October 14, 2024 • 20 mins
On this episode of the Coach McVay Show, Sean McVay joins J.B. Long to discuss team mentality heading into Las Vegas Raiders matchup, offensive lineman Beaux Limmer's progress, wide receiver Cooper Kupp's recovery, possible returning players' impact, and how the team can get back in contention after a tough start.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello, everyone, hope you had a great bye week. Welcome
back to the Coach McVeigh Show, presented by Microsoft Surface.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm JB.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Along with the head coach Sean McVeigh. We are down
a man today, DeMarco Farr is on assignment, so missing
him we are. It's more like a fireside chat here
between the US, if that's okay. Although our audience thinks
this is like a Reese's peanut butter cup, I don't
know if you see that similarity, so not really a fireplace,
but Mark, I can.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
See that now that you bring it up. It does
look like that.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Once you think about it, it's hard to get over.
How was your bye week?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
It was good, you know, I think it came at
a great time.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Number one, it was great to be able to get
some time with my family, you know, my wife and
my little man, and then my parents and my brother
and his wife and their son. Remington was in town,
so it was good to be able to get some time.
And then it was also good to be able to
get a chance to reflect. All right, look at these
first five games, you know where we at, where we headed,
what's the vision moving forward? And I think that GAP's
(00:57):
a lot smaller than people realize, and I know our
players feel that way and so been in these situations before.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I know this.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
We're gonna come out swinging and we're gonna fight through this.
Got an opportunity to really reflect on, all right, what's
the vision, what are the things that we were going
to really do at a higher level to give ourselves
a chance to try to finish these games, because with
the exception of the Arizona game, all of these are
one possession and so that gives me an excitement about
attacking it the right way, and I think the guys
(01:25):
feel the same way.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Definitely don't want to lose that threat. I'll ast you
plenty about the state of the twenty four Rams, But
since you mentioned your family, how is Jordan's first trip
to So far?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It was good, you know, other than not getting the
result that we wanted, but it seems like, you know,
I got to give a shout out to the daycare.
It sounds like they do an excellent job. He was
able to get a good nap and then mom got
him out of there. But he did well, so a
lot of people. He's got a lot of love coming his.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Way, including Matt Lafleur right, trying to convert him.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
No, yeah, Matt, Matt had met him, Yeah, exactly. Matt
had met him before, you know, when they were in
town this summer. But he's you know, you know how
it is, you know, these kids, especially his first birthday's
coming up here in a couple of weeks and been
a lot of changes, and it seems like every day
that happens.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
What about a Halloween costume?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You know, that's that mom. I don't know what Mom's
going to do with that.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
So we'll see, Uh, we'll see what she has in
store for the Halloween. I know, the big birthday plans
for his first birthday?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Love that.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
What'd you think of Matthew Stafford on Fox NFL Sunday,
How do you grade out?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
He didn't get a chance to see it. They did
not get a chance to see it.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
But I'm sure he's anytime he's done that, he's always
got great presence, great knowledge, always very comfortable.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
So I'm sure he did great.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
He wasn't even the highlight shrager catching a pass like
routing up Charles Woodson. That's what you got to.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Get, really, Sreger did that.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yeah, He's always said he had underrated skills, so he
put it on display, which was cool. All right, back
to the real matter at hand, the rams. You probably
have heard or know that history is not kind to
one in fourteens, but you alluded to it just a
second ago. The gap is smaller than maybe people on
the outside see or realize. Why is that?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, well number one two. I think that a lot
of those numbers are reflective. Sixteen game seasons, six teams
in each you know conference going where now there's seventeen games,
seven teams go from each division, you know, from each
cop conference.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Excuse me?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
So that right there is a difference in and of itself,
and you know, I've seen it before. Every year there's
teams that get themselves in, you know, a situation that's
not an ideal start, and you look at it year
in and year out.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Whether it's one, two, a few.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The story is not written after five games, and I
refuse to believe anything else. We're gonna go back to work.
These are when you get tried and tested as a coach.
As a player, I've never really learned much about people
in seasons when we've started five and oh, four and one,
But you certainly do when you have a little bit
of adversity. That's the separator. We got a lot of
guys that I think have the right competitive stamina, the
(03:48):
right mindset of mentality. I know we have the right
coaches and players, and we're going to attack this thing
the right way.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Twenty twenty Washington was the last team to do it
right when that playoff expansion that you reference happened, and
maybe my much like them, the division is flat right
now in the NSCU West. Like I don't know if
you had any rooting interest this week, but you look
around at your peers and you're within a game in
the lost call.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, I think the big focus for us and I
look back and I think in a lot of situations,
every single year is a new year, but there are
a lot of parallels that you can draw from year
to year. And I remember sitting here coming off the
by last year at three and six, and we had
eight games left, and the narratives could be very similar
if you're outside in, but we want to be inside out.
(04:27):
And what we did was we just continued to focus
on the things that we could control. We applied some
of the things that we wanted to be able to
apply in terms of improving our overall execution in some
of the crunch time moments, we really, you know, were
able to just kind of stay consistent though, and I
don't think it was by coincidence that that, you know,
ended up leading to us playing our best football. And
(04:48):
so we've been here before, whether that be good or bad,
but there is a confidence that, hey, you know, we're
gonna we're gonna grab the pen, We're gonna write this
story on our terms, and we're excited about the opportunity
to come out swinging and see if we can put
together a great week of preparation and ultimately a complete
performance against a tough Raiders team.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
You're phrase, they're our best football, Like, that's what's been
stuck in my mind. Yeah, tell me if you disagree.
