Sean McVay Talks About Setting Players Up For Success On The Road, Facing A 1-4 Ravens Team & More

Sean McVay Talks About Setting Players Up For Success On The Road, Facing A 1-4 Ravens Team & More

As far as the injury report, um Kobe Parkinson will be limited today. He’ll be questionable for the game. Um want to make sure that he feels as good as possible with the concussion. So, we’ll see about what his status looks like. Um Omar Spates will not participate. He’ll be doubtful for the game with his ankle. Um and then uh Rob Havenstein will be doubtful with his uh ankle as well. And 22 felt a little something in his hamstring. He’ll be limited today. Um you know, questionable for the game. We’ll see how he responds. The initial reports were good. Um, you know, but you can’t be smart enough with a soft tissue like that. So, we’ll see what that looks like for his game status. It happened yesterday in practice. For Rob, will he do anything to that? He won’t. You know, he I mean, he’s doing rehab and all those types of things, but um, you know, you say doubtful, but it’s it’s very unlikely that he’ll be ready to go. What did you think of Warren? I thought Warren was really good. You know, I think what what I think is really cool is, you know, you start talking about Rob. I think the first thing that you mentioned that you can’t appreciate unless you’re in the building every single day, what a great leader and what a great teammate he is in terms of putting his arm around guys and helping them continue to grow and develop. And Ryan Wendell and Zack Cromer and Brian Allen and Mike Munchek deserve a ton of credit. But I think Warren’s done a great job of really just putting the work in. Um he’s got a great mentor and Rob to be able to lean on and and I was really proud of Warren. I wasn’t surprised though because I thought last year when he had to come in and and and play a bunch of snaps, particularly at the right tackle, he’s played well. Um, he’s ascending into a good football player. He’s earned the he’s earned the right to be confident because of the work that he’s putting in. There’ll always be some snaps that you can want back, but I thought we put him in some stressful situations and I thought he handled it really well. And I I love his game day demeanor. You know, he’s nice and steady. Thought he played with toughness at the line of scrimmage and I thought he was um, you know, pretty sturdy and stout in uh, in protection and some of the different communication and he’s only going to get better the more he plays. has prepared for this extended road. What are the kind of conversations that you had with Reggie and other members of the staff and how to make the next? Yeah, a lot of those things are a lot of that stuff. You know, I give Carter Crutchfield a ton of credit. You know, Reggie, you know, Tony Pastor, there’s a lot of people that are involved in terms of setting our players up for successful outcomes. And, you know, I have a schedule, but you know, you talk about where are we going to stay? what’s the meeting, you know, room structure. There’s so many people, you know, Dan Demetri, you know, Brennan Burger, like to be able to pick up and move your operation is a big deal. But in a lot of instances, Sarah, what I would say is is, you know, we try to keep as normal of a schedule as possible, minimize the distractions, have us be able to get our work in. Um, you know, and that’s, you know, your hotel accommodations. All right, where are you going to practice? What does your meeting room structure look like? What does it look like even when we’re going to travel out to London? and all those things. Um, you know, I have an understanding about it and we collaborate on those decisions together, but I try to be, you know, an expert in the areas that, you know, that I’m responsible for and my responsibility is to put our players in the best positions to be successful and that’s why you defer to them. Um, you know, and and then I’ll also, you know, you kind of sign off on some of those things. But that’s a lot of conversations and dialogue that exists kind of in the summer and then those thing those you know wheels are set in motion and and then I just want to be able to focus on football and making sure our guys have good experiences. I know I know you guys still have practice today but has Steve practiced and played the way you’ve expected. Yes, he’s done a good job. I’ve been I’ve been I’ve been pleased with Steve. He’s shown that he’s ready to go. when Steve’s in there and playing like the player that we know and love and that he’s capable of, you know, a lot of good things have happened and I think it’s a luxury that we’ve been able to develop that you feel like you have a starting capable player in Justin Dedish that’s earned a lot of experience. Um, you know, he can really play all three interior spots, but expect Steve to be ready to roll and do his thing on Sunday. Was asking some of your players um how a long trip like that changes their or how they have to adjust their own personal kind of things they do during the week in terms what they say. Well, they were talking about have there will be things in place by the team, but in terms of body work and some of the things they’re accustomed to doing in terms of a routine. I’m just curious. You’ve been through this kind of before an extended trip, but you’re a dad now. You’re your life has changed. How, if at all? Well, it’ll change. Fortunately, my family will be out there. You know, being Veronica being from the DC area, she’s flying out with with Jordan today and um they’ll be there. It’ll give her a chance to be able to see, you know, some family and and some friends. And so, um, I’ll keep it as normal as possible. What I like about these things is, you know, you get a chance to be around the guys a little bit more because of the nature of what this trip entails. Um, and then our group, you know, as it relates to, I know you weren’t really asking about it, but Reggie and his group do as good a job to try to keep that normaly for whatever they need to do to be at their best. And, you know, going back to even Sarah’s question, that was a part of it. But, um, I’m a pretty simple guy as you I think you’ve come to know. You know, I’m I’m really