December 30, 2024 • 28 mins
In this season finale of the Coach McVay Show, Sean McVay joins J.B. Long to reflect on Saturday's primetime win over the Arizona Cardinals, discuss clinching the NFC West title, preview Sunday's Week 18 starters against the Seattle Seahawks, and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hope you had a great weekend.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Everyone.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to the Coach McVeigh Show presented by Microsoft Surface.
Sad to say this is the finale of this year's show,
but good to know that this is not the finale
at SOFI Stadium coming up in week eighteen for your
Los Angeles Rams and joining me now the four time
NFC West Champion head coach of your Rams, Sean McVay.
Why are you shaking your head?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
No, I'm those are the that's a smile, that's not
a shake of your head. That's you know, I think
you know, like we were talking about a little bit ago, JB.
You know, you talk about eight years and every one
of these years is so uniquely special in its own right.
What a special story this has been. There's still hopefully
some good chapters yet to be written. But I've loved
this group. It's been a it's been a different journey
(00:49):
in a very rewarding and in a powerful way, you know,
throughout the season and happy and really proud of this group.
But there's still work to be done, without a doubt.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Didn't it feel like this past last week and was
almost a microcosm of the entire twenty twenty four season,
whether it's respect to your team in the game that
you guys played, or what was it like scoreboard watching yesterday?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah, it was interesting. You know, I think I'm a
lot better when we're involved in the games. You know,
I'm pacing at the end of you know, the one
game that we had to have, and it's very weird
because he got one of your best friends as the
head coach, and I know he would have been rooting
against us too though, So it was an amazing way
that things worked out. But I think the thing that
I'm the most proud of, though, is our guys handled
(01:29):
what they had to handle for us to even be
in a position to be able to watch and be
in the situation where you're able to clinch with the
week left and insure yourselves a home playoff game. I
think that is that is something you never take for
granted and very excited.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
So you're saying it was hard on Sunday night to
root against Raheem, I think we all felt that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yes, I mean, you know, that's my guy and love him,
one of my closest friends. But I don't think he
would have any doubts saying if the roles reversed, he
would have been rooting against us too.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Especially because it would have been a lot harder to
have to root for San Francisco tonight. That's right, So
it saved you that trouble that heads exactly. I think
we all agree in the construct of the NFL playoffs,
the three seed matters. It comes with built in advantages.
You have it currently, there's a way you can keep
it on Sunday. But does it matter to such an
extension that you're willing to prioritize it over arresting some
key pieces and making sure they're ready to go on
(02:18):
wildcard weak You know.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Those are always the great questions you ask yourself. And
I think you have a responsibility as a head coach
and really with your coaching staff to collaborate and say, hey,
we're going to compete every opportunity that we get, and
you don't minimize the importance of every single game, but
relative to what's at risk, what's at reward in terms
of either or and being able to maybe get some
guys that are you know, the toll that a season
(02:40):
takes get them back. We're fresh, rejuvenated. Typically we've aired
on the side of leaning a little bit more towards that,
and I would imagine as we continue to finalize our plans,
that's probably the direction that we'll go.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
That week six bye was such a blessing in real time,
but it was a long time ago, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It was you know, and I mean I remember us
sitting here and we were one and four, and there
was a lot of challenges, and it didn't feel like
we were as far away. It felt like, you know,
we were still figuring out, all right, how do we
at least just get some continuity as a team. We're
so young and youthful on the defensive side, we were
so injured on the offensive side, particularly on the offensive
line and at the skill position with the receivers, and
(03:18):
obviously still not having Higbee. But guys just stayed the course.
They didn't really look too far ahead. And then when
we did come back from the buy, you're able to
string three in a row based on, you know, being
able to finish games and you're able to develop a
little bit of continuity. And had a couple challenging moments,
you know, when you look at the Dolphins game in
the Eagles game, but to be able to win nine
of eleven and the way that it's been going and
(03:41):
the way that guys have figured that out. I think
there's a resilience. There's been a callus that's formed that
strengthened this group. And I think that you know, these
guys know that they're built to play in a lot
of different atmospheres and environments, and I think we're well
equipped to go swing and shoot our shot when this
tournament starts.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
With respect to week eighteen and how you treat it,
how have your experiences in twenty seventeen and twenty twenty
three colored and informed your thinking here?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yeah, you know the seventeen you didn't really have any
experience to go based on, but it was the same thing,
you know, just the risk reward in terms of what's
to be gained, you know, what is potentially at risk.
Does it give a couple of the guys that have
gotten a significant workload as the season accumulates a chance
to be rested rejuvenated? You know in each of those instances,
(04:26):
I don't necessarily look at what occurred when we played,
but I do think it served us well. Going into Detroit,
came up a point short, and I think in a
lot of instances that Atlanta game, you know, leading into
the wildcard game, first home playoff game at the Coliseum,
I thought our guys were ready to go, and there
were some instances where you say, as a coach man,
you want to do a lot better job for guys.
So I think it served us well for what the
(04:48):
intent was. And obviously the goal is to be as fresh,
as sharp as we can possibly be when the playoffs kickoff,
while not minimizing the importance of every single game is
a blessing to be able to play.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
In this morning, I was remembering, finally last year at
this time, Puka having some really special historic records in
these sites. He was able to go out and get
those at San Francisco this year, I guess he's ten
yards shy of a thousand. I'm guessing that doesn't move
the needle quite as much.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
You know, I'd always want to be able to talk
to him, you know, he'd be better equipped to answer that.
I think it's more of the body. I think everybody
has that you know number as a you know, that's
kind of the benchmark for you get over that. But
when you look at what he's done to have nine
to ninety in the amount of games that he's played
is a tremendous credit to the impact that he makes
week in and week out. He's like pac Man, just
(05:33):
eating up yards.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I mean, the reason I bring that up is because
I think it's a pretty straightforward case to make that
his year two, in fewer games, has actually been much
better in underlying measures than his record setting rookie camp.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I think so. I think there's been a consistency. I
think there's an ability to understand and impact the game.
He was tremendous last year, and I think he was
learning and growing. One of the things that I love
about him is the accountability that he always takes. I
think he's caught the ball consistently well. He's had a
lot of different targets. I think he's made some of
these incredible catches. It seems like we're sitting here weekend
(06:06):
and week out and we're saying which catch was greater,
and it's a one A, one B type of thing.
But I think the body of work, the resume, the consistency,
the understanding of how to take my game to the
next level, and then the attention that he gets is
different than what he got in his rookie year as well,
and for him still be able to produce the way
that he did, to have the rapport with he and Matthew,
(06:26):
I think it's been special and I definitely think he's
gotten better in year two. And I don't think the
stats are the exact way to measure it. It's what's
the product look like, snap in and snap out, what's
being asked of him. He's been a stud.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
The week off for starters or reduced snap count for
frontline players is an earned reward, but it's also an
earned opportunity too, for others who've been waiting in the
wings to get those opportunities. I'm sure, can you drop
a name on us or two someone that you're looking
forward to seeing step up and get that larger moment
Sunday against Theawk.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
You know, there's an handful of guys that could come
to mind immediately, But I'm excited about watching Blake Korm
get a heavy workload. I'm excited to see, you know
what Cody Schrader's about. I've loved what I've seen from
him in these practice settings. I think Blake has flashed
and some of the opportunities that he's gotten looking to
see some of these offensive linemen get get opportunities that
have done an excellent job presenting looks and helping our
(07:17):
defense grow throughout the season. You know, but those are
some of the guys that come to mind right away.