I don't think we've seen anything close to the twenty
four rams best football.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
No, I don't either, And I think, you know, really,
with the exception of the Arizona game, we've had our
opportunities to win all of those other four games. Now
we've only won one of those four, but there's moments
of positive stuff and then the things that we're not
doing is are correctable you know, whether it's the communication,
the clarity, the ability to utilize the fundamentals and the techniques,
(05:36):
whether it be decision making. And so that's where I
draw confidence from. All Right, let's watch the film, let's
evaluate it, let's see where we're headed. Let's have an identity,
Let's have the things that we want to really emphasize
moving forward. And if we do that, I'm excited about,
you know, shooting our shot and seeing what this looks like.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
You can make a lot of people happy tonight by
saying that Cooper cup is going to play on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
You know there's a possibility of that, and that's a
good thing.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know, we've always set that as a possible tentative goal,
you know, this week. Getting him, you know, on the
field doing some of those things, some of the game
like movements, Being able to get him in some of
these practice settings, I think will give us a good
you know guide, if you will that. All right, when
is he ready to return to performance, not just return
to play, but return to performance.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
And so we're gonna, you.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Know, take that a day at a time, but I
know he's going to do everything in his power to
be ready to go Reggie and his group have worked
tirelessly to try to put him in that position, and
and we'll see what that looks like.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
It seems like such an obvious question, and maybe a
redundant one given his career, but whether it's third down
or red zone or run game, like, what could his
return mean to the Rams at this moment in time.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
All of the above, I think you're you're getting an
excellent leader. That's an extension the coaching staff has great production,
great ability to contribute in a lot of different phases,
but just that presence, you know, another playmaker, another guy
that can do a lot of the things that are
in alignment with playing good quality football football that we've
become a us them.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
To over you know, the last eight years.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And I'm looking forward to saying, all right, hey, let's
continue to figure out how to reach these guys, let's
continue to challenge the leaders how to really elevate and
accelerate some of the maturity of some of the younger
players that are playing. And you know, let's see what
this looks like.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Sure to that point, like in his absence, I've really
enjoyed watching too too come on and Jordan grow into
his own. Is there an argument to be made that
maybe the receiver room at large is in as good
or better place than when he went down in week
two because of those additional reps.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Well, I think what you just mentioned is true. You know, guy,
there's been improvement, There's no doubt about it. There's game experience,
and there's you know, repetition is the mother of learning,
and these guys are getting an opportunity to be you know,
thrust in the fold and a lot of different situations
that come up where learning occurs on a weekly on
a play to play basis. And so I've been really
pleased with those guys, and so it has forced us
(07:51):
to develop depth that probably wouldn't otherwise be illustrated. But
getting Cooper back in the mix will help us, but
while also making sure we don't lose sight of those
guys have helped. They've done some good things, and let's
continue to figure out what that looks like when he
is back in the mix.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Well, Sean, I know Katie Leviston, a rookie offensive lineman,
has been designated to return.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, there's a possibility with that, you know, being able
to just see where he's at. He's a guy that
has a lot of the traits, the characteristics that we're
excited about, just not a lot of experience, you know,
playing professional football, not a lot of experience doing some
of the things that we would ask of him. So
how do you translate those physical traits? How do we
see what he's able to digest? What does that look like.
There's a possibility we get Joe No Boom back, who's
(08:31):
got that guard tackle flex and so slowly but surely
we'll start to get you know, some of these guys back.
And in the meantime, we've got work to do and
we've got to be able to, you know, get this
thing going in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
So Joe's part of that group of Steve Avila and
pokin Aakupa. That's that next wave.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Thereforetun Joe could.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Be earlier than those guys, you know, Joe, Joe could
be you know, Joe's got a big workout that's scheduled
this week. We'll see what that looks like in terms
of his availability for the Raiders and then possibly for
the Vikings.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
And then that next group would include Jonah Jackson and
John Johnson. Right the National Board Games.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
It's really then it's Steven and Puoka JJ's in that group,
and then Jonah would be after that.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Okay, have an ask you about Tyler Higby in a while.
How's his rehabilitation process going, and like what does his
horizon look like?
Speaker 3 (09:15):
He's doing great.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
You know, we've always kind of tentatively said, you know,
at some point midway through the year is when you
start to really you know, see when he's ready. I
know he is ahead of schedule if if you will,
but there was a significant injury, but his presence, he's
still been leading in his own way when he's here.
He's got just such a contagious personality in a positive way.