interested in let’s do a great job of being at our best on Sunday against the Ravens and then after that I’ll worry about after that, but try to keep a normal rhythm and routine. You just might be in a different location. But got the film, got the field. Most importantly, we got the players. We’ll be in good shape. Just a point of clarity. Kobe Parkinson. He has. Yeah. When you talk about just minimizing the distractions, obviously being on the road is pretty much more team building. you prefer that as far as something like that as far as just being on the road and galvanizing guys and being able to to you feel like the focus is better on the road? Yeah, you know, it’s it’s hard to say, Nick. I I think what I prefer is being around our guys, you know, but I also I think those are the circumstances that are set forth. I think we’ve been able to do a good job of coming together as a team in these types of settings. And then it just so happens that this is, you know, we we got a London trip. we’re on the east coast, you know, which is what we had requested, you know, to try to be able to set it up that way just to get the body clocks adjusted. And so, um, haven’t done this in a few years. We did it our first year and then we did it in 2019 when we stayed in, uh, you know, Jacksonville and then in Atlanta. And so, I I’ve I love these opportunities to be able to just be around guys more. What I love about this group and what I feel is we got a bunch of mature guys that their football is important to them, their families are important to them and and being able to do that while also still have that good balance that I think allows you to be at your best. That’s what this week will hopefully entail. What is your decision to spend the week in Baltimore versus going to London and getting the body up there? Yeah, I think just based on the things that we’ve learned, you know, I think felt like it was going to be the best thing for those guys and there’s a lot of studies without getting too in the weeds with it that, you know, what is the right time? Um, but that’s part of why we’re not leaving until Friday. Um, ultimately to be able to have their body clocks as close to as possible to be able to feel good. I think and I think a lot can be made about it, but you know, get your rest, be consistent with that, but you know, let’s play our best in that three-hour window that we’re allotted. you know, you guys have heard us talk about a lot, okay, at 10:00 a.m. in our heads, it’s like, no, let’s be ready to go. That’s not going to be an excuse for us. We’re going to try to set you guys up for successful outcomes, but let’s not let’s not allow things that we can’t control to get in the way, and that’s where we try to put them in those right spots, but also um make sure that ultimately it’s about playing the best in that three-hour window that you’re allotted and and let’s be ready to do that. Sean, when you’re playing a really good team like Baltimore that has struggled, beyond the X’s and O’s, what do you kind of focus in on? you know, it’s consistent. I think, you know, humility is only a day away. And I think there’s too much respect that I know that I have and our players and coaches have for these players, this coaching staff, um, every single week. You know, this league is too challenging. So, you try to be consistent in your approach. You understand, all right, how can we control what we can control with our preparation, our focus, our concentration, our ability to execute at a high level. Then there’s a personnel and and a scheme element to it. But um it doesn’t change anything other than just the respect that I have for coach Harbaugh, that group of coaches, the players, and um it’s a really prideful, very successful organization. And a lot of instances when you look at them over time, you try to mimic and emulate a lot of the things that they’ve done at a high clip that I have tremendous respect for. How does how does the opposition execute and trade in the middle impact? Um you know, not much. I mean, I think, you know, you have familiarity with some of the those players and and then you also say, okay, I don’t want to chase ghost, but what are the possibilities that we have to be ready to communicate to our players in the meantime? If who does that move around? Does that affect anything that they’re going to do that maybe has been in alignment with what they’ve done on film? But not too much other than just acknowledging it and and being familiar with the guys that could possibly be in the lineup that maybe you’re not seeing on the film right now. uh when you have a young player like Terrence Ferguson who had some setbacks and stuff but then shows up in the last game with that kind of catch is there do you guys as a coaching staff kind of go okay we we have to start sure using this element yeah oh yeah I think you you want to make sure that you’re putting guys in positions to have successful outcomes so no question and and there is you know I think I was talking to a lot of guys about this this is a long season everything matters you know but you want to continue to build guys up throughout and this will be a little blip in the radar, you know, when you look back on the totality of the season, but how do we continue to maximize it? He’s answered the bell with all the opportunities that he’s had. Been really pleased with him. And, you know, if he continues on this trajectory, the answer is yes. You want to continue to get him more and more involved.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay talks about measures he and his team will take to prioritize the team’s health on their extended trip, facing the Baltimore Ravens who have had a slow start to their season, and more. 

0:00 Sean McVay details Week 6 injury report
0:49 Warren McClendon Jr.’s impressive performance
1:51 Conversations with Reggie Scott to set players up for success
3:10 Steve Avila practicing
3:40 Acclimating to the extended trip
4:59 Colby Parkinson clearing concussion protocol
5:05 Minimizing distractions on the road
6:07 Traveling from Baltimore to London
7:02 Focus points vs. Ravens
7:54 Trades in the middle of the week affecting plays
8:26 Utilizing Terrance Ferguson

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