And then and then on the defensive side of the ball,
I think what's been great is figuring out, all right,
how do we consistently see some of the growth in
development from our young defensive line and from some of
these edge guys. And you know, you watch the continued
maturation of a lot of these guys that are getting
reps on the back end. You know, we're such a young,
(07:39):
youthful defense. I think that's why we've been able to
get better as the season's gone. So you'll see a
lot of those guys maybe not have as many reps,
but we're still kind of working through the specifics. But
you know, Blake's a guy that comes to mind.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I don't want to overstate what you know, the time
here in La meant for Baker mayfielder, for Carson Wentz,
but seeing them play on this team, I think help
them get their next opportunity in the league. How meaningful
is it for someone like Jimmy Garoppolo and the Rams
to see him get healthy, live opportunities at Sofi Stadium.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Yeah, he's been a guy that you know, you know
what a big fan of Jimmy. I've been for a
long time going against him and then watching the way
that he moves throughout the week, watching the way that
he's handled himself throughout the course of this season, the
respect and reverence he has for Matthew, but also what
just a great teammates he's been, not only to Matthew
but the rest of our team. And I've loved being
around him. I think he's a really, really good football player,
(08:31):
and I'm looking forward to seeing him just go play
the way that he's capable of. And it's a great
challenge against an excellent defense that's really hitting their stride
at the right time.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Who's gonna call plays?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
You know, I think we'll work through that. I do
think these are opportunities to be able to you know,
I got such trust in Mike Lafleur, and we always
you know, anything that we do is always collaborative, you know,
But if this does provide an opportunity to you know,
not necessarily take a step back, but you know, be
a little bit more immersed in the total you know,
product of the team and then be able to kind of,
(09:01):
you know, do that while also watching Mike be able
to lead in his own way. You know, those are
things that I always want to be able to think about.
If I think that's what's best for the team, that
might be a direction we go.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
A year ago, Carson had some unique attributes that allowed
you to tailor a Week eighteen game plan to him.
Is it true that Jimmy Garoppolo's skill set lends itself
more towards running the twenty twenty four RAMS offense.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I think so, you know, I think he and Matthew
have a lot of similar skill sets that enable us
to operate in a similar manner. And there're certainly, you know,
you always want to make sure that you're saying, all right,
what does the quarterback do best, and how do we
adjust our system or some of the things that we
want to emphasize to fit their skill set. And I
think there's a very similar skill set that both these
guys possess. But there'll be some things that maybe Jimmy's
(09:40):
a little bit more comfortable with that he has experience
with that we might activate that fit in terms of
how we want to try to attack Seattle's defense.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Oh sorry that Rob Havenstein had to miss last week's game,
But one of the beauties of getting this opportunity is
hopefully you have him right for the postseason. How confident
are you that that shoulder that popped up is not
going to be a lingering concern.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Yeah, I'm confident that he'll be ready to go for
the playoffs. You know, I think you realize the importance
of what he means to our team, not only as
a leader, but the production, some of the clarity that
he can provide across the board, in terms of just
the things that you can't measure on the tape that
take place in between those white lines when you're really
lining up next to somebody in the confidence, the command,
(10:19):
the way that he gets in and out of the huddle,
on how everybody else kind of follows suit. But I
am confident that he'll be ready to go in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
One other personnel question. I understand, like the hard ceiling
that you're up against for the return from injured reserve count,
but our audience will kill me if I don't ask
about fan favorite John Johnson. Yeah, do you see him
being a part of your postseason plans?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah? I think here's the nice thing. You know, you've
got two guys. It's such a unique situation in terms
of we had so many injuries so early on in
the year. You've got a maximum a lot of return
you know, off of that IR designate that you can have.
And so we've got two guys and Troy Reader and
John Johnson in one spot left in the regular season.
Here's the nice thing. We've been able to stay relatively
(10:59):
healthy because even though you can bring somebody back, well,
that means you have to release somebody and so there's
always some challenging circumstances to navigate as it relates to that.
But you do get a couple extra elevations or you
get a couple extra spots once you qualify for the postseason.
And so both JJ and Troy are at the forefront
of our minds in terms of figuring out we're better
football team when those guys are a part of it
(11:21):
and exactly how it works. But that'll be something that
we'll probably explore once we get into the postseason.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
You've had a couple of nice comments on this topic. Already,
but let's revisit it here. You know, we've resisted the
urge to draw too many parallels between last year's accomplishment
and this year. There'll always be inextricably linked. I understand why,
but I think there's as many, maybe more differences than
similarities between the two teams and the way the season went.
How would you distinguish uniquely what this group has done.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Well. I think what this group has done is I
think we've really come together as a football team. And
I'm not saying and I think last year was a
lot of the same, but I think we came together
at the right times. I think we're learning about how
to maximize each other and make sure that everybody is
being put in spots that accentuate their skill sets. I
think we're learning how to play complimentary football and maybe
how to win football games in a different way than
(12:12):
maybe was, you know, consistent with what we had seen
in previous you know, seven years, and playing off of
one another, picking each other up. But I just look
at this team as a mentally tough team. I think
starting off one and four, the youth of this team
in a lot of different spots while still having some
of that veteran leadership that is coming back from injury
(12:33):
or that was kind of consistent throughout. But I see
a connected team. I see a mentally and a physically
tough team, and I see a team that's built to
play a couple different types of games. You know, we've
won in some very different ways. I think that will
serve us well. You never know exactly, you know. I
think the NFL playoffs are the closest thing that pro
sports has to March Madness because it's a one and
(12:53):
done type of thing. And if we can figure out
how to put it together and play at our best
and that three hour window that we're a lotted when
those things kick off and try to string those together,
you never know what the hell can happen. But I
think we've got a lot of the right guys in
the key spots that can elevate those around them. And
there's a confidence and there's a belief that these guys
have earned throughout the course of this season, particularly from
(13:15):
after the buying one.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
This is always true, but teams are a reflection of
their head coach. I hope you'll accept me saying like
I think a lot of the things you just said
are true of you as well as a lot And
I hate to break it to You're probably not gonna
win NFL Coach of the Year this year, but you
would have my vote. I think you're very deserving and
it's been fun to see you practice what you've been
preaching at this stage of your life and career.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Now. I appreciate that. Man. I've always enjoyed doing this
with you and the wisdom and the perspective, and it's amazing.