(09:36):
He's got a play energy about himself that when we
do get him back, that'll.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Be a real bright spot.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
There's there's a lot of guys, you know that that
we are missing what they provide, not exclusive to just
the production, but just some of that leadership. But in
the meantime, there is depth that's being fortified and developed
that wouldn't otherwise exist. And this is a situation we
got and these are the opportunities to separate yourself.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah, I mean that's I think a risen to root
for the Rams. Right now is to give those guys
a chance to come back and play meaningful football and
impact the outcome that season. They've they've earned it. Away
from the field, let's talk about time on task with
the offensive line. If I'm not mistaken, this will be
the four straight game they have a chance to start
in their current configuration or thereabouts capable of improved past
protection for Matthew first. Is that a place to start?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, absolutely, you know, and I think it goes back
to the communication, the clarity of who we're blocking. You know,
there's there's some young guys in there, and there's been
some mistakes or things that we haven't executed on a
consistent basis.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
That have cost us.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
But I have been, you know, impressed with some of
the improvements of some of those younger guys that are playing,
particularly on the inside. We need to have some competition
as well, though, you know, because we need to be
able to push the envelope. We'll see what that looks
like as the week of practice unfolds. But I do
expect improvement, you know, I expect us to continue to
do a better job of providing clarity in terms of
(10:53):
our Hey, how can we see our guys execute on.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
A consistent basis. What are the tools, what's.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
The communication that comes from us as coaches? Then ultimately,
how do the players bring it to life.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
We're talking with Bolimmer, a guest on another show later today,
so I want to ask you about what he's done
as a rookie, what he's been asked to do. How
difficult that is.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
It's difficult, you know, And really we put so much
on the center position, and we've never been in a
situation since I've been the head coach to have to
play a center this youthful, because you know, we look
at it very similarly to the quarterback position in terms
of the amount of communication, the ownership, the way that
that communication, communication echoes from the inside out. And he's
(11:31):
being thrust into a role that I don't think he
would have ever expected, nor us really, and he's done
a nice job. I think that there's been improvement. I
think physically he's doing a good job of being able
to compete. He's a tough guy. And then I think
continuing to get the reps of understanding the importance of
that communication. What does it look like to try to
provide clarity of the left guard to the right guard.
(11:51):
How that echoes inside out. He and Matthews rapport, you know,
and we've been on our silent count pretty much all
of these games, which is is a challenging thing as well.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
But nonetheless improvement.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Been encouraged with bo and been proud of the way
that he's handled himself, and I expect him to be
able to continue to trend in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
I know you've had the push up record around here
for a long time. I wouldn't challenge bow in that regard.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Is that right?
Speaker 1 (12:14):
He's a seven hundred pounds squad guy, thirty nine on
the bench at the combine. Yeah, five more than next
in line. Yeah, he's a weight room over.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
He is a weight room hero. I did know that.
I did test this push up game, though.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
I want to ask about Blake Cooram, who got the
green light really for the first time. I know he
played at Arizona, but in game five, what was your
evaluation of where he was to be ready for that
moment and then his performance on the field.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Well, I think what I've been so impressed with JB
is the consistency of his approach, regardless of whether or
not he was getting the opportunities or not behind Kiren,
But I thought he earned it consistent work ethic ability
to earn that trust in these practice type settings.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
And then I thought he did really well. You know,
still some minimum.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Opportunities, but he's heavy at the point of contact, good
instinctual runner. Thought he did a great job being able
to you know, show some through the line of scrimmage,
and he's a guy that you know will continue to
you know, get him opportunities that have been earned. I
really like what I've seen, and I've been more impressed
with the human being the way that he's handled it.
And then I thought he did maximize the ops that
he had against the Packers.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
What difference did Darius Williams return at corner make for
your secondary?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
It was significant, you know, I thought, you know, really
I was pleased with our defense as a whole. Obviously
we had the one explosive that we can prevent, you know,
technique communication. But I thought Darius was excellent. You know,
he's got such a good feel, He's so comfortable in
his movement. You can put him in some of those
challenging spots and that's where he thrives. And so it's
(13:37):
great to be able to get him back, and I
think having him now a couple of weeks even more rehab,
feeling good, he'll only get better.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
And that seemed like the trickle down effect is it
allows you to most some other pieces around the chessboard,
whether that's putting Q back at safety working in the kello.
We saw Josh Wallace and Jayleen McCullough in there as
well as part of that revamp secondary.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yeah, and I think that's something that you know, we'll
continue to see what's the best combination of guys that
gives us the best opportunity to go execute on a
week to week basis. And so I think there was
some real good positives from that. I thought we played smart,
that we got guys and some of the right spots,
and that'll be something that based on whatever that game
plan and that approach that we have given the opponent.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
But I was pleased with that group as a whole.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
So you try some different solutions in the secondary. How
about that linebacker standing pat there? You still think you
have the two.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I think there's always going to be competition.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
You know, there's different ways to be able to get
guys that have been really pleased with Troy Reader. I think,
you know, Rose Boom does some really good things, and
he's a consistent contributor. You know, are there opportunities to
be able to mix and match your personnels, whether that
be from guys from that inside linebacker group with an
Omar Spates, you know, what does that look like to
be able to whether it's secondary guys you mentioned or
(14:45):
some of our guys up front, those will be things
that we can always get creative with.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You know, like the backup quarterback effect where he's like
always the fan favorite and any team. I feel like
there's some of that going on with Omar because of
the flash they saw it by this summer. Help us
understand the leap though, between putting good film together in
August versus being at the center of a real game
plan in the middle.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, he did a great job and there's there's a
lot of reasons why he's earned that support from fans,
and it's very similar from the coaches. There is a
very different approach in regards to the preseason, much more
regulated with your calls, your communication, the types of schemes
that you're seeing from the opponent compared to what you're
getting into now. Multiple personnel groupings, different things situationally that occur.
