew (Stafford), feel really good – there's ownership, there's an autonomy on what that plan is and you're able to solve some of the problems but able to execute based on the variety of looks that coach decides can activate. So, I feel really good about where he's at, but we've got a long week ahead and we'll just take it a day at a time.”

(On if Stafford’s collaboration has helped him and how)
“Yeah, it has definitely helped me. I don't know if you want to talk about collaboration or just our ability to communicate in the way that he sees it. He has got such a great lens that he sees the game through and I've been able to learn a lot from him, as I know of some of our other coaches and his teammates. So, he has got such a great inventory of things to be able to draw on, and that's a really beneficial thing for our offense and especially for me.”

--RAMS--