You know, in year eight, I think there is a
lot more gratitude and appreciation for some of the small
things that maybe I did take for granted early on,
but watching the growth of this team and really you
realize that I think, you know, the coaches that I
respect the most JB Are the ones that really are transforming,
(14:00):
not transactional, and I think there's a lot of instances
that I see that from our coaching staff. You want
to be that, and when you feel a sense of
accountability to the people that you love and care about
and that really drives your purpose, it's a lot easier
to be more consistent. And like we've talked about before,
certainly that little guy smiling at you and making sure
you're saying, all right, am I am. I going to
(14:20):
be able to tell stories that are in alignment with
you know what you want him to react and and
you know how to respond to different things. And certainly
not perfect, but we're improving and I appreciate your nice work.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
His first division championship too. Can we get into some
of the Week seventeen action against Arizona, and I think
because we were repping the Royal and we were looking
forward to the biggest home field advantage of the season,
we should start there and pay that off. Could you
feel the fan influence in that game?
Speaker 2 (14:46):
You absolutely could. I thought it was great. You know,
I kept telling our defense, I said, don't take for
granted what this crowd is going to be like and
how influential in a positive way they're going to be
on this game. So I think it was good for
our guys to get a feel for, you know, that
nonverbal community cation, the importance of that. But it was outstanding,
I thought, and it was greatly appreciated as well.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Driving home and thinking about the pick that Akella made,
I flashed back to the first day of training camp,
and you suffer injuries throughout that summer, but when DK
goes down, I think all of our minds start to
think a Kello Witherspoon, A Kello Witherspoon. It took a
while for those you know, stars to align, but where
would the twenty four rounds be without him?
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Right now? He has been awesome. You know. I can
remember even you know, when he played so well for
us last year, was kind of patiently waiting for his
next opportunity. And I can remember even sitting there with
he and Aubrey when we first brought him back, you
know a little bit into the season and talking about
the opportunity that he had said, all right, well, i'll
kind of cautiously you stay on the practice squad and
(15:43):
then if it ends up being where I feel like
this is the best opportunity for me, But I don't
want to necessarily lock myself into if another opportunity to rises.
And you know, you talk about a guy that's just
been ready and who's been leading in his own way
based on the experience he's accumulated. I think he's played
incredible football for the last three weeks. When you look
at from the forty nine Ers game to the Jets
(16:05):
game and then to what he did on Saturday Night.
And it really wasn't just that play. He's consistently made plays.
He's been a great communicator, he's been tight and sticky
in coverage, He's had a lot of PBUs and then
it was pretty special to be able to have that
be his first pick of the year. Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
I mean, that play was pretty back to that. Yeah,
what do you think in real time? And then how
has it evolved since.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
You Here's what I thought. You know, you could see
they did a great job of really driving the football
down the field. You know, we'd made the decision that
we wanted to come after him kind of force the
ball out. I thought it was awesome that Cam Curll
got tight on McBride, so he's running a quick little outbreak,
doesn't have a chance to get his head around, and
because the ball's got to be out because of the
timing that we hit, the blitz bounces right up and
(16:49):
Akello being able to still have vision on the you know,
on that play and then to be able to have
the athleticism to redirect and then to be able to
make that play. It felt like an eternity until they
told me that thing was actually a catch, but I
couldn't see it where I was standing because I was
kind of in alignment, so it happened opposite of my
view on the far sideline. But man, the reactions. There
(17:10):
was a lot of excitement on our sideline. I think
Aubrey and I were a little less reluctant until they
made it official. But what a damn play by that guy.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
I thought the pylon was in the end zone but
out of bounds such that when he triggers it it's over.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Yeah. Touch. I did too, but I guess that wasn't
the case, and so that's why the ball was on
inside the one yard line. You're nervously waiting that that
that was the most uh. Yeah, that was the most
nervous I've been in the victory formation where you got
to sneak it a couple of times, and then I'm
asking Matthew do we have enough space on third down
(17:44):
to take a knee? And he gives me the thumbs up,
so I'm like, all right, we should be in good
shape there.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
That's awesome. I want to touch on Kobe Trant real quick.
Who's that Time's been your best corner this season? I
imagine it's a nice problem to have more starting corners
than starting spots heading towards January.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
There's no question, and he's he's been great, and he's
been a pros pro and he was awesome against Buffalo
and a lot of situations ends up having the lung contusion,
ended up kind of riding the hot hand, but he
couldn't have been more of a pro in terms of, hey,
he knows the confidence that we have in him. And
then you know, you always have to sometimes make decisions
what's best for that week. But like you said, it's
(18:19):
a Champagne problem to have three quality starting corners when
you look at he Darius Williams and a Killer Witherspoon,
and then you know, one of the things I think
that says as much about him as anything is is
look at who one of the first people to celebrate
with a kello when he made that play is and
it's fourteen love.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
That is it too much to ask cam Kinchins to
think about batting that away? Think so you don't think so?
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Okay? I mean, you know when you're in here's the thing,
when it's a ball thrown down the field in traffic,
I think it's a similar opportunity to be able to say, Okay, now,
instinctially you're saying in the moment, if you're not necessarily
saying I've been through this before, it's instinct she wouldn
want to be able to say, you go catch it.
And then if I'm in I'm saying, hey, did you
see what I did in Seattle? But I think there's
(19:05):
some opportunities to be able to say, all right, now
here you are, you've accumulated this experience. If this comes
up again and it's a fourth down and ten a
ball's thrown down the field, it's in traffic where it's
gonna be tough to get any sort of return, and
you know, now we're probably gonna end up a better
field position. You might have the presence to be able
to do that, but I think unless you go through
something like that, it's hard to be able to say.
(19:27):
And he's got some return swag, so when he started
to gig, I'm like, I'll just knock it down, and
then he got going and he got a little bit excited.
But it would have been better for us there. But
I'm not going to complain about a big time play
on fourth down.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah, no, or well, any of the Ramiley Rams rookies
by the way of combined for eight picks and now
thirteen sacks. My only concern with NFL Defensive Rookie of
the Year is that your tandem might somehow split vote
and steal from each other. But I conceptualize it this way.
Whether it gets voted this way or not, you've now
drafted and developed the last three. I think NFL Defensive
Rookie of the Year with Kobe last year, the two
(20:00):
this show.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I love it, you know, and I mean and you
you mentioned eight picks, and you know Jalen mccola and
and Cam Kitchens are two rookies that have had four
a piece that they they make up those eight picks.
It's it's incredible. I've been really just proud of the
growth in the development and I think that's a tremendous
credit to the collaboration of the coaching staff and scouting
staff identifying all kinds of guys, you know, and then
(20:21):
being able to see the coaches help develop these young
men and watch them continue to grow. Watching Joe Coniglio
with Jerry Versus, watching Give Smith and Ac Carter with
Braden Fisk. Tyler Davis is a guy that's played a
lot of really good football, good quality snaps, sniffed out
the screen. They've been an excellent screen team. I've been
really pleased with him. And then you know, you look
at it on the back end. You know Jalen mccola's
(20:44):
ascension as an undrafted rookie, what Greg Williams has done
with Omar Spates and how well he's playing at the
inside linebacker position as an undrafted rookie, and then Cam
Kitchens with Coach Beek and Aubrey that's that's a lot
of guys that have made big time contributions from the
rookie class. Just on one side of the football, it's
been awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Let's talk some offense. And every time you and I
speak about this, you've been laser focused on execution. Yeah,
which leads me to believe that you believe you've got
the right men in the room to be great.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
What is it that makes you think that there's more
days like Buffalo ahead for the Rams?
