Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transcripts - Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians, Buccaneers QB Tom Brady - September 26, 2021

Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transcripts - Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians, Buccaneers QB Tom Brady - September 26, 2021


Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians, Buccaneers QB Tom Brady
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(Opening Statement)
“Great team win. Excellent football team right there. Just some weird stuff, guys. I'm going to tell you. You know, but really pleased with all three phases. You know, that's a football team that's, guys, you know, playing as well as anybody. It's a big step in the right direction for us but it's just one game. And I was really pleased with it. But it really just means, hey, we're 3 and 0. We got a great matchup next week that we'll move forward to. We'll enjoy this for the rest of the night and then come back, clean up the film and be ready to go but a lot of great individual contributions. I thought it was a great team win. You know, all three phases contributed. They played at the level that we expect. Guys stayed connected, they stayed together. Obviously, Matthew Stafford's leadership was outstanding today. I thought, you know, he made some really incredible plays, especially on third down. I thought he was outstanding on third down as the game started to unfold where we had that sequence where we had four drives in a row with touchdowns. DeSean (Jackson) made his big plays. Defensively, Aaron (Donald) was all over the place, Jalen (Ramsey). I thought Kenny Young was outstanding today. Responding from a little bit of a setback last week. He handled it perfectly. Took accountability, ownership. I thought Johnny Hekker to have three punts, all of them end up inside the 20. Matt Gay continues to deliver in a big way. I was really pleased with our special teams. I thought they made a step in the right direction. And that was a positive. Pleased with the win. A lot of respect for Coach Arians and that group. And, you know, they're going to win a lot of games, as we all know.”

(On if this was a measuring stick type of game)
“It means that we're 3-0 and we played a team that's the reigning Super Bowl champs. And that was last year, but they have played really well in their first two games. So if you said, ‘Hey, who were the teams who were 3-0 last year or previous years?’ I bet you really couldn;t remember. There's so many football games to go ahead. We have to have steady improvement. Very pleased with the way the guys handled it. I'm excited about the win, but I also know that it's, ‘Hey, we got to enjoy it and then move forward.’ Whether we ended up winning or losing that game, you have to be able to move forward in this league so that’s what out guys will do. I have total trust and confidence in the leadership from our team, with our players and then our coaching staff.”

(On his sprint up the sidelines for DeSean Jackson’s long touchdown reception)
“You know what, I think I probably had too much caffeine from Joey Blake. He gave me some extra stuff. And I definitely wasn't short on energy. I'll probably catch cramps later today. You know, I don't know. I didn’t really think about it. I was being in the moment and having fun, enjoying watching these guys do their thing and there was a lot of reasons to be excited for our team today.”

(On the performance of RB Sony Michel)
“He did. It was really great, Maria. I thought he had some really tough, hard-earned yards. I mean, that's an excellent defense. They've been the best at stopping the run for the last few years and, really, ever since Coach Bowles got there. It was tough, hard-earned. You know, he had a couple good runs where we were able to churn out the clock. You know, even the drive that resulted in a field goal, I want to say it was 14 plays or something like that. He had a couple critical runs to keep the clock moving. Really, just, you know, keep us in control of that game. And then he had a great 15-yard run on the one play on the one toss play on the first drive, or on that last drive that we kind of had before we ended up taking a knee. So really pleased with Sony (Michel) and he's only going to just continue to build off of this.”

(On the defensive effort plays and how the defense complements each other)
“I think you just mentioned it, really, with the question. They are complementing one another. They're seeing things as one. They’re playing great team defense. They're making people snap it one more time. I mean, Tom (Brady) has such a good feel, he's able to read and recognize, ‘All right, what are some of the looks?’ I thought our guys did an outstanding job. So, really, all three levels of the defense, seeing things as one, playing as one, picking one another up. I thought it was outstanding. I thought Raheem (Morris) had a great plan and the defensive coaching staff. And that's an excellent offense. I mean, they’re going to make some of their plays. I thought we were physical throughout. I thought we were physical, but we were also within the parameters of, you know, being smart and safe. And it was exciting. They did a great job today.”