(15:28):
We've played a lot of offenses that create a lot
of conflict and so there's different challenges.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
But he is doing a great job.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know, he's gotten a lot of reps beyond the
scenes in these practice settings where he's continuing to mature,
and so you know, he's a guy that when if
we feel like that's going to be his opportunity that's earned.
You know, that's something that we'll definitely do, and I'm
with the fans in terms of that support.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
But the run and hitability, the tackling ability for a
team that could use some of that right now, that's.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Real, no question, that's real.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Absolutely don't want to overlook special teams either, because I
do feel like they're one of the more improving that's
across the entire National Football League. How much can this
additional time on task help them continue to help your team?
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I think it's great.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
You know, I've been really pleased with Chase Blackburn's leadership
obviously Scott Frost. You know, they've done a really good
job and so with you know, the snaps that we
do get, all right, how many competitive snaps do you
get in some of these settings and situations.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Been really pleased with our overall punt operation.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
We want to punt less and less, you know, as
we played better and better offensively. Hasn't been too many opportunities,
but the opportunities that he's that Ethan has had, we've
been able to pin people deep in opponent's territory. I
think that's been a real positive. I think Josh Carty
has done a nice job as a field goal kicker.
There's a couple of opportunities that we can learn from.
Some sudden changes we get the defensive touchdown, got to
(16:42):
be able to have the snap hold and the kick
all in alignment. So those will be points of emphasis.
And then we've talked about Xavier Smith as a returner. Obviously,
I think he's made good decisions. I think he's maximized
his chances that he's had in the punt return phase.
Weren't great in the kick return to you know, against
Screen Bay, we did have some opportunit unities there, nothing bad,
but I think we can still be better. And then
(17:03):
Blake had the big one against Arizona. But there's definitely
been some positives for sure.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
You know, as you kind of sell scout and step back.
On your bi week, I kind of did some of
the same and one of the things I noticed league wide,
the going for it rates on fourth down has spiked,
and you and the RAMS are a big part of that.
What's leading to that is that a change in your
own personal philosophy is that stretch coming in and influence
the thinking, and it's.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
A combination of all of those things.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
You know, what I think we've got to continuously have
is the flexibility and fluidity in terms of what's the
best way to play the game to go win the game.
You know, we've had some opportunities where we've been in
scoring position where we've come up short and come away
with no points. And so I think it's you know,
all of the planning, the different abilities to execute. You know,
what are the things that we're anticipating in terms of
the defensive structures, and so it all plays into it.
(17:50):
That's something that you know, you want to be able
to make sure that we're doing a good job of
being aggressive, of being smart in our approach based on
what that particular game dictates.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Want to encourage the process though not the outcomes. Maybe
you haven't got all of them, but I like a
lot of Yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Know, I like the decisions.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
They've been sound in regards to kind of what we
wanted to be able to do. But there is an
element of you know, if you're going to do it,
you want to be able to execute. You know, it's
not just saying this is the right decision. It's making
sure that we're able to execute. We've got the right
set of plays given the you know, circumstances or where
we're at on the field, and we'll always evaluate those
(18:27):
and say, all right, well, where does the responsibility lie
to make sure that we improve the overall execution collectively,
whether that's coaching, playing, but it's all of us together.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
As we wind this down competitively, What does the buy
give you an advantage in terms of catching an extra
practice day or getting set for this little two game
and five day window.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yeah, I think it's a refreshment, you know, a reset.
You're able to take a step back, take an exhale,
and then really be able to look at all, right,
where we really at, where we headed, and what are
the things that you can give a vision to your
football team and an authentic belief that you can instill
of this is how we're going to do it, and
we're gonna be inside out. We're not going to be
outside in, and we're gonna go put the work in.
(19:05):
We're gonna have the competitive stamina to do that and
to be able to pound the stone and know that,
you know there are areas of improvement, but we're not
just going to be We're not gonna let the first
five weeks results deter our ability to be able to respond.
And you know, whether you like it or not, this
are the only times that you really get tested. And
I'm excited to see the grit and the resilience of
this group.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
No, I know, no one likes Thursday night football, no
one likes the Sunday Thursday. But the way it sets
up for you with a buy on the front end
of it, kind of needing to go get some wins
in a condensed format. Yeah, and then if you can
handle it right, a little mini be by on the
back end before you get back into NFC West play.