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Well, because I think the guys that are capable of
playing better have shown over time that they consistently will
you know, I think it was a big you know,
we miss rob the other night. You know, it was
a big deal that you know, we had some uncharacteristic
things go down. And I think the first thing that
you know as well as I do JB. I'm always
going to say, let's look internally as coaches are are
(21:38):
we presenting guys with the clarity and an understanding of
what's the intent? And then is there the opportunity to
be able to go consistently execute? And there's always going
to be times that you look at yourself and you say, man,
I got to be better for guys. And then I
expect the same from our players and the confidence I
have and saying all right, if we do what we're
supposed to do there, all right, what does that really
look like? And are there examples where it's been done before?
(22:01):
And then our job is to help them consistently replicate
that with the trust in their you know, teammates and
each other, and then their ability to be able to
go do that. And I thought there was a lot
of opportunities for us to do that. The other night,
we didn't do it. What I will say is this,
I thought, in some of the most important times, even
though it wasn't necessary, it wasn't up to the standard
that we have offensively, the goal is a how do
(22:22):
we figure out how to win the game as a
team to come away with the drive, and we had
to have it to get up seven nothing, and then
to be able to string together a two minute drive
to get a field goal. What a great job by
Cardi to hit that, But to go up ten to
nothing was big. And then I thought they did an
excellent job of sustaining possession. We didn't make the most
of the one possession we had in the third quarter,
and then when you do end up getting the ball back,
(22:44):
you know, and you're saying, all right, we got to
go get points. Would love to come away with a
touchdown right there, but I thought there was good execution
to be able to go get points, to make sure
that we took the lead right there, we stayed in front.
And then for hoight when they did score touchdown, to
be able to block that extra foot was so big.
But yeah, I believe that, and I refuse. I just
(23:05):
think there's too many good moments from these guys, and
and football is the greatest team sport that there is,
and I'm betting on us to be able to try
to put guys in the right spots and our guys
to be able to consistently execute. And until this season
is over and we haven't done that, I'm refusing to
believe anything else because I've seen enough times where it's
looked right, and I think I think that's gonna be. Hey,
(23:27):
save the best for last.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I know that all stems from having a guy at quarterback, yes,
who can beat any team on the day where he
has a helmet help us understand how much a week
off to just mentally reset and refresh can help someone
like Matthew Stafford, who carries such a heavy mental and
physical load week after week.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
I think he's the only one that can truly answer that.
And you know, I think the consistency over time, I
mean when you talk about that, he's you know, under
two hundred, you know two hundred, you know, less than
two hundred yards away from getting the sixty thousand passing yards.
I mean the amount of reps that he's banked in
the consistency over time, it's an incredible testament to him.
But I do think that sometimes being able to say,
(24:06):
all right, I've helped lead our team to a division title,
get an opportunity to really you know, nobody understands the
amount of physical pounding that his body goes through as
well and what he pushes through. So I think both physically,
mentally emotionally, all those things are great, especially when you're
smart enough to you know, as he is, to be
able to use that the right way to recharge, get
(24:26):
rejuvenated and make sure that a let's go, let's go
shoot our shot and swing to the best of our
ability when this tournament starts and there's a belief and
there's a confidence that he gives myself or coaching staff
and all of his teammates that when he's at the switch,
we always have a chance.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
I had a chuckle and I saw the Rams having
a lot of sack in four weeks. It's tied for
the longest streak in franchise history. In the back of
my mind, I'm thinking, oh, yeah, I go ask Matthew
if he feels.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Like there's been there.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah, exactly, first transition I've ever made from quarterback to punter.
But I'll start to wind down with this. Ethan Evans
I think is one of, if not the most improved,
and I'm speaking of him as a proxy for the
kicking game at large. What can you say about the
efforts he's given you in these last couple of weeks
of special.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
It's been incredible, you know, And I think the execution,
particularly on some of our short field punts, I mean,
it's like he's just got a chipper and he's just
hitting it right perfectly up on the green and what
a great job by Xavier Smith and then a couple
of great locations. I've just been really proud. You mentioned
the kicking game as a whole, but I think Ethan
has been outstanding. I think he's been steady, he's been consistent,
(25:28):
he's been accurate, He's played really well situationally based on
when we have had to punt, particularly at the end
of some of these games. And you know, I think
that's a fair statement to say he's one of the
most improved rams. But he's worked at it. I mean,
he's a tremendous credit to the work works really put
in a lot of work, particularly in some of those
short field punts that I alluded to, and it's been
(25:48):
big to be able to pin opponents deep, especially with
the pressure that our defense has put on people, and
sometimes you're playing that field position game and it was
valuable the other.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Night, and he did not throw an I legal blind
side block, but if he did, it would have been felt.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
In fact, part of the reason I bring him up
is he told us that I guess you kind of
called him out in the team meeting for squatting five
eighty five. You put an end to that too much
for a punter.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
I just say, you know, if we hurt our back,
you know, and we're not able to punt for that,
you know, unless you tell me that that's changing the
the trajectory of some of his kicks. He's plenty strong.
We'll be in good shape there now.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Finally, Sean, Kevin Demoff was in your seat filling in
last week, and I thought.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
He didn't care health suit. Did he? He tried?
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Oh boy, he was so disappointed when we didn't let him,
but he didn't. I shall be kind of resetting the
organizational goal that getting to the playoffs is not what
this RAMS franchise is about. It's about winning playoff games.
What's your version of.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
That, you know, it's the cliche thing. My version of
that is is maximizing, you know, the group that you have,
and then continuing to improve and really represent the things
that we want to be about when you get an
opportunity to perform in front of our fans, and so
absolutely we go take thee with the expectation to win
no matter who we're playing. But there's a style of play,
(27:04):
there's a way that we want to go about it.
There's a way that these games unfold in the way
that we want to be able to handle the situations
and act, interact and respond throughout the course of the game.
You know, like a quality football team that you know
understands how to win, understands how to play off one another,
play smart, situationally handles the ebbs and flows with a
mental and a physical toughness that I think our team
(27:25):
has done in a lot of instances. And are you
getting better in the most opportune moments, are you getting
better as the season goes. Are you using these reps
as opportunities to continue to grow? And so, make no
mistake about it, We've got respect for everybody, but we
don't fear anybody either, and so I think that's the
best part about it. We're certainly I don't want to
take anything for granted. I think it's a tremendous accomplishment
(27:47):
what this team has done. But like I said at
the beginning of the show, there's there's still some chapters
that we expect to write. Our players expect to write,
our coaches expect to write. But you have to earn it.
You don't make. You know, you're not naive to how
difficult it is. But that's what you love about it
are the challenges that this league presents week in and
week out. Well.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
As we already said, this is the season finale of
The Coach McVeigh Show. Shawan, thank you again here in
twenty twenty four from making this the highlight of my week.
I appreciate your time and your perspective. We'll be here
next Monday, just sitting here with the lights on. If
you go stop, buy and visit.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Well, hey, I always love doing this with you, JB
or the man, and even in the times that we
miss to Marco, he's always with us in spirit.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
DeMarco sent his best, he's doing great on the radio side,
and he'll be with us this weekend at SOFI Stadium.
