Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Head Coach Sean McVay- October 18, 2021

View this email in your browser

Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Head Coach Sean McVay- October 18, 2021
Head Coach Sean McVay
Head Coach Sean McVay
(On the injury status of TE Johnny Mundt and others)
“(TE) Johnny Mundt, really unfortunate. He tore his ACL. He’s going to be out for the year. That's a big loss for us. He's done such a great job, but he'll come back. He'll attack the rehab the right way. So, we'll put him on IR. (R Jake Funk also tore his hamstring, which we’ll recommend surgery for him. He'll be on IR and be out for the remainder of the year. So, it's a bummer for both of those guys. (R Sony (Michel) banged his shoulder up a little bit, but he should be okay. (Q John (Wolford) got his neck banged up a little bit – John Wolford on the one-zone read. He should be okay. Other than that, it's just your kind of typical bumps and bruises. But main thing is, really it's a bummer for both Johnny and Jake. Two losses on guys that have really done a nice job continuing to improve. We'll have to ask some guys to step up in those two players’ absences.”

(On where and how there is ownership of QB Matthew Stafford in the offensive system)
“I think, really, the best way to articulate it is there's phases of our offense. And when we activate those phases, where (are) there opportunities for ownership to be expressed? In the run game, for example, we have certain things if we're trying to run the football that there might be some looks that a defense can present that he checks us out of and gives us to another run. Like, I was looking for the quarterbacks, right – and I know this is kind of a long-winded way of answering your question – but, you’ve got to be able to call the play. You’ve got to be able to understand the intent of the play. You’ve got to know the mechanics that you're asked to operate with within that play, and then be able to really solve the problems. And I think that fourth thing is where the real ownership, the collaboration comes in. So it's the play, it's the intent, it's the mechanics, and then it's being able to solve the problems. He's able to do that. A lot of those problems are reflective of protection oriented in the pass game, certain run structures, or pressures, or different defensive surfaces that give you problems based on the amount of guys you have committed to the blocking surface in the run game. Those are the majority of the problems that arise. There's certainly some coverage problems that you might have a dead play, but I think it's really whatever the phase of our offense is that we're activating. But specifically for (Q Matthew (Stafford), I think he's got great ownership of all of it. I think he can really solve a lot of the problems, but I think in the instances where you're saying, okay, ‘Hey, let's get into certain things.’ And then you've got a menu of things that you can activate where it's kind of like a dealer's choice and you're putting it in his hands is where I think the ownership is really displayed. There were some instances yesterday where he's definitely full control, getting us in and out of the right looks, and the right plays – a couple of which resulted in touchdown plays. Then, some of it might just be the ownership of getting all the way through a progression when you're starting front side, or it might be we're running a keeper game and you know how to no-look a slide route from (WR) Cooper Kupp that keeps (Giants C Logan Ryan tucked in on (TE) Tyler Higbee and opens it up for a touchdown. That's putting his own spin on it. But, all of those are different forms of reflection of the ownership that he's displayed and he truly is an extension of the coaching staff on the field. A lot of the stuff that we're doing is a reflection of things that he owns and it always starts with the quarterback. It always will and that's what he's done. And that's why I think you see us operate in the way that we are in a lot of instances and the positive thing that I think you can feel is I still think there's room for improvement for us.”

(On what he learns when a play starts to go out of structure and what Stafford can do in those situations)
“Well, I think it's good. To me, those are situations where, as coaches right, there's always a timing, a rhythm that you want to see reflected. Now, that's not how the game is always played. It's an imperfect game. And if you can have those situations reveal itself in a manner that's reflective of, ‘Alright. When we're on rhythm, when we're on schedule, let it come to life.’ But I also think one of the beauties of a player like Matthew and some of these other quarterbacks is giving them where you're distributing the field in a manner that's reflective of, ‘Okay. If the rush disperses that makes you get flushed, is the field still distributed and can he activate all parts of the field?’ But I think the best way that I would answer that question is it's easy because what happens is if I'm wrong, he still has a chance of making it right. And those are the things you're looking for. If it's there in the timing and rhythm, let's be as close to automatic as possible. But I think the guys that really separate themselves are the ones when it does go a little bit off schedule, right, you have the ability to make it right. And there's different ways that that's illustrated. I'm thinking about the Thursday night game. (Buccaneers Q Tom Brady gets flushed off his spot and he's still kind of in the integrity of the pocket. Gets moved to his right. Hits (Buccaneers WR) Antonio Brown on an end break with a push and an end breaking route coming in behind it. That's a great example of an off-schedule play. Or you see guys that actually break contain and end up making big plays down the field. So, a lot of it can be illustrated in different forms or fashions and I think Matthew's done both of those in the first six weeks that we've been together. But it's easy to let go when he does those things, not to minimize that part of the question too.”