(On how we got DeSean Jackson involved)
“You know, we got them on the grass. And that was something that, like I said, nobody's more responsible than I was those first couple weeks. I don't run away from those excuses because whatever I would say after would be an excuse. But he's a playmaker. He showed that. But we do need to get that ball security better. I was not kidding about that. He did a great job. It was fun. He's electric. We had a lot of players that made a lot of plays. I thought (Tyler) Higbee had some critical third down conversions. We mentioned Sony (Michel). Robert Woods, the 20-yard in cut that he caught was a big play. I mean, you talk about a guy who has had some hidden, big time plays in these three weeks. This guy's a stud. He's a captain for a reason. Van Jefferson continues to be steady. And then Cooper (Kupp) delivered. Cooper's so critical of himself, he's going to be bothered by a couple plays, but he still comes ups with almost 100 (yards) and two touchdowns. And there's a lot of good things. And the offensive line, these guys are steady, they’re tough, they're resilient and I love working with these guys.”

(On if this team feels like it has Super Bowl potential)
“Yeah, you just mentioned it Lindsey. It's three games in. Through three games, we've done a good job. We've done what we can in terms of being 3-0. It's weird saying 14 games left. We got 14 games left, that is so much football left. You can't get complacent. I don't worry about that at all, like I mentioned to you guys. But we got a tough, I believe an undefeated Arizona Cardinals team that we're going to see next week. And we're going to be where our feet are planted. We're going to enjoy tonight and come back ready to work to get after these guys. It’s going to be a tough challenge.”

(On Justin Hollin’s injury)
“I don't have an update on him. Sorry about that.”

(On defending Tom Brady in the fourth quarter knowing what he is capable of late in game)
“Yeah, I think it was just the amount of ways that they can beat you and that's what good offenses do.
I thought we did a good job keeping the ball in front of us. They still made their plays. You got (Mike) Evans, (Chris) Godwin. Those guys are excellent players. (Rob) Gronkowski is going to make his plays, even (Cameron) Brate. And I thought Gio Bernard, you know, is a really good back that I have a tremendous respect for even in his days at Cincinnati. And so, I thought we did a good job making them snap it one more time. They made their plays but, overall, I thought we did a great job. I was really pleased with the effort. And then we really stopped and shut out the run. Which was, you know, an important part of emphasis. Wanted to make them one-dimensional. And then I thought our rush was able to get home and, you know, continue to make them extend drives or get some key critical stops. Really pleased with those guys today.”

(On when he committed to running into the tunnel after DeSean Jackson’s touchdown)
“I don't know if there was ever really a decision made. I think my hamstrings are already sore. I probably pulled them both. But I think just pure excitement. I'm not really thinking about those things in the moment. Just enjoying it with these guys. The fans were awesome today, too. What an electric atmosphere in this stadium. And the two times we've been here in this stadium against the Bears and then today, it was rocking and it was awesome to see our guys put on a good show for the fans.”

(On how Matthew Stafford changes the offense and adds to the excitement)
“What he's done through three games, I think his resumé speaks for itself, Bill. He's done a great job through these three games. And that's all he can really do. I think he's just seamlessly accommodated himself or really acclimated himself to being in our building. His teammates love him. His coaches love him. And he just goes about his business. He's so steady, so consistent. And I just thought he got better as the game progressed. And, you know, love working with him. Okay. Thanks, guys.”

Rams QB Matthew Stafford
(On what it feels like when the ball is in the air on a deep pass and he can hear the crowd noise swell up)
“It's great. I wish it would have swelled up on the first two. Help me out. I left a couple short to DJack (DeSean Jackson) today. But I was happy for him. He did a great job, getting behind the defense a couple times today. You know, I missed him on a couple so I was glad to make one of them count. It was a big play for us. Instead of going three and out right there, get a long touchdown and put a little wind in the sail so it was great.”