I hope you will be too. For Sean, I'm JB.
This The Coach McVeagh Show, presented by Microsoft Surface
Hope you had a great weekend.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Everyone.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to the Coach McVeigh Show presented by Microsoft Surface.
Sad to say this is the finale of this year's show,
but good to know that this is not the finale
at SOFI Stadium coming up in week eighteen for your
Los Angeles Rams and joining me now the four time
NFC West Champion head coach of your Rams, Sean McVay.
Why are you shaking your head?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
No, I'm those are the that's a smile, that's not
a shake of your head. That's you know, I think
you know, like we were talking about a little bit ago, JB.
You know, you talk about eight years and every one
of these years is so uniquely special in its own right.
What a special story this has been. There's still hopefully
some good chapters yet to be written. But I've loved
this group. It's been a it's been a different journey
(00:49):
in a very rewarding and in a powerful way, you know,
throughout the season and happy and really proud of this group.
But there's still work to be done, without a doubt.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Didn't it feel like this past last week and was
almost a microcosm of the entire twenty twenty four season,
whether it's respect to your team in the game that
you guys played, or what was it like scoreboard watching yesterday?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah, it was interesting. You know, I think I'm a
lot better when we're involved in the games. You know,
I'm pacing at the end of you know, the one
game that we had to have, and it's very weird
because he got one of your best friends as the
head coach, and I know he would have been rooting
against us too though, So it was an amazing way
that things worked out. But I think the thing that
I'm the most proud of, though, is our guys handled
(01:29):
what they had to handle for us to even be
in a position to be able to watch and be
in the situation where you're able to clinch with the
week left and insure yourselves a home playoff game. I
think that is that is something you never take for
granted and very excited.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
So you're saying it was hard on Sunday night to
root against Raheem, I think we all felt that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yes, I mean, you know, that's my guy and love him,
one of my closest friends. But I don't think he
would have any doubts saying if the roles reversed, he
would have been rooting against us too.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Especially because it would have been a lot harder to
have to root for San Francisco tonight. That's right, So
it saved you that trouble that heads exactly. I think
we all agree in the construct of the NFL playoffs,
the three seed matters. It comes with built in advantages.
You have it currently, there's a way you can keep
it on Sunday. But does it matter to such an
extension that you're willing to prioritize it over arresting some
key pieces and making sure they're ready to go on
(02:18):
wildcard weak You know.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Those are always the great questions you ask yourself. And
I think you have a responsibility as a head coach
and really with your coaching staff to collaborate and say, hey,
we're going to compete every opportunity that we get, and
you don't minimize the importance of every single game, but
relative to what's at risk, what's at reward in terms
of either or and being able to maybe get some
guys that are you know, the toll that a season
(02:40):
takes get them back. We're fresh, rejuvenated. Typically we've aired
on the side of leaning a little bit more towards that,
and I would imagine as we continue to finalize our plans,
that's probably the direction that we'll go.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
That week six bye was such a blessing in real time,
but it was a long time ago, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It was you know, and I mean I remember us
sitting here and we were one and four, and there
was a lot of challenges, and it didn't feel like
we were as far away. It felt like, you know,
we were still figuring out, all right, how do we
at least just get some continuity as a team. We're
so young and youthful on the defensive side, we were
so injured on the offensive side, particularly on the offensive
line and at the skill position with the receivers, and
(03:18):
obviously still not having Higbee. But guys just stayed the course.
They didn't really look too far ahead. And then when
we did come back from the buy, you're able to
string three in a row based on, you know, being
able to finish games and you're able to develop a
little bit of continuity. And had a couple challenging moments,
you know, when you look at the Dolphins game in
the Eagles game, but to be able to win nine
of eleven and the way that it's been going and
(03:41):
the way that guys have figured that out. I think
there's a resilience. There's been a callus that's formed that
strengthened this group. And I think that you know, these
guys know that they're built to play in a lot
of different atmospheres and environments, and I think we're well
equipped to go swing and shoot our shot when this
tournament starts.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
With respect to week eighteen and how you treat it,
how have your experiences in twenty seventeen and twenty twenty
three colored and informed your thinking here?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yeah, you know the seventeen you didn't really have any
experience to go based on, but it was the same thing,
you know, just the risk reward in terms of what's
to be gained, you know, what is potentially at risk.
Does it give a couple of the guys that have
gotten a significant workload as the season accumulates a chance
to be rested rejuvenated? You know in each of those instances,
(04:26):
I don't necessarily look at what occurred when we played,
but I do think it served us well. Going into Detroit,
came up a point short, and I think in a
lot of instances that Atlanta game, you know, leading into
the wildcard game, first home playoff game at the Coliseum,
I thought our guys were ready to go, and there
were some instances where you say, as a coach man,
you want to do a lot better job for guys.
So I think it served us well for what the
(04:48):
intent was. And obviously the goal is to be as fresh,
as sharp as we can possibly be when the playoffs kickoff,
while not minimizing the importance of every single game is
a blessing to be able to play.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
In this morning, I was remembering, finally last year at
this time, Puka having some really special historic records in
these sites. He was able to go out and get
those at San Francisco this year, I guess he's ten
yards shy of a thousand. I'm guessing that doesn't move
the needle quite as much.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
You know, I'd always want to be able to talk
to him, you know, he'd be better equipped to answer that.
I think it's more of the body. I think everybody
has that you know number as a you know, that's
kind of the benchmark for you get over that. But
when you look at what he's done to have nine
to ninety in the amount of games that he's played
is a tremendous credit to the impact that he makes
week in and week out. He's like pac Man, just
(05:33):
eating up yards.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I mean, the reason I bring that up is because
I think it's a pretty straightforward case to make that
his year two, in fewer games, has actually been much
better in underlying measures than his record setting rookie camp.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I think so. I think there's been a consistency. I
think there's an ability to understand and impact the game.
He was tremendous last year, and I think he was
learning and growing. One of the things that I love
about him is the accountability that he always takes. I
think he's caught the ball consistently well. He's had a
lot of different targets. I think he's made some of
these incredible catches. It seems like we're sitting here weekend
(06:06):
and week out and we're saying which catch was greater,
and it's a one A, one B type of thing.
But I think the body of work, the resume, the consistency,
the understanding of how to take my game to the
next level, and then the attention that he gets is
different than what he got in his rookie year as well,
and for him still be able to produce the way
that he did, to have the rapport with he and Matthew,
(06:26):
I think it's been special and I definitely think he's
gotten better in year two. And I don't think the
stats are the exact way to measure it. It's what's
the product look like, snap in and snap out, what's
being asked of him. He's been a stud.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
The week off for starters or reduced snap count for
frontline players is an earned reward, but it's also an
earned opportunity too, for others who've been waiting in the
wings to get those opportunities. I'm sure, can you drop
a name on us or two someone that you're looking
forward to seeing step up and get that larger moment
Sunday against Theawk.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
You know, there's an handful of guys that could come
to mind immediately, But I'm excited about watching Blake Korm
get a heavy workload. I'm excited to see, you know
what Cody Schrader's about. I've loved what I've seen from
him in these practice settings. I think Blake has flashed
and some of the opportunities that he's gotten looking to
see some of these offensive linemen get get opportunities that
have done an excellent job presenting looks and helping our
(07:17):
defense grow throughout the season. You know, but those are
some of the guys that come to mind right away.