(On if he has any regrets in regard to the QB Jared Goff for QB Matthew Stafford trade or with any communication involved with it)
“Yeah. If you said, ‘Do you think that the way that it unfolded was totally different than the way anybody anticipated?’ Yes. Could I have handled it better in terms of, ‘Hey if there's a possibility of it let's get ahead, even if you're out of town, yada, yada, yada.’ So to answer your question, yes. I wish that there was better clear communication. You don't want to catch guys off guard. It came together a lot faster than anybody anticipated. But yeah, of course. Anytime that tough decisions and things like that, where people are affected, you always want to be as understanding and as empathetic as possible and think about it through the other person's lens. And there are certainly things I would do it a little bit differently when those situations arise in the future. But I think (Q Jared (Goff) knows the respect that I have for him. I feel very good about the dialogue that we were able to have before he had gone to Detroit. He knows the appreciation that we, as an organization, that I have as a coach, for all the good things that he did here. But to say that it was perfectly handled on my end, I wouldn't be totally accurate in that, but I'll never claim to be perfect. But I will try to learn from some things that I can do better and I think that was one of them without a doubt.”

(On what he thinks Goff meant when he said, “If you are in a place that you are not wanted, and they want to move on then the feeling is mutual, you don’t want to be in that place. It became increasingly clear that was the case.”)
“I can't speak for him. So I would be speaking out of turn. That'd be a question for him, not for me.”

(On if there was a tipping point in when he decided to move on from Goff)
“No, I wouldn't say that. Going back to when this all went down, it was more about the opportunity to acquire Matthew and what we felt like that meant for our football team. And that was why that decision was made. And that's why things came together as quickly as they did, because we felt like it was a rare opportunity to acquire a player of Matthew's caliber, that those opportunities just don't come up often. The studying and evaluation of his game and then kind of that organic interaction that was able to occur in Cabo. It was kind of a very unique situation to say the least. And that's what led to the decision being made in the manner and the timing that it was.”

(On if Goff’s return is fun, uncomfortable or distracting)
“No. This to me is such a small network of things. There are a lot of games where you go against former players or people that you've worked with or you're coaching against people. The appreciation you have for the NFL and what a competitive balance there is with 32 teams, and players and coaches alike. I feel fortunate that these are things that occur on a regular basis. I think there's going to be a lot made of it because he's the quarterback and it's such a significant position and all the good things that he had done for us and for this team and the success that he had. But it's about the Lions versus the Rams. And we're going to try to put together a great game plan to be successful in all three phases, try to go get our sixth win. And that's really what it is. It's a fun narrative and these are questions that you guys have to ask but there might be some inside knowledge that he has on how we operate and vice versa for some of the things that he can do. But that's no different than any other week when you have some familiarity with an opponent, whether it be from the coaches or from the players that you've worked with in previous stops.”

(On if he is deep enough into studying the Lions to tell how representative their 0-6 record is of their talent)
“I wouldn't say that I'm deep enough in that preparation, as you guys know, usually the start of the preparation is followed up after we finish up this. The earlier parts of the day are kind of wrapping up and putting a bow on the Giants game. But I've followed this because I follow the league. And so I know this, it might not have gone the way they want it to against the Bengals, but I see a Ravens team playing as good as anybody in the league right now. And I know they went toe to toe with them. And there are a couple of crazy plays at the end, from that being a win. I think Minnesota is one of the better 3-3 teams that I've ever seen, when I've seen just some of the stuff that they're doing. And you look at the way that it's unfolded, and they are a play away from winning that game. So our guys know that the record is not reflective of the type of caliber of opponent that we have coming in here. And we're going to be ready to go and we know we need to be ready to go to be able to try to go and get the result that we want this week.”

