Sean McVay & Matthew Stafford On The Rams’ Resilience, Strategizing For Cardinals & Staying Focused

Sean McVay & Matthew Stafford On The Rams’ Resilience, Strategizing For Cardinals & Staying Focused

Okay guys, um as far as injuries are concerned, Kairen Cam Kitchens and Omar Spates will be limited. Devonte with his hamstring will be a DNP. Darius, uh a little bit of a tibia is kind of bothering him, so he’ll be a DNP. And then Puna Ford with his calf will be a DMP, guys. Go ahead. I do. Y is there a possibility with 22 that he’s not activated before the end of his 21day window? you know, we haven’t gone down that road yet, you know, but there is there are some number things like what we’ve talked about. Um, got a lot of love for him and what he’s done and how he’s handled it. And it’s been it’s just kind of been a unique set of circumstances relative to the timing and figuring out how you get, you know, 48 guys up and and kind of being able to balance that out relative to how many on offense, how many on defense. Obviously, you’re three specialists. And so, um, that’s not something that, you know, we’ve explored or or really, you know, thoughts a possibility, but, um, you never know. Sean, what do you see when you look at the Cardinals right now? Yeah, I see, you know, a really tough football team. You know, a team that we’re very familiar with. They’re they’re really well coached. They got good personnel all over the place. Um, I think they’re really sound schematically. They pose a lot of issues on both sides of the football. They’ve obviously always been really good in the kicking game, had continuity at the coordinator spot. And so, um, a lot of respect for this group. I think if you look at the record, you you’re you’re kidding yourself because, um, this is a team really outside of, you know, the Seattle game and the San Francisco game. Um, every one of those games they’ve been in and it’s been right down to the wire and onepossession games. And so, uh, we got a tremendous amount of respect for this group and we got to be ready to go for sure. What does Brassette want to offense? Yeah, he’s it’s it’s amazing. I mean, he’ll stand tall in the pocket. He’ll move around. He can still buy time with his legs, and he can activate all parts of the field. And, uh, he’s a hard tackle. Um, he’s obviously very experienced. You know, you can see there’s a comfort in terms of reading with his feet, getting through progressions, recognizing coverage. Um, just got great overall command. Really impressed with his body of work. You know, you’ve seen there’s a lot of production from the numbers, but then once you start to dive into the tape, he’s playing at a really high clip. Uh, doing an excellent job of getting a lot lot of different people involved. and um you know and they’re pushing the ball you know and he and he does a you know he poses a lot of problems been very impressed with his body of work. Review reviewing uh the game tape and delay a game penalty was he going to make was that an early whistle they they blew the whistle. I I’m on to quote coach Bichc we’re on to the Cardinals there. So yeah it doesn’t really matter. I mean, that’s how I felt, you know, you know, cuz the the way that it’s articulated is is that when you look at it’s really a 41 second play clock or 26 out of a clock stoppage because you look at the clock once it hits zero, then your eyes flash to the formation. If the ball’s not snapped, then you blow the whistle. And so, um, you know, again, that that’s not my decision to make, but that’s, you know, I do understand that’s how it’s officiated or being taught to be officiated. And so, um, what whatever I think it doesn’t matter. we got the delay and it moved us back and um and we’ll learn from it. And like anything else, every experience is a great opportunity, whether it be good or bad, for us to be able to say, “Okay, how can we control what we can control relative to not letting it get so close down to that and and not taking a penalty in that situation?” And that’ll be a great learning opportunity for all of us collectively. In terms of the number one seed, how much, if at all, do you track I don’t track it in the least bit. We we just we listen, we did I it’s not important to me at all. What’s important to me is us being totally and completely present today. Um, you know, I think the important we’re not even in, you know, we have no guarantee to play past 17 games. And so, the only thing that I know and that I fully believe is that our ability to be totally and completely present, have a great Wednesday and put ourselves in a position to earn the right to feel confident to be able to go forward against the Cardinals. But there was a lot of good things that, you know, we can learn from from that game whether we win or lose. But, you know, when you come up short, I think it’s a great opportunity for us to be what we want to be about. Um, and that is the the furthest thing. You know, our goal is to try to prepare to go try to get the result we want week in and week out. And those other things take care of itself. But, um, that is not in the least bit of my concern. I want us to get back to playing better quality football that we’ve been accustomed to seeing that that we didn’t do the other day. when you look back at you’re thinking about the number one seed but you’ve lost lost last two seasons in very tough environments for for any team what is the significance of being able to have field you know here’s what I would say the significance is is that it’s an awesome opportunity to be able to even earn the right to play extra football. Um I wouldn’t say because we were in those environments is why we lost. I I was really pleased with how we handled both of those. we just came up short and we played two excellent football teams in the Lions and the Eagles um where it