And then and then on the defensive side of the ball,
I think what's been great is figuring out, all right,
how do we consistently see some of the growth in
development from our young defensive line and from some of
these edge guys. And you know, you watch the continued
maturation of a lot of these guys that are getting
reps on the back end. You know, we're such a young,
(07:39):
youthful defense. I think that's why we've been able to
get better as the season's gone. So you'll see a
lot of those guys maybe not have as many reps,
but we're still kind of working through the specifics. But
you know, Blake's a guy that comes to mind.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I don't want to overstate what you know, the time
here in La meant for Baker mayfielder, for Carson Wentz,
but seeing them play on this team, I think help
them get their next opportunity in the league. How meaningful
is it for someone like Jimmy Garoppolo and the Rams
to see him get healthy, live opportunities at Sofi Stadium.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Yeah, he's been a guy that you know, you know
what a big fan of Jimmy. I've been for a
long time going against him and then watching the way
that he moves throughout the week, watching the way that
he's handled himself throughout the course of this season, the
respect and reverence he has for Matthew, but also what
just a great teammates he's been, not only to Matthew
but the rest of our team. And I've loved being
around him. I think he's a really, really good football player,
(08:31):
and I'm looking forward to seeing him just go play
the way that he's capable of. And it's a great
challenge against an excellent defense that's really hitting their stride
at the right time.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Who's gonna call plays?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
You know, I think we'll work through that. I do
think these are opportunities to be able to you know,
I got such trust in Mike Lafleur, and we always
you know, anything that we do is always collaborative, you know,
But if this does provide an opportunity to you know,
not necessarily take a step back, but you know, be
a little bit more immersed in the total you know,
product of the team and then be able to kind of,
(09:01):
you know, do that while also watching Mike be able
to lead in his own way. You know, those are
things that I always want to be able to think about.
If I think that's what's best for the team, that
might be a direction we go.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
A year ago, Carson had some unique attributes that allowed
you to tailor a Week eighteen game plan to him.
Is it true that Jimmy Garoppolo's skill set lends itself
more towards running the twenty twenty four RAMS offense.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I think so, you know, I think he and Matthew
have a lot of similar skill sets that enable us
to operate in a similar manner. And there're certainly, you know,
you always want to make sure that you're saying, all right,
what does the quarterback do best, and how do we
adjust our system or some of the things that we
want to emphasize to fit their skill set. And I
think there's a very similar skill set that both these
guys possess. But there'll be some things that maybe Jimmy's
(09:40):
a little bit more comfortable with that he has experience
with that we might activate that fit in terms of
how we want to try to attack Seattle's defense.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Oh sorry that Rob Havenstein had to miss last week's game,
But one of the beauties of getting this opportunity is
hopefully you have him right for the postseason. How confident
are you that that shoulder that popped up is not
going to be a lingering concern.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Yeah, I'm confident that he'll be ready to go for
the playoffs. You know, I think you realize the importance
of what he means to our team, not only as
a leader, but the production, some of the clarity that
he can provide across the board, in terms of just
the things that you can't measure on the tape that
take place in between those white lines when you're really
lining up next to somebody in the confidence, the command,
(10:19):
the way that he gets in and out of the huddle,
on how everybody else kind of follows suit. But I
am confident that he'll be ready to go in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
One other personnel question. I understand, like the hard ceiling
that you're up against for the return from injured reserve count,
but our audience will kill me if I don't ask
about fan favorite John Johnson. Yeah, do you see him
being a part of your postseason plans?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah? I think here's the nice thing. You know, you've
got two guys. It's such a unique situation in terms
of we had so many injuries so early on in
the year. You've got a maximum a lot of return
you know, off of that IR designate that you can have.
And so we've got two guys and Troy Reader and
John Johnson in one spot left in the regular season.
Here's the nice thing. We've been able to stay relatively
(10:59):
healthy because even though you can bring somebody back, well,
that means you have to release somebody and so there's
always some challenging circumstances to navigate as it relates to that.
But you do get a couple extra elevations or you
get a couple extra spots once you qualify for the postseason.
And so both JJ and Troy are at the forefront
of our minds in terms of figuring out we're better
football team when those guys are a part of it
(11:21):
and exactly how it works. But that'll be something that
we'll probably explore once we get into the postseason.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
You've had a couple of nice comments on this topic. Already,
but let's revisit it here. You know, we've resisted the
urge to draw too many parallels between last year's accomplishment
and this year. There'll always be inextricably linked. I understand why,
but I think there's as many, maybe more differences than
similarities between the two teams and the way the season went.
How would you distinguish uniquely what this group has done.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Well. I think what this group has done is I
think we've really come together as a football team. And
I'm not saying and I think last year was a
lot of the same, but I think we came together
at the right times. I think we're learning about how
to maximize each other and make sure that everybody is
being put in spots that accentuate their skill sets. I
think we're learning how to play complimentary football and maybe
how to win football games in a different way than
(12:12):
maybe was, you know, consistent with what we had seen
in previous you know, seven years, and playing off of
one another, picking each other up. But I just look
at this team as a mentally tough team. I think
starting off one and four, the youth of this team
in a lot of different spots while still having some
of that veteran leadership that is coming back from injury
(12:33):
or that was kind of consistent throughout. But I see
a connected team. I see a mentally and a physically
tough team, and I see a team that's built to
play a couple different types of games. You know, we've
won in some very different ways. I think that will
serve us well. You never know exactly, you know. I
think the NFL playoffs are the closest thing that pro
sports has to March Madness because it's a one and
(12:53):
done type of thing. And if we can figure out
how to put it together and play at our best
and that three hour window that we're a lotted when
those things kick off and try to string those together,
you never know what the hell can happen. But I
think we've got a lot of the right guys in
the key spots that can elevate those around them. And
there's a confidence and there's a belief that these guys
have earned throughout the course of this season, particularly from
(13:15):
after the buying one.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
This is always true, but teams are a reflection of
their head coach. I hope you'll accept me saying like
I think a lot of the things you just said
are true of you as well as a lot And
I hate to break it to You're probably not gonna
win NFL Coach of the Year this year, but you
would have my vote. I think you're very deserving and
it's been fun to see you practice what you've been
preaching at this stage of your life and career.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Now. I appreciate that. Man. I've always enjoyed doing this
with you and the wisdom and the perspective, and it's amazing.
You know, in year eight, I think there is a
lot more gratitude and appreciation for some of the small
things that maybe I did take for granted early on,
but watching the growth of this team and really you
realize that I think, you know, the coaches that I
respect the most JB Are the ones that really are transforming,
(14:00):
not transactional, and I think there's a lot of instances
that I see that from our coaching staff. You want
to be that, and when you feel a sense of
accountability to the people that you love and care about
and that really drives your purpose, it's a lot easier
to be more consistent. And like we've talked about before,
certainly that little guy smiling at you and making sure
you're saying, all right, am I am. I going to
(14:20):
be able to tell stories that are in alignment with
you know what you want him to react and and
you know how to respond to different things. And certainly
not perfect, but we're improving and I appreciate your nice work.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
His first division championship too. Can we get into some
of the Week seventeen action against Arizona, and I think
because we were repping the Royal and we were looking
forward to the biggest home field advantage of the season,
we should start there and pay that off. Could you
feel the fan influence in that game?