I circled it. I kind of liked it.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah, I like, you know what, it's the situation that
we're in, and you know what I like. I like
the opportunity to come back off of this buy and
go attack a chance to go get our second win
and do it with the right spirit, the right preparation,
the right clarity for these players.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
And then let's go cut it loose and let's.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
See us play the caliber and the style of football
that we've been a cut them to seeing, you know,
with the rams and and that's what we're going to
be fighting and scratching and clonda to make sure that
we can provide for our fans.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
I know I'm the only one standing between you and
the Monday practice field, So go out there and help
get Cooper cup right. And we look forward to seeing
you on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Thanks JB.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
All right for Sean McVay on JB Long As always
The Coach McVeagh Show, presented by Microsoft Surface
Hello, everyone, hope you had a great bye week. Welcome
back to the Coach McVeigh Show, presented by Microsoft Surface.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm JB.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Along with the head coach Sean McVeigh. We are down
a man today, DeMarco Farr is on assignment, so missing
him we are. It's more like a fireside chat here
between the US, if that's okay. Although our audience thinks
this is like a Reese's peanut butter cup, I don't
know if you see that similarity, so not really a fireplace,
but Mark, I can.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
See that now that you bring it up. It does
look like that.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Once you think about it, it's hard to get over.
How was your bye week?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
It was good, you know, I think it came at
a great time.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Number one, it was great to be able to get
some time with my family, you know, my wife and
my little man, and then my parents and my brother
and his wife and their son. Remington was in town,
so it was good to be able to get some time.
And then it was also good to be able to
get a chance to reflect. All right, look at these
first five games, you know where we at, where we headed,
what's the vision moving forward? And I think that GAP's
(00:57):
a lot smaller than people realize, and I know our
players feel that way and so been in these situations before.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I know this.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
We're gonna come out swinging and we're gonna fight through this.
Got an opportunity to really reflect on, all right, what's
the vision, what are the things that we were going
to really do at a higher level to give ourselves
a chance to try to finish these games, because with
the exception of the Arizona game, all of these are
one possession and so that gives me an excitement about
attacking it the right way, and I think the guys
(01:25):
feel the same way.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Definitely don't want to lose that threat. I'll ast you
plenty about the state of the twenty four Rams, But
since you mentioned your family, how is Jordan's first trip
to So far?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It was good, you know, other than not getting the
result that we wanted, but it seems like, you know,
I got to give a shout out to the daycare.
It sounds like they do an excellent job. He was
able to get a good nap and then mom got
him out of there. But he did well, so a
lot of people. He's got a lot of love coming his.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Way, including Matt Lafleur right, trying to convert him.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
No, yeah, Matt, Matt had met him, Yeah, exactly. Matt
had met him before, you know, when they were in
town this summer. But he's you know, you know how
it is, you know, these kids, especially his first birthday's
coming up here in a couple of weeks and been
a lot of changes, and it seems like every day
that happens.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
What about a Halloween costume?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You know, that's that mom. I don't know what Mom's
going to do with that.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
So we'll see, Uh, we'll see what she has in
store for the Halloween. I know, the big birthday plans
for his first birthday?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Love that.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
What'd you think of Matthew Stafford on Fox NFL Sunday,
How do you grade out?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
He didn't get a chance to see it. They did
not get a chance to see it.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
But I'm sure he's anytime he's done that, he's always
got great presence, great knowledge, always very comfortable.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
So I'm sure he did great.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
He wasn't even the highlight shrager catching a pass like
routing up Charles Woodson. That's what you got to.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Get, really, Sreger did that.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yeah, He's always said he had underrated skills, so he
put it on display, which was cool. All right, back
to the real matter at hand, the rams. You probably
have heard or know that history is not kind to
one in fourteens, but you alluded to it just a
second ago. The gap is smaller than maybe people on
the outside see or realize. Why is that?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, well number one two. I think that a lot
of those numbers are reflective. Sixteen game seasons, six teams
in each you know conference going where now there's seventeen games,
seven teams go from each division, you know, from each
cop conference.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Excuse me?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
So that right there is a difference in and of itself,
and you know, I've seen it before. Every year there's
teams that get themselves in, you know, a situation that's
not an ideal start, and you look at it year
in and year out.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Whether it's one, two, a few.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The story is not written after five games, and I
refuse to believe anything else. We're gonna go back to work.
These are when you get tried and tested as a coach.
As a player, I've never really learned much about people
in seasons when we've started five and oh, four and one,
But you certainly do when you have a little bit
of adversity. That's the separator. We got a lot of
guys that I think have the right competitive stamina, the
(03:48):
right mindset of mentality. I know we have the right
coaches and players, and we're going to attack this thing
the right way.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Twenty twenty Washington was the last team to do it
right when that playoff expansion that you reference happened, and
maybe my much like them, the division is flat right
now in the NSCU West. Like I don't know if
you had any rooting interest this week, but you look
around at your peers and you're within a game in
the lost call.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, I think the big focus for us and I
look back and I think in a lot of situations,
every single year is a new year, but there are
a lot of parallels that you can draw from year
to year. And I remember sitting here coming off the
by last year at three and six, and we had
eight games left, and the narratives could be very similar
if you're outside in, but we want to be inside out.
(04:27):
And what we did was we just continued to focus
on the things that we could control. We applied some
of the things that we wanted to be able to
apply in terms of improving our overall execution in some
of the crunch time moments, we really, you know, were
able to just kind of stay consistent though, and I
don't think it was by coincidence that that, you know,
ended up leading to us playing our best football. And
(04:48):
so we've been here before, whether that be good or bad,
but there is a confidence that, hey, you know, we're
gonna we're gonna grab the pen, We're gonna write this
story on our terms, and we're excited about the opportunity
to come out swinging and see if we can put
together a great week of preparation and ultimately a complete
performance against a tough Raiders team.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
You're phrase, they're our best football, Like, that's what's been
stuck in my mind. Yeah, tell me if you disagree.