just didn’t go down for us. Um would we love to be able to be at home? Yeah. But again, um that is so far from my thinking and the fact that we lost on the road in the playoffs the last two years. I don’t think being on the road had anything to do with us coming up short in those games. Sean, when you look back at the uh the game, how well the the run game played, do you kind of wish you weaned on it more or did did you like kind of the way that he played pretty good? I mean, we we punted one time with the the the the sequence, you know, but I think I thought, you know, we moved the ball. We had five third downs the whole game. I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a game where you have so few third downs and a couple of those were in the red zone. So, I thought I thought our guys did an excellent job of executing really whatever it was. It was just unfortunate because those turnovers, two of them in the tight red area and then one of them that goes the other way. But, you know, we were moving the ball. Um, only punted one time and so, um, you look at it and you say, man, I thought our guys did a great job executing it. You know, I as a play caller, you always look back and you say, “Hey, what could you do a better job of?” But, you know, I thought for the most part we collectively, you know, ultimately it’s about the players bringing it to life. I thought they did a great job. I didn’t think there was other opportunities really that I’d say I wish I had run it more there because we were still moving the ball in those other drives. Um, you know, the one the one drive that we did punt, what I will say is is we had a good fiveyard run on first down. Then on a second and five, they did a good job of bringing a blitz where Matthew ended up being hot. We took a sack that got us to the third and 13. That’s one of those where you say, “Hey, tip of the cap to you. Um, I didn’t do a good job putting our guys in the right spot there and that one chaps my ass to no end.” But um for the most part in terms of like the run pass balance, felt like our guys did a great job executing whatever we had kind of called and um and I thought I was really pleased with the run game, the way that we were able to strain and finish and I thought both Kairen and u and Blake ran really well. Sean, because that game was so much dictated by the turnovers, do you coach turnovers or did you just say that happened and and Oh, you’re aware of it. Yeah, I mean it’s we coach attacking for the football and and ball security. I mean, those are two of the most important things. And, you know, when you really look at it, other than points, you’re talking about turnovers and explosives. And that’s taking the ball away, taking care of it, or that’s creating explosives or preventing them from a defensive perspective. And so, um, we talk about that stuff all the time. But when for our guys to even give themselves a chance to be in that game when you lose a turnover battle, three nothing and one of them goes for a pick six and two of those the other two were in the tight red area where you’re in scoring position. Um, I think it’s a tremendous credit to their resilience, but absolutely we talk about that stuff all the time. But moving forward, is that just talk about last week? How do you move? You you emphasize it, you know, and and really like you look at it and you say, “Okay, the first one sometimes those are unfortunate occupational hazards of you get a tip ball right there and you know, there’s not a lot that you can do right there.” Um but then the next two you know absolutely you talk about what are the things that we could do to prevent maybe turning the football over whether it’s the interception or the fumble and and you know we always talk about you know all it ball security is all 11 and so um those are the things that we discuss you know on a daily basis last year last year’s loss to the Cardinals was a low point for the team obviously a lot of factors went into that a lot of injuries but what do you remember about how the team responded to that game and what it role it played and how you guys move forward. Well, you know, the next game, you know, we were we were, you know, we were playing from behind. Ended up finding a way to pull out our first win of the season against a division opponent, but you know, they did a great job. I mean, Kyler made some unbelievable plays. Obviously, Harrison made his and then they were able to get the run game going. Um, I thought they did a really good job offensively and then defensively, you know, you start off where you drop a third down, you end up not converting on a fourth down. We end up trying to throw a little perimeter screen and um and it and things just kind of avalanched on us quickly. But uh very humbling day. You know, those were one of those days that was challenging, but I’ve always loved the resolve and the responses of this group. That’s all we can control. Um but I think if anything, there’s a ton of respect for this group that we’re going against and um and we understand that and and last year serves as a good reminder for sure. Coach, one of the things that you said after your first game presser was this adversity will bring us together, make us tighter. How do you try to help especially the young guys, but even you as a coach try to reccalibrate and reframe the loss? Well, I think what you do is you acknowledge, hey, I don’t like the way this feels. All right, but then all right, let’s take a step back and let’s say how do we channel that in a direction that moves us forward. Um, I think, you know, part of being mentally tough is acknowledging I don’t like where I’m at now. I have the awareness to be able to address it and then act accordingly. That’s why we talk about all the time we want to respond, not react. And so, um, you acknowledge the things