(On his receiving targets and how much fun this has been so far)
“Yeah, it's been great. We do. We have so many talented guys. I think Sean (McVay) does a great job of, you know, just calling plays and letting us go out there and play and let me get through progressions. And our guys are just doing what they're supposed to do and I'm trying to get it to them as best I can. I think we had a lot of guys touch the ball today and make plays. So that's when we're at our best. I keep saying it but, you know, when we make defenses defend the entire field and everybody on our roster, that's going to be good for us.”

(On if getting TE Tyler Higbee going early was part of the game plan)
“I think we just kind of had plays that, you know, it wasn't a specific matchup or anything like that. I think we were going out there and calling plays that Sean (McVay) did a great job of designing. We try and go out there and execute them. He did a great job after the catch a few times. Had a big third down conversion over the middle, as well. He's an unsung guy for us. He does everything for us and a really talented player. I'm glad he had a big day.”

(On being in LA and playing in some big games to start the season)
“Yeah, I mean every time we go out there it's a big one. We prepare really hard. You know, we practice, we work hard, we watch tape, we do all those things, and we get one chance a week to execute and make those plays. And no doubt, Tampa is a really good football team. You know, they're Super Bowl champs. Tom Brady, the defense, all of it. It was a big challenge for us. Nice to go out there and play our game. We went out there and executed. Didn't start as fast as we wanted to but did a nice job coming back when we needed to.”

(On Aaron Donald showing his love for him and the effect he thinks he is having on the team)
“It's a whole lot better than when he used to be chasing me so I’ll take it. Those hugs are a whole lot better than the old ones. I'm just trying to be myself. I'm lucky to be in a locker room with guys like that. There's so many different guys on our team that are, you know, great NFL players, great people. You know, I was the new guy coming in and they embraced me, which was awesome. And I'm just trying to be myself every single day, bring my best every single day and see where that takes us.”

(On another big game for Cooper Kupp)
“Cooper (Kupp) is a talented guy. You know, some of those plays were great play calls by Sean (McVay). A couple checks here and there where we got to some stuff where he was going to be open and did a great job. He'll be the first guy to tell you, when everyone else around him is playing great, it helps. DeSean (Jackson) had a great game, (Tyler) Higbee had a good game. Woody (Robert Woods) made a great catch on third down. I mean, when we get that going, it's tough to zero in on one guy. And, you know, Cooper just got his opportunities and made the most of them.”

(On Sony Michel’s contribution and the protection he received today)
“Yeah, Sony (Michel) was great. For a guy that's still, I consider him somewhat new to the team, he had no offseason with us. To step in there and play like he did today was awesome. And our guys up front, it starts and ends with them. You know, our guys can go try and get open and I can try and throw the ball, but if I'm not standing upright back there, we got no chance. And they did a hell of a job today against a really good front, an aggressive defensive coordinator that wants to send pressures. They did a great job of picking them up and giving me time to kind of survey the field and get the ball to the right guy. So every week we talk about being the most physical team and that starts with those guys and I think they did it again today.”

(On if there is a joy with the problem pliability and problem-solving abilities of this offense)
“Yeah, definitely. I think each team we go up against presents a new challenge for us every single week and we have to go out there and try to find a way to solve that problem and figure out the best way to score points. Some weeks, like this week, it's going to be throwing the ball a lot more than we run it. You know, other weeks it will be vice versa, maybe down the field, short passes. But I think Sean does a great job of giving us a game plan that really keeps the defense on their toes. I mean, we threw the ball underneath today, we threw screens, we threw it over the top, we ran the ball, we play actioned, we did a little bit of everything. So when he's got us going like that, you know, it's fun to go out there and execute them.”

(On if it’s hard to come off of a game like this and prepare for another opponent that is 3-0)
“No, they'll get your attention quick. You know, it's a really good football team. I played Arizona a bunch in my past when I was in Detroit. I'm a little bit familiar with them. High-powered offense, game changing players on defense, added J.J. Watt to the mix. They're a really talented group. It will be another big challenge for us. But the only thing we can do is prepare for the next one and go out there and try to get a win.”

(On if he saw Sean McVay running to the tunnel)
“Yeah, at some point, I saw him. He was going crazy which was awesome. It was a lot of fun to play. We had kind of talked about earlier in the week, you know, possibly getting a chance to get DJack (DeSean Jackson) down the field on that one. I'm glad he went to it and then we were able to execute.”