I don't think we've seen anything close to the twenty
four rams best football.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
No, I don't either, And I think, you know, really,
with the exception of the Arizona game, we've had our
opportunities to win all of those other four games. Now
we've only won one of those four, but there's moments
of positive stuff and then the things that we're not
doing is are correctable you know, whether it's the communication,
the clarity, the ability to utilize the fundamentals and the techniques,
(05:36):
whether it be decision making. And so that's where I
draw confidence from. All Right, let's watch the film, let's
evaluate it, let's see where we're headed. Let's have an identity,
Let's have the things that we want to really emphasize
moving forward. And if we do that, I'm excited about,
you know, shooting our shot and seeing what this looks like.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
You can make a lot of people happy tonight by
saying that Cooper cup is going to play on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
You know there's a possibility of that, and that's a
good thing.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know, we've always set that as a possible tentative goal,
you know, this week. Getting him, you know, on the
field doing some of those things, some of the game
like movements, Being able to get him in some of
these practice settings, I think will give us a good
you know guide, if you will that. All right, when
is he ready to return to performance, not just return
to play, but return to performance.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
And so we're gonna, you.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Know, take that a day at a time, but I
know he's going to do everything in his power to
be ready to go Reggie and his group have worked
tirelessly to try to put him in that position, and
and we'll see what that looks like.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
It seems like such an obvious question, and maybe a
redundant one given his career, but whether it's third down
or red zone or run game, like, what could his
return mean to the Rams at this moment in time.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
All of the above, I think you're you're getting an
excellent leader. That's an extension the coaching staff has great production,
great ability to contribute in a lot of different phases,
but just that presence, you know, another playmaker, another guy
that can do a lot of the things that are
in alignment with playing good quality football football that we've
become a us them.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
To over you know, the last eight years.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And I'm looking forward to saying, all right, hey, let's
continue to figure out how to reach these guys, let's
continue to challenge the leaders how to really elevate and
accelerate some of the maturity of some of the younger
players that are playing. And you know, let's see what
this looks like.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Sure to that point, like in his absence, I've really
enjoyed watching too too come on and Jordan grow into
his own. Is there an argument to be made that
maybe the receiver room at large is in as good
or better place than when he went down in week
two because of those additional reps.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Well, I think what you just mentioned is true. You know, guy,
there's been improvement, There's no doubt about it. There's game experience,
and there's you know, repetition is the mother of learning,
and these guys are getting an opportunity to be you know,
thrust in the fold and a lot of different situations
that come up where learning occurs on a weekly on
a play to play basis. And so I've been really
pleased with those guys, and so it has forced us
(07:51):
to develop depth that probably wouldn't otherwise be illustrated. But
getting Cooper back in the mix will help us, but
while also making sure we don't lose sight of those
guys have helped. They've done some good things, and let's
continue to figure out what that looks like when he
is back in the mix.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Well, Sean, I know Katie Leviston, a rookie offensive lineman,
has been designated to return.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, there's a possibility with that, you know, being able
to just see where he's at. He's a guy that
has a lot of the traits, the characteristics that we're
excited about, just not a lot of experience, you know,
playing professional football, not a lot of experience doing some
of the things that we would ask of him. So
how do you translate those physical traits? How do we
see what he's able to digest? What does that look like.
There's a possibility we get Joe No Boom back, who's
(08:31):
got that guard tackle flex and so slowly but surely
we'll start to get you know, some of these guys back.
And in the meantime, we've got work to do and
we've got to be able to, you know, get this
thing going in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
So Joe's part of that group of Steve Avila and
pokin Aakupa. That's that next wave.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Thereforetun Joe could.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Be earlier than those guys, you know, Joe, Joe could
be you know, Joe's got a big workout that's scheduled
this week. We'll see what that looks like in terms
of his availability for the Raiders and then possibly for
the Vikings.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
And then that next group would include Jonah Jackson and
John Johnson. Right the National Board Games.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
It's really then it's Steven and Puoka JJ's in that group,
and then Jonah would be after that.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Okay, have an ask you about Tyler Higby in a while.
How's his rehabilitation process going, and like what does his
horizon look like?
Speaker 3 (09:15):
He's doing great.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
You know, we've always kind of tentatively said, you know,
at some point midway through the year is when you
start to really you know, see when he's ready. I
know he is ahead of schedule if if you will,
but there was a significant injury, but his presence, he's
still been leading in his own way when he's here.
He's got just such a contagious personality in a positive way.