that we can all do collectively better, but I think that, you know, whether you want to admit it or not, no matter the most disciplined person, there is a heightened sense of urgency and awareness when you end up coming up short like what we did. Let’s just say we ended up scoring and and ended up winning that game. The game would have still gone down very similarly with, you know, the 150 plus other plays. It wasn’t even that many. There wasn’t that many snaps in the game. But the bottom line is is that, you know, we try to be consistent with it. But there is something about when you have the right kinds of groups um that can handle a setback, you can use it as a setup for a comeback and and I talk exactly like what I’m talking to you, you know, to them about it. And uh maybe I’m a little bit more candid. Uh maybe maybe I have a couple more curse words in there, too. So Sean, do do divisional games feel different for you as a coach? No, every single game feels the same. Uh but there’s a familiarity, you know, because there’s been continuity with coach Ganon, um you know, and their coordinators. And so, you know, there’s a familiarity tactically and schematically that you go back and you draw on just because all right, what have they done to us? What have we done to them? So, maybe, you know, just because there’s a little bit more familiarity, you know, that that changes your approach, but there’s certain teams that we’ve kind of become accustomed to playing um you know, whether it’s some of these other teams in some of the other divisions in our conference, but it it doesn’t really change. every single game is is very important to me where man you are grateful as hell when you come away with that result and when you don’t it just crushes you so I know you’re just focused on this week you’re not in the playoffs but you got to when you got to the Super Bowl in 2018 with a had a buy 21 you didn’t do you have when you think back what was the better road for you guys and do you have a preference I think the 21 road we won the Super Bowl that year didn’t I mean, we lost the You want to bring up that we only scored three points in that 18 Super Bowl, too, huh, Gary? You’re just killing me today, you know. No, here’s what I would say. I don’t think I I know this. Here’s what I can tell you, and this is so, you know, I I am not I I can’t even contextualize enough to be able to just say I am focused on try to be totally present. And no doubt about it. Every game that we play, we go in there with the intentions to try to win the game. And so if you said, “Would I be happier if we ended up being able to be in a position where that means we won more games that maybe gave you a chance to get an automatic bid to the divisional round?” Yeah, of course. But I really promise you, and I mean this wholeheartedly, and I think you know that from us, you know, being connected for nine years now. I don’t think about those things. And last week serves as a phenomenal reminder of, man, you get all ahead of yourself. We won’t even be in the playoffs if we’re not careful, you know? And so that’s where none of that matters to me at all. My sole focus and concentration is the amount of respect that we have for the Cardinals, trying to make sure that our players feel as clear and as confident going into this game to be able to courageously go for it. And I’m hoping that that leads to us getting our 10th win. And then after that, we’ll focus on what’s next. And and that really I think that has served us well, you know, in in all seriousness because you know, you say it and it’s the coaching cliche, but it’s easy to say, hard to do, but if you can be totally present and not allows the things that make this game so popular and it’s such a blessing, but like that has zero impact on what we want to do on a daily basis, and I do feel like it’s important for us as coaches to try to fight some of those narratives so that our players can be as locked in on the moment because those are the only things that we can control. And I think we’ve got a group that can do that. But um you you try to fight like hell to make sure that those other things are irrelevant because they really are um until those conversations become pertinent if that’s what is at stake given that given week. Okay. Thank you guys. All right. Fire away. Just kind of looking back on the film from Sunday. What do you want to clean up forward? Um yeah, just a couple plays here or there. Um, I mean, we moved the ball up and down the field pretty darn well. Obviously, the turnovers hurt us. Um, so try to make sure we don’t do that, but I love that toughness we played with. Um, you know, kept answering the bell and and, um, didn’t come away with the result that we wanted, but there’s definitely, uh, couple plays here or there that you want back. That’s every game. Those plays this time just happen to cost us. This team has shown adaptability and resiliency before this season in the midst of a setback. just when you think about um you know that process you guys have moving past those um you know what stands out? I think the fact that we just go back to what we’ve been doing and trust what we do. Um, you know, football is an imperfect game played by a bunch of humans trying to do their best. And sometimes it doesn’t come out that way. But when you put the work in, um, you go out there, put yourself out there and and try to go play for your team and and try to get a win and and when it doesn’t happen, yeah, you got a pit in your stomach and it it pisses you off and it’s disappointing and all those kind of things, but you can sleep okay knowing that, hey, I did everything I could to prepare to be ready to play, go out there and play and and um, so we just continue to do that process and we got a bunch of guys in that locker room and coaches that believe in the same