Speaker 2 (14:46):
You absolutely could. I thought it was great. You know,
I kept telling our defense, I said, don't take for
granted what this crowd is going to be like and
how influential in a positive way they're going to be
on this game. So I think it was good for
our guys to get a feel for, you know, that
nonverbal community cation, the importance of that. But it was outstanding,
I thought, and it was greatly appreciated as well.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Driving home and thinking about the pick that Akella made,
I flashed back to the first day of training camp,
and you suffer injuries throughout that summer, but when DK
goes down, I think all of our minds start to
think a Kello Witherspoon, A Kello Witherspoon. It took a
while for those you know, stars to align, but where
would the twenty four rounds be without him?
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Right now? He has been awesome. You know. I can
remember even you know, when he played so well for
us last year, was kind of patiently waiting for his
next opportunity. And I can remember even sitting there with
he and Aubrey when we first brought him back, you
know a little bit into the season and talking about
the opportunity that he had said, all right, well, i'll
kind of cautiously you stay on the practice squad and
(15:43):
then if it ends up being where I feel like
this is the best opportunity for me, But I don't
want to necessarily lock myself into if another opportunity to rises.
And you know, you talk about a guy that's just
been ready and who's been leading in his own way
based on the experience he's accumulated. I think he's played
incredible football for the last three weeks. When you look
at from the forty nine Ers game to the Jets
(16:05):
game and then to what he did on Saturday Night.
And it really wasn't just that play. He's consistently made plays.
He's been a great communicator, he's been tight and sticky
in coverage, He's had a lot of PBUs and then
it was pretty special to be able to have that
be his first pick of the year. Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
I mean, that play was pretty back to that. Yeah,
what do you think in real time? And then how
has it evolved since.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
You Here's what I thought. You know, you could see
they did a great job of really driving the football
down the field. You know, we'd made the decision that
we wanted to come after him kind of force the
ball out. I thought it was awesome that Cam Curll
got tight on McBride, so he's running a quick little outbreak,
doesn't have a chance to get his head around, and
because the ball's got to be out because of the
timing that we hit, the blitz bounces right up and
(16:49):
Akello being able to still have vision on the you know,
on that play and then to be able to have
the athleticism to redirect and then to be able to
make that play. It felt like an eternity until they
told me that thing was actually a catch, but I
couldn't see it where I was standing because I was
kind of in alignment, so it happened opposite of my
view on the far sideline. But man, the reactions. There
(17:10):
was a lot of excitement on our sideline. I think
Aubrey and I were a little less reluctant until they
made it official. But what a damn play by that guy.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
I thought the pylon was in the end zone but
out of bounds such that when he triggers it it's over.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Yeah. Touch. I did too, but I guess that wasn't
the case, and so that's why the ball was on
inside the one yard line. You're nervously waiting that that
that was the most uh. Yeah, that was the most
nervous I've been in the victory formation where you got
to sneak it a couple of times, and then I'm
asking Matthew do we have enough space on third down
(17:44):
to take a knee? And he gives me the thumbs up,
so I'm like, all right, we should be in good
shape there.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
That's awesome. I want to touch on Kobe Trant real quick.
Who's that Time's been your best corner this season? I
imagine it's a nice problem to have more starting corners
than starting spots heading towards January.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
There's no question, and he's he's been great, and he's
been a pros pro and he was awesome against Buffalo
and a lot of situations ends up having the lung contusion,
ended up kind of riding the hot hand, but he
couldn't have been more of a pro in terms of, hey,
he knows the confidence that we have in him. And
then you know, you always have to sometimes make decisions
what's best for that week. But like you said, it's
(18:19):
a Champagne problem to have three quality starting corners when
you look at he Darius Williams and a Killer Witherspoon,
and then you know, one of the things I think
that says as much about him as anything is is
look at who one of the first people to celebrate
with a kello when he made that play is and
it's fourteen love.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
That is it too much to ask cam Kinchins to
think about batting that away? Think so you don't think so?
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Okay? I mean, you know when you're in here's the thing,
when it's a ball thrown down the field in traffic,
I think it's a similar opportunity to be able to say, Okay, now,
instinctially you're saying in the moment, if you're not necessarily
saying I've been through this before, it's instinct she wouldn
want to be able to say, you go catch it.
And then if I'm in I'm saying, hey, did you
see what I did in Seattle? But I think there's
(19:05):
some opportunities to be able to say, all right, now
here you are, you've accumulated this experience. If this comes
up again and it's a fourth down and ten a
ball's thrown down the field, it's in traffic where it's
gonna be tough to get any sort of return, and
you know, now we're probably gonna end up a better
field position. You might have the presence to be able
to do that, but I think unless you go through
something like that, it's hard to be able to say.
(19:27):
And he's got some return swag, so when he started
to gig, I'm like, I'll just knock it down, and
then he got going and he got a little bit excited.
But it would have been better for us there. But
I'm not going to complain about a big time play
on fourth down.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah, no, or well, any of the Ramiley Rams rookies
by the way of combined for eight picks and now
thirteen sacks. My only concern with NFL Defensive Rookie of
the Year is that your tandem might somehow split vote
and steal from each other. But I conceptualize it this way.
Whether it gets voted this way or not, you've now
drafted and developed the last three. I think NFL Defensive
Rookie of the Year with Kobe last year, the two
(20:00):
this show.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I love it, you know, and I mean and you
you mentioned eight picks, and you know Jalen mccola and
and Cam Kitchens are two rookies that have had four
a piece that they they make up those eight picks.
It's it's incredible. I've been really just proud of the
growth in the development and I think that's a tremendous
credit to the collaboration of the coaching staff and scouting
staff identifying all kinds of guys, you know, and then
(20:21):
being able to see the coaches help develop these young
men and watch them continue to grow. Watching Joe Coniglio
with Jerry Versus, watching Give Smith and Ac Carter with
Braden Fisk. Tyler Davis is a guy that's played a
lot of really good football, good quality snaps, sniffed out
the screen. They've been an excellent screen team. I've been
really pleased with him. And then you know, you look
at it on the back end. You know Jalen mccola's
(20:44):
ascension as an undrafted rookie, what Greg Williams has done
with Omar Spates and how well he's playing at the
inside linebacker position as an undrafted rookie, and then Cam
Kitchens with Coach Beek and Aubrey that's that's a lot
of guys that have made big time contributions from the
rookie class. Just on one side of the football, it's
been awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Let's talk some offense. And every time you and I
speak about this, you've been laser focused on execution. Yeah,
which leads me to believe that you believe you've got
the right men in the room to be great.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
What is it that makes you think that there's more
days like Buffalo ahead for the Rams?