(On what he was seeing from the Buccaneer’s defense on the touchdown passes)
“It wasn't easy. They're a talented team. You know, I think our guys did a great job of getting open, getting behind them a couple times. (Tyler) Higbee did a great job scoring on the screen. Cooper (Kupp) did a nice job twice kind of catching it and getting it in. He's an aggressive defensive coordinator. They're an aggressive defense. We had some opportunities in some tight coverage and our guys won those matchups which was huge for us.”

(On if he thinks he is playing with a lot of great players on this roster)
“Yeah, I don't want to rehash all the years I was there to be honest with you. But I just know that I feel grateful to step in the huddle with the guys that I have, both the guys up front that are playing at the level that they're playing at right now and the guys around me in the skilled positions. I'm enjoying every minute of it and trying to make the most of it and seeing where it will take us.”

Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians
(Opening Statement)
“Obviously not the outcome we're looking for. I didn’t think we played, in any phase, up to our ability today. Obviously, in the road game, we didn't handle the noise like we should have offensively a couple of times. We’ve just got to get stops on defense, which we never did in the second half. Obviously, losing (Buccaneers CB Jamel) Dean hurt. With him and (Buccaneers RB Ke’Shawn) Shawn (Vaughn) both out, other guys have to step up. We didn't today. Our pass rush didn’t get home and we had to get home to help those guys out and get it done. We didn’t score down in the red zone for the first time this year and it was a little disappointing, but we'll bounce back next week.”

(On if there are any updates on Dean’s knee)
“No.”

(On what some of the major flaws were in the second half)
“Busted coverage.Just totally busted the coverage. Lack of communication and they didn’t get the call to each other. That’s what young guys do.”

(On not making stops on defense)
“Yeah, that's the pass rush. You can't sit back there and hold the ball. We’ve got to get home. We’ve got to get home better when rushing forward and do a better job of covering seven routes.”

(On if the Rams did anything different to prevent them from getting into an offensive groove)
“Defensively? No, I don't think so. It's the same defense and good players make plays. We didn't make enough of them.”

(On Bruce’s admiration for Rams QB Matthew Stafford)
“Well, as you said, you push him down the field so easily. You’re right at work in his face one time then he finds a guy wide open down the field and gets it to him. Other guys can't do that. They see them, but they can't get it to him. He gets it to him. So, yeah, he's a special player.”

(On Bruce allowing the Rams to convert third downs)
“The both - it's a lack of communication and a lack of making plays. As I said, the front four didn't get there. We got one sack on the book, like late, but we’ve got to do a better job with the front four getting home.”

(On what the Rams did specifically to corral the pass rush)
“They just blocked us. They blocked us. (OL Joe (Tryon-Shoyinka) came through clean a couple of times. He got the ball out. The times that we did beat them, they were quick or some other thing that the ball came out quick. So, we didn't get the sack.”

(On starting to get new corners in)
“Well, we brought a couple of guys in, in the last couple of weeks, that have experience - long and tall corners. We'll make that decision on the plane, on the ride home.”

(On the pressure to get corners due to Dean’s injury)
“No, like I said we just broke two in the last two weeks (CB Jason) Pierre (Paul) and (C Rashad Robinson, so they both can play little man to man and are good corners, so we’ll see what we’re going to do."

(On the Rams personnel changes from last year and their danger to the team)
“Well, I guess really the only one was (Rams Q Matt (Stafford) and that’s pretty dangerous. I don't really see a bunch of other guys, but they're a good football team.”

(On the crowd noise being a factor in the game)
“Oh no, we knew it was going to be loud, but you still, if you're a wide receiver, there's never an excuse to be offsides. And now if you're up there audibling and a tackle is playing tight end, then he should be holding onto somebody, make sure he doesn't jump offsides, but we’ll correct those errors. They’re easy to correct.”

(On Giovani Bernard’s knee injury)
“It looks like he’s fine. Yeah. We'll see. It might swell on the plane but that's the worst thing about these types of things - six hours or whatever five hours on a plane, you swell a little bit more than normal.”