(09:36):
He's got a play energy about himself that when we
do get him back, that'll.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Be a real bright spot.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
There's there's a lot of guys, you know that that
we are missing what they provide, not exclusive to just
the production, but just some of that leadership. But in
the meantime, there is depth that's being fortified and developed
that wouldn't otherwise exist. And this is a situation we
got and these are the opportunities to separate yourself.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah, I mean that's I think a risen to root
for the Rams. Right now is to give those guys
a chance to come back and play meaningful football and
impact the outcome that season. They've they've earned it. Away
from the field, let's talk about time on task with
the offensive line. If I'm not mistaken, this will be
the four straight game they have a chance to start
in their current configuration or thereabouts capable of improved past
protection for Matthew first. Is that a place to start?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, absolutely, you know, and I think it goes back
to the communication, the clarity of who we're blocking. You know,
there's there's some young guys in there, and there's been
some mistakes or things that we haven't executed on a
consistent basis.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
That have cost us.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
But I have been, you know, impressed with some of
the improvements of some of those younger guys that are playing,
particularly on the inside. We need to have some competition
as well, though, you know, because we need to be
able to push the envelope. We'll see what that looks
like as the week of practice unfolds. But I do
expect improvement, you know, I expect us to continue to
do a better job of providing clarity in terms of
(10:53):
our Hey, how can we see our guys execute on.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
A consistent basis. What are the tools, what's.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
The communication that comes from us as coaches? Then ultimately,
how do the players bring it to life.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
We're talking with Bolimmer, a guest on another show later today,
so I want to ask you about what he's done
as a rookie, what he's been asked to do. How
difficult that is.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
It's difficult, you know, And really we put so much
on the center position, and we've never been in a
situation since I've been the head coach to have to
play a center this youthful, because you know, we look
at it very similarly to the quarterback position in terms
of the amount of communication, the ownership, the way that
that communication, communication echoes from the inside out. And he's
(11:31):
being thrust into a role that I don't think he
would have ever expected, nor us really, and he's done
a nice job. I think that there's been improvement. I
think physically he's doing a good job of being able
to compete. He's a tough guy. And then I think
continuing to get the reps of understanding the importance of
that communication. What does it look like to try to
provide clarity of the left guard to the right guard.
(11:51):
How that echoes inside out. He and Matthews rapport, you know,
and we've been on our silent count pretty much all
of these games, which is is a challenging thing as well.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
But nonetheless improvement.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Been encouraged with bo and been proud of the way
that he's handled himself, and I expect him to be
able to continue to trend in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
I know you've had the push up record around here
for a long time. I wouldn't challenge bow in that regard.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Is that right?
Speaker 1 (12:14):
He's a seven hundred pounds squad guy, thirty nine on
the bench at the combine. Yeah, five more than next
in line. Yeah, he's a weight room over.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
He is a weight room hero. I did know that.
I did test this push up game, though.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
I want to ask about Blake Cooram, who got the
green light really for the first time. I know he
played at Arizona, but in game five, what was your
evaluation of where he was to be ready for that
moment and then his performance on the field.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Well, I think what I've been so impressed with JB
is the consistency of his approach, regardless of whether or
not he was getting the opportunities or not behind Kiren,
But I thought he earned it consistent work ethic ability
to earn that trust in these practice type settings.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
And then I thought he did really well. You know,
still some minimum.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Opportunities, but he's heavy at the point of contact, good
instinctual runner. Thought he did a great job being able
to you know, show some through the line of scrimmage,
and he's a guy that you know will continue to
you know, get him opportunities that have been earned. I
really like what I've seen, and I've been more impressed
with the human being the way that he's handled it.
And then I thought he did maximize the ops that
he had against the Packers.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
What difference did Darius Williams return at corner make for
your secondary?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
It was significant, you know, I thought, you know, really
I was pleased with our defense as a whole. Obviously
we had the one explosive that we can prevent, you know,
technique communication. But I thought Darius was excellent. You know,
he's got such a good feel, He's so comfortable in
his movement. You can put him in some of those
challenging spots and that's where he thrives. And so it's
(13:37):
great to be able to get him back, and I
think having him now a couple of weeks even more rehab,
feeling good, he'll only get better.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
And that seemed like the trickle down effect is it
allows you to most some other pieces around the chessboard,
whether that's putting Q back at safety working in the kello.
We saw Josh Wallace and Jayleen McCullough in there as
well as part of that revamp secondary.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yeah, and I think that's something that you know, we'll
continue to see what's the best combination of guys that
gives us the best opportunity to go execute on a
week to week basis. And so I think there was
some real good positives from that. I thought we played smart,
that we got guys and some of the right spots,
and that'll be something that based on whatever that game
plan and that approach that we have given the opponent.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
But I was pleased with that group as a whole.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
So you try some different solutions in the secondary. How
about that linebacker standing pat there? You still think you
have the two.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I think there's always going to be competition.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
You know, there's different ways to be able to get
guys that have been really pleased with Troy Reader. I think,
you know, Rose Boom does some really good things, and
he's a consistent contributor. You know, are there opportunities to
be able to mix and match your personnels, whether that
be from guys from that inside linebacker group with an
Omar Spates, you know, what does that look like to
be able to whether it's secondary guys you mentioned or
(14:45):
some of our guys up front, those will be things
that we can always get creative with.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You know, like the backup quarterback effect where he's like
always the fan favorite and any team. I feel like
there's some of that going on with Omar because of
the flash they saw it by this summer. Help us
understand the leap though, between putting good film together in
August versus being at the center of a real game
plan in the middle.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, he did a great job and there's there's a
lot of reasons why he's earned that support from fans,
and it's very similar from the coaches. There is a
very different approach in regards to the preseason, much more
regulated with your calls, your communication, the types of schemes
that you're seeing from the opponent compared to what you're
getting into now. Multiple personnel groupings, different things situationally that occur.