(On what he’s seen differently from S Taylor Rapp that has enabled him to be so successful in the game against the Giants)
“I think the ‘make a difference’ plays that he had chances to deliver on, he did. I thought he did a great job displaying a lot of versatility playing in the deep part of the field, a lot of things where he was in the underneath parts. Thought our coaches put together a great game plan. He ends up having those two interceptions. He was active in the run game. Thought he did a great job communicating and I thought as a defense, as a whole - really there's four turnovers, but I also count fourth down stops as a turnover. So, you really look at it as our defense had five turnovers and three of those, we were able to turn into touchdowns. So, you're getting 21 points off of those turnovers. That's good complementary football, but (S) Taylor Rapp was outstanding. (I’m) really pleased with him. I've seen him play confident. I've seen a guy that's just using his experience and applying it in the right ways. Then, I'm seeing 10 other guys play well around him. That's always the reflection of good team ball. I thought yesterday was an outstanding example of rush and coverage working in alignment, different personnel groupings that we were able to activate to utilize the totality of the amount of guys that we had up defensively. Taylor was certainly a big part of why things went as well as they did yesterday and I'm expecting him to be able to build on that performance. But that was great and (I’m) really happy for Taylor.”

(On what areas he feels like he is able to coach and what areas he feels like he is able to teach to get everybody on the same page)
“I think the first thing is coaching and teaching to me are one and the same. I think it's always about how do we all come together? How do we see things through the same lens? I've heard (Defensive Coordinator) Raheem (Morris) say this before, ‘It's our job as coaches to identify the problems and then ultimately the player's job to be able to have those solutions and put those into effect.’ I think it's a combination of both - identify the problems, help put in place the solution-oriented answers, and then let's go execute it as players. So, I think the guys, really, just understanding, right, ‘How do we put a game plan together that's in alignment with trying to stop some of the things that offenses are trying to do based on the situation, the down and distance, some of the personnel groupings, and formations, and all the different things that go into that.’ But I could go on and on about it, but I think it's ultimately about everybody collaborating and connecting to see it through the same lens and then understanding what needs to be done - that clarity that's communicated from our end, what we need to do to execute at the highest level, and ultimately have our process in alignment with getting good results.”

(On what his preliminary thought on who might step into Mundt and Funk roles is)
“We're working through that right now. I know that somebody is going to need to step up at the tight end spot and the running back spot. A couple of guys that are candidates on the practice squad or maybe even on the active roster already. So, those are things that we're in the process of working through. Just kind of got that information on those guys, so that'll be something that I'll probably be able to give you a little bit better clarity on Wednesday.”

(On his process is in determining who gets the green dot on defense)
“These are things that we've talked about a lot and I think the first thing that goes into it is the most natural position is that inside linebacker spot, just because of the proximity that you're aligned to the front and the back end to be able to just get things communicated. That's always the ideal thing, but there's so many different personnel groupings that you're mixing and matching throughout the course of the game. And when you look at (Former Rams FS Eric) Weddle, there was a lot of instances where you knew he was going to be on the field every single snap and he was such a great, rare communicator that we wanted to be able to take advantage of either or. That was kind of the start of having somebody from the backend take over the mic. And Eric was a really unique, special player in his own right to be able to do that. (Former Rams FS) John Johnson - in a very similar manner - great communicator, great ownership, and autonomy. There was a lot of defensive personnel groupings that we were playing that enabled him to kind of be on the second level of the defense, so he was able to kind of seamlessly communicate.”