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Well, because I think the guys that are capable of
playing better have shown over time that they consistently will
you know, I think it was a big you know,
we miss rob the other night. You know, it was
a big deal that you know, we had some uncharacteristic
things go down. And I think the first thing that
you know as well as I do JB. I'm always
going to say, let's look internally as coaches are are
(21:38):
we presenting guys with the clarity and an understanding of
what's the intent? And then is there the opportunity to
be able to go consistently execute? And there's always going
to be times that you look at yourself and you say, man,
I got to be better for guys. And then I
expect the same from our players and the confidence I
have and saying all right, if we do what we're
supposed to do there, all right, what does that really
look like? And are there examples where it's been done before?
(22:01):
And then our job is to help them consistently replicate
that with the trust in their you know, teammates and
each other, and then their ability to be able to
go do that. And I thought there was a lot
of opportunities for us to do that. The other night,
we didn't do it. What I will say is this,
I thought, in some of the most important times, even
though it wasn't necessary, it wasn't up to the standard
that we have offensively, the goal is a how do
(22:22):
we figure out how to win the game as a
team to come away with the drive, and we had
to have it to get up seven nothing, and then
to be able to string together a two minute drive
to get a field goal. What a great job by
Cardi to hit that, But to go up ten to
nothing was big. And then I thought they did an
excellent job of sustaining possession. We didn't make the most
of the one possession we had in the third quarter,
and then when you do end up getting the ball back,
(22:44):
you know, and you're saying, all right, we got to
go get points. Would love to come away with a
touchdown right there, but I thought there was good execution
to be able to go get points, to make sure
that we took the lead right there, we stayed in front.
And then for hoight when they did score touchdown, to
be able to block that extra foot was so big.
But yeah, I believe that, and I refuse. I just
(23:05):
think there's too many good moments from these guys, and
and football is the greatest team sport that there is,
and I'm betting on us to be able to try
to put guys in the right spots and our guys
to be able to consistently execute. And until this season
is over and we haven't done that, I'm refusing to
believe anything else because I've seen enough times where it's
looked right, and I think I think that's gonna be. Hey,
(23:27):
save the best for last.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I know that all stems from having a guy at quarterback, yes,
who can beat any team on the day where he
has a helmet help us understand how much a week
off to just mentally reset and refresh can help someone
like Matthew Stafford, who carries such a heavy mental and
physical load week after week.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
I think he's the only one that can truly answer that.
And you know, I think the consistency over time, I
mean when you talk about that, he's you know, under
two hundred, you know two hundred, you know, less than
two hundred yards away from getting the sixty thousand passing yards.
I mean the amount of reps that he's banked in
the consistency over time, it's an incredible testament to him.
But I do think that sometimes being able to say,
(24:06):
all right, I've helped lead our team to a division title,
get an opportunity to really you know, nobody understands the
amount of physical pounding that his body goes through as
well and what he pushes through. So I think both physically,
mentally emotionally, all those things are great, especially when you're
smart enough to you know, as he is, to be
able to use that the right way to recharge, get
(24:26):
rejuvenated and make sure that a let's go, let's go
shoot our shot and swing to the best of our
ability when this tournament starts and there's a belief and
there's a confidence that he gives myself or coaching staff
and all of his teammates that when he's at the switch,
we always have a chance.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
I had a chuckle and I saw the Rams having
a lot of sack in four weeks. It's tied for
the longest streak in franchise history. In the back of
my mind, I'm thinking, oh, yeah, I go ask Matthew
if he feels.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Like there's been there.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah, exactly, first transition I've ever made from quarterback to punter.
But I'll start to wind down with this. Ethan Evans
I think is one of, if not the most improved,
and I'm speaking of him as a proxy for the
kicking game at large. What can you say about the
efforts he's given you in these last couple of weeks
of special.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
It's been incredible, you know, And I think the execution,
particularly on some of our short field punts, I mean,
it's like he's just got a chipper and he's just
hitting it right perfectly up on the green and what
a great job by Xavier Smith and then a couple
of great locations. I've just been really proud. You mentioned
the kicking game as a whole, but I think Ethan
has been outstanding. I think he's been steady, he's been consistent,
(25:28):
he's been accurate, He's played really well situationally based on
when we have had to punt, particularly at the end
of some of these games. And you know, I think
that's a fair statement to say he's one of the
most improved rams. But he's worked at it. I mean,
he's a tremendous credit to the work works really put
in a lot of work, particularly in some of those
short field punts that I alluded to, and it's been
(25:48):
big to be able to pin opponents deep, especially with
the pressure that our defense has put on people, and
sometimes you're playing that field position game and it was
valuable the other.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Night, and he did not throw an I legal blind
side block, but if he did, it would have been felt.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
In fact, part of the reason I bring him up
is he told us that I guess you kind of
called him out in the team meeting for squatting five
eighty five. You put an end to that too much
for a punter.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
I just say, you know, if we hurt our back,
you know, and we're not able to punt for that,
you know, unless you tell me that that's changing the
the trajectory of some of his kicks. He's plenty strong.
We'll be in good shape there now.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Finally, Sean, Kevin Demoff was in your seat filling in
last week, and I thought.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
He didn't care health suit. Did he? He tried?
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Oh boy, he was so disappointed when we didn't let him,
but he didn't. I shall be kind of resetting the
organizational goal that getting to the playoffs is not what
this RAMS franchise is about. It's about winning playoff games.
What's your version of.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
That, you know, it's the cliche thing. My version of
that is is maximizing, you know, the group that you have,
and then continuing to improve and really represent the things
that we want to be about when you get an
opportunity to perform in front of our fans, and so
absolutely we go take thee with the expectation to win
no matter who we're playing. But there's a style of play,
(27:04):
there's a way that we want to go about it.
There's a way that these games unfold in the way
that we want to be able to handle the situations
and act, interact and respond throughout the course of the game.
You know, like a quality football team that you know
understands how to win, understands how to play off one another,
play smart, situationally handles the ebbs and flows with a
mental and a physical toughness that I think our team
(27:25):
has done in a lot of instances. And are you
getting better in the most opportune moments, are you getting
better as the season goes. Are you using these reps
as opportunities to continue to grow? And so, make no
mistake about it, We've got respect for everybody, but we
don't fear anybody either, and so I think that's the
best part about it. We're certainly I don't want to
take anything for granted. I think it's a tremendous accomplishment
(27:47):
what this team has done. But like I said at
the beginning of the show, there's there's still some chapters
that we expect to write. Our players expect to write,
our coaches expect to write. But you have to earn it.
You don't make. You know, you're not naive to how
difficult it is. But that's what you love about it
are the challenges that this league presents week in and
week out. Well.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
As we already said, this is the season finale of
The Coach McVeigh Show. Shawan, thank you again here in
twenty twenty four from making this the highlight of my week.
I appreciate your time and your perspective. We'll be here
next Monday, just sitting here with the lights on. If
you go stop, buy and visit.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Well, hey, I always love doing this with you, JB
or the man, and even in the times that we
miss to Marco, he's always with us in spirit.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
DeMarco sent his best, he's doing great on the radio side,
and he'll be with us this weekend at SOFI Stadium.
I hope you will be too. For Sean, I'm JB.
This The Coach McVeagh Show, presented by Microsoft Surface
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