(15:28):
We've played a lot of offenses that create a lot
of conflict and so there's different challenges.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
But he is doing a great job.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know, he's gotten a lot of reps beyond the
scenes in these practice settings where he's continuing to mature,
and so you know, he's a guy that when if
we feel like that's going to be his opportunity that's earned.
You know, that's something that we'll definitely do, and I'm
with the fans in terms of that support.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
But the run and hitability, the tackling ability for a
team that could use some of that right now, that's.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Real, no question, that's real.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Absolutely don't want to overlook special teams either, because I
do feel like they're one of the more improving that's
across the entire National Football League. How much can this
additional time on task help them continue to help your team?
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I think it's great.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
You know, I've been really pleased with Chase Blackburn's leadership
obviously Scott Frost. You know, they've done a really good
job and so with you know, the snaps that we
do get, all right, how many competitive snaps do you
get in some of these settings and situations.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Been really pleased with our overall punt operation.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
We want to punt less and less, you know, as
we played better and better offensively. Hasn't been too many opportunities,
but the opportunities that he's that Ethan has had, we've
been able to pin people deep in opponent's territory. I
think that's been a real positive. I think Josh Carty
has done a nice job as a field goal kicker.
There's a couple of opportunities that we can learn from.
Some sudden changes we get the defensive touchdown, got to
(16:42):
be able to have the snap hold and the kick
all in alignment. So those will be points of emphasis.
And then we've talked about Xavier Smith as a returner. Obviously,
I think he's made good decisions. I think he's maximized
his chances that he's had in the punt return phase.
Weren't great in the kick return to you know, against
Screen Bay, we did have some opportunit unities there, nothing bad,
but I think we can still be better. And then
(17:03):
Blake had the big one against Arizona. But there's definitely
been some positives for sure.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
You know, as you kind of sell scout and step back.
On your bi week, I kind of did some of
the same and one of the things I noticed league wide,
the going for it rates on fourth down has spiked,
and you and the RAMS are a big part of that.
What's leading to that is that a change in your
own personal philosophy is that stretch coming in and influence
the thinking, and it's.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
A combination of all of those things.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
You know, what I think we've got to continuously have
is the flexibility and fluidity in terms of what's the
best way to play the game to go win the game.
You know, we've had some opportunities where we've been in
scoring position where we've come up short and come away
with no points. And so I think it's you know,
all of the planning, the different abilities to execute. You know,
what are the things that we're anticipating in terms of
the defensive structures, and so it all plays into it.
(17:50):
That's something that you know, you want to be able
to make sure that we're doing a good job of
being aggressive, of being smart in our approach based on
what that particular game dictates.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Want to encourage the process though not the outcomes. Maybe
you haven't got all of them, but I like a
lot of Yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Know, I like the decisions.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
They've been sound in regards to kind of what we
wanted to be able to do. But there is an
element of you know, if you're going to do it,
you want to be able to execute. You know, it's
not just saying this is the right decision. It's making
sure that we're able to execute. We've got the right
set of plays given the you know, circumstances or where
we're at on the field, and we'll always evaluate those
(18:27):
and say, all right, well, where does the responsibility lie
to make sure that we improve the overall execution collectively,
whether that's coaching, playing, but it's all of us together.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
As we wind this down competitively, What does the buy
give you an advantage in terms of catching an extra
practice day or getting set for this little two game
and five day window.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yeah, I think it's a refreshment, you know, a reset.
You're able to take a step back, take an exhale,
and then really be able to look at all, right,
where we really at, where we headed, and what are
the things that you can give a vision to your
football team and an authentic belief that you can instill
of this is how we're going to do it, and
we're gonna be inside out. We're not going to be
outside in, and we're gonna go put the work in.
(19:05):
We're gonna have the competitive stamina to do that and
to be able to pound the stone and know that,
you know there are areas of improvement, but we're not
just going to be We're not gonna let the first
five weeks results deter our ability to be able to respond.
And you know, whether you like it or not, this
are the only times that you really get tested. And
I'm excited to see the grit and the resilience of
this group.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
No, I know, no one likes Thursday night football, no
one likes the Sunday Thursday. But the way it sets
up for you with a buy on the front end
of it, kind of needing to go get some wins
in a condensed format. Yeah, and then if you can
handle it right, a little mini be by on the
back end before you get back into NFC West play.
I circled it. I kind of liked it.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah, I like, you know what, it's the situation that
we're in, and you know what I like. I like
the opportunity to come back off of this buy and
go attack a chance to go get our second win
and do it with the right spirit, the right preparation,
the right clarity for these players.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
And then let's go cut it loose and let's.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
See us play the caliber and the style of football
that we've been a cut them to seeing, you know,
with the rams and and that's what we're going to
be fighting and scratching and clonda to make sure that
we can provide for our fans.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
I know I'm the only one standing between you and
the Monday practice field, So go out there and help
get Cooper cup right. And we look forward to seeing
you on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Thanks JB.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
All right for Sean McVay on JB Long As always
The Coach McVeagh Show, presented by Microsoft Surface
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.