(On if he talks to Stafford about how to handle the extra pressure of playing against his former team of 13 years)
“I think you talk to him about it. I don't know. He’s so impressive in terms of his weekly rhythm and his consistency through these first six weeks and so steady and even keeled. I don't think he'll make it bigger than what it is, but again, that's something that you want to ask and get some insight on how you're feeling even as we go through their personnel, defensively, offensively. It's amazing the amount of changes that have been made specifically on the defensive side of the ball. There's still a lot of changes, a lot of new faces offensively, anytime that you have a new GM, new head coach kind of transitioning. I think there's a lot of guys that maybe he wouldn't recognize. Maybe it'd be even a little bit different if you're going back to Detroit as opposed to them coming out here, but I think that's definitely something that you'll talk about. I don't get the sense, just knowing him, that he'll make it anything bigger than what it is. But you're not minimizing the history. I know how much he cares about a lot of people and a lot of great memories that he created there.”

(On if he communicates with former players during the week or if that is something that is reserved for pre- or post-game)
“I think it just depends on whatever that relationship is. I was really close with (Vikings Q Kirk Cousins as well and that happened to be the second game that we played when I was out here in L.A. I think there's a mutual respect and appreciation that exists. But with players, I don't think you want to maybe bother them the week of, but I kind of just do what's natural. I don't really think too much about it. I don't think you want to make it a bigger deal. It's definitely not awkward. It’s such a frequent occurrence going against former players or former coaches, like I alluded to. I think about, as you're asking that question, like with (Packers Head Coach) Matt LaFleur, because of our close relationship, that was a different dynamic. We talk on a weekly basis, so we weren't going to change that up. Now, we weren't talking about the plays that we were going to run. Maybe I should've got him to tell me a little bit more information last year (laughs), but I think it's all predicated on the individual circumstance and situation.”

(On if there is a moment or situation that stands out to him as the best moment he and Goff shared together as player and coach and how does he think Goff will be received at SoFi Stadium)
“I think he'll be received well. I think the L.A. fans, and I think the Rams fans, know what a great job he had done and how much he meant to the Rams organization, both as a football player and then also (in) the community. You look at all the great things that he did off the field and finished some projects that he had started with some of the schools and things like that. I think that tells you a lot about the human being that he is. So, I think he'll be received well. I don't see it going any other way than that. Some of the memories, there's a lot of good memories. I remember my first year, being able to win that division with the rest of the guys celebrating in the Tennessee locker room after we were able to do that. Celebrating in the Lions locker room the second year we were able to win the division. The Thursday Night Game was a pretty special performance against the Vikings. Him being able to demonstrate a great performance in crunch time against the Saints in the NFC Championship. There’s a lot of good memories that come to mind. The further you get away – even though it was a tough circumstance and not an ideal way to kind of have him go to the Lions and things like that – the further that things go on, the more you can reflect back in a positive way of all the good things that occurred over those four years that we were together.”

(On the secondary rotation during the Giants game and what did CB Dont’e Deayon show him)
“Just that. You talk about Matthew, how smart he is, Double D (CB Dont’e Deayon) is a really smart, instinctual player, great competitor. He did a great job being able to play outside. He played some inside, played over 50 snaps for us and was a heavy contributor in a big way. I thought he did a great job. Definitely wasn’t too big for him, came up and made some tackles as an enforcer in some of the run fits. He did a really good job. I was really pleased with him. It's good to be able to get (S) Nick Scott a little bit more involved. (S Terrell) Burgess played, I want to say around nine snaps, so I think the more that we can take advantage of it, I think (DB Robert) Rochelle continues to take steps in the right direction. (C David Long (Jr.) got a couple of snaps as well. I think really maximizing the ability. I also thought it was (S) Jordan Fuller's best game this season. He’s been such a steady performer that you almost take it for granted, but thought he moved around. I thought he had some great underneath fits in the run game where you felt his presence. I thought he did a great job playing in the deep part of the field. Great job with the communication, recognizing some of the things that we felt like they were going to try to get to in their pass game based on some of those situations, some of the things that we had shown. And so Double D was great. I was really pleased with him, but I also was really pleased with the secondary as a whole. (C Jalen (Ramsey) continues to make his presence felt. That was an unbelievable play on the screen. He looked pretty swaggy with the celebration afterwards (laughs).”

--RAMS--
Cl



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2021 05:07PM by Shaky.