(On Coach being down on the sideline during the game)
“Yeah, I’m tough (expletive). (Laughs)"

(On spending time with Tom Brady this week)
“No, no, that's (inaudible).”

(On Rob Gronkowski’s injury)
“X-rays came out negative. So, he's fine.”

(On if it was a Rib injury)
“Ribs"

(On not having a balanced offense not being able to run the football)
“No, (Bucs RB Ronald Jones) “Ro Jo” ran really well. And especially in that one drive, but then when you get down, you got to go to the two minutes and speed it up and throw it. So, it wasn't a game where you could, ‘Hey, let's stay in the running game for a while.’”

(On their first loss in ten games)
“They know right now we didn't play up to our ability. When we play up to our ability, we're a better football team than this one. We'll make sure that we make the corrections. Everybody's eyes and ears will be open to the coaching and our guys do a great job with that. So, it's no different winning and losing. You go and you correct It. There's a lot of mistakes. There’s a lot of good things too and you march onto the next one.”

(On the next game against the Patriots and the challenge traveling from East to West Coast)
“Yeah, we knew when we got the schedule this was going to be a tough two weeks in a row, but it is what it is. It's a great place to go play. Obviously, we'll have a ton of attention.”

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady
(On what the Rams defense was able to do to contain the Buccaneers offense)
“We got off to a slow start. Anytime you do that, you're fighting behind all day. I think we played a good team that didn't turn the ball over. They played well offensively, and we just didn't make enough plays on offense early to kind of take control of anything. Just not a great complimentary game by us. Got to learn from it. There (were) some things to see and the silent count and working on some different facets of our offense. But anytime you come up short, it's not a great feeling.”

(On how much the crowd noise was an issue for them on offense)
“It's good. It’s (a) very loud stadium. Very loud. One of the louder ones we've been in. But there's a lot of other loud stadiums. We got to do a better job of handling it.”

(On running the ball and being the Buccaneers leading rusher this game)
“I think we're all going to just really look hard to evaluate every part of what we're doing. There’s never really good enough in football. I think that those guys up front are trying to create space and the backs are trying to run hard. And again, when you get out of losing all game, basically, you're forcing more throwing than probably we'd want, but obviously the throwing needs to be better. All around offense needs to be better. More production in the red area. Tried to kick too many field goals. Need to be better on third down. We definitely had some opportunities to make some plays out there to help the team win. Just didn't get it done.”

(On if he feels disappointed by only putting up 24 points compared to putting up 48 points against the Falcons and still feeling like he left stuff out there)
“We scored two defensive touchdowns last week. So, we got to be better on offense.”

(On if anything surprised him that the Rams did)
“They do a good job. Really, it's just a good defense. They do a good job keeping balls in front of them. They make it tough on you on third downs and red areas. Obviously, they have some good pass-rush schemes. They have good pass rushers. They mix things up quite a bit on you. So, it's hard to really just tee off, but they played well. They obviously played a very good game. They played the kind of game they wanted to play and if we're going to beat a team like that, we got to play good in all phases. We got to get some turnovers and we got to keep protecting the ball and we got to start fast and get a lead and stay. Run the ball well, throw the ball well, play good defense, play good special teams and that all fits together when you play good teams.”

(On how Rams QB Matthew Stafford has evolved throughout his career)
“He's a great quarterback. He throws a ball well. Obviously, they made some big plays on us. They have a good group of skilled players. They have very good offense. We need to match them. Our offense needs to match those offenses when we play a really good offense like that.”

(On how he expects his emotions to be going back to play in Foxborough for the first time since he left the Patriots)
“It’s a tough loss for us. So, I'll just get through the plane and evaluate kind of what we need to do to put ourselves in a better position to win from a quarterback standpoint. I want to win every time I take the field.”

(On how different the defensive scheme was in terms of play calling versus what he saw a year ago)
“Pretty similar. They play really similar type stuff. They have good players. They have a good rush. Good coverage guys. I thought they played good on defense tonight.”

--RAMS--