thing. We continue to do that. would like the result. Matthew Sean has often used the phrase, “Don’t let a team beat you twice.” Do you think like that when when you have a game that’s not up to your standards? Uh yeah. I mean, I think that’s one way to put it, you know? I think that’s one way to put it. I know that uh whether we win or we lose, I’m move on pretty darn quick. Um I just know that uh I have another challenge in front of me. I got a bunch of plays I got to learn. I got to make sure everybody’s in the right spots at the right places and doing all that. So, um I do move on pretty quick. Um, so I feel good about that and I think the guys in our locker room do as well. How long as an NFL player did it until did it take you to really master that ability to leave a bad performance behind? Uh, I don’t know. That’s a great question. Um, played in a lot of games now, so it just feels like it it comes easy to me. Um, doesn’t mean that I don’t care about each and every single one of them and and um do everything I can to try and help us win each and every one of them. But I do know that, you know, unless it’s the last game of the year, uh, there’s another one coming and, uh, you better be ready for it. So, just try to do my best to do that. Last year’s game against the Cardinals in Arizona was low point for you guys. Obviously, a lot of factors went into that, but what do you remember about how the team kind of took that and built off of it and was able to kind of move forward. Yeah, we were in a we were in a spot there. I’m trying to remember. I think Puka was out, Cooper got hurt in the game. We got down early pretty quick, right? Um yeah, so um not a recipe for a good day. Um didn’t have a good day, but uh you know, we’re able to, you know, kind of figure things out as we moved along through the season last year and and play some of our best ball late. So um you know, each week is its own story and its own game. Um you know, whether we had played that game at their place or our place or anywhere, I’m not sure that it it mattered. Um you know, we just attack each week as its own and and try to put our best foot forward and that’s what we’re doing this week. shown is that he’s not thinking about the number one seed and just thinking about this week. Um, but played the last two seasons and playoffs in very tough environments. Would the chance to have home field advantage be significant to you? Uh, I don’t I’ I’ve never had it so couldn’t tell you. Um, 2021 we got to play a home game, right? And then we we got home field for the NFC Championship just because we were playing a lower seed. So listen, um, that’s the last thing on my mind at the moment. Um, I appreciate the question and and uh uh you know if we get it this year I’ll let you know after that. But um I do listen every game is ultra important and you know yes we’re getting down to the end of the season and the games are you know I don’t know that they’re more meaningful just because if we didn’t win the ones before then you know it doesn’t matter either. So, we just take every every single week. Um, you know, pour everything we got into it and and try to go get the result that we want and know that, hey, our process is our process and if we attack that with the same kind of mindset and energy and enthusiasm that we always have, um, you know, we can live with the result and, you know, more often than not, we’re going to like it. You guys kind of had a bye the last two seasons because you clinched the division or the playoff. I see what you’re saying. Um, what did that break, I guess, mentally do for you as you prepare for the playoff run? Um, I guess it was good. Um, last year probably a little bit more physically than even mentally, but um, you know, we didn’t have it in in 21 when we made the playoffs. So, I mean, listen, we’re we’re like just trained to do whatever’s right in front of us. And, uh, you know, if if that is go play a game for this seed or all the marbles or whatever it is, we go do it. If it’s to sit and rest and take care of yourself, you do that. Um but we’re not, you know, anywhere near that conversation at the moment. So, um at the moment, we’re laser focused on, you know, Arizona and and um trying to get the result that we want. When you don’t have the result that you want the next week, do you find that the focus or the energy is heightened a little bit? I I wouldn’t imagine because I feel like every single week we’re doing everything we can. Um, you know, I think, uh, you know, we understand what we did wrong in that game and we got to go out there and try to fix those problems, but, um, you know, that’s just through the normal process of what we do. We prepare to go play well every single week. We don’t prepare to just fix this problem and then, oh yeah, we forget about the rest of it, right? So, we just prepare to play good football. Um, you know, our coaches give us sound football plays. We try to go out there and execute them to the best of our ability, play together as a team, and let the results happen. And um you know I know that the guys in the locker room are all focused on doing that. Matt, uh coach talks about this as an opportunity to respond, tighten up, uh deal with adversity. Is there something about this team that you learned most last last week with this game? Yeah, I mean uh you know I we obviously didn’t play the game that we wanted to play um you know on really all sides of the ball, but I still thought we gave ourselves a chance at the end of the game to win it. and um you know obviously a mistake by myself to let that ball come out of my hands and not give us a chance to at least extend in the game or going to overtime. Um you know so I I I do feel good about our resilience as a group that’s been the whole season. Um whether that be in game or after a a loss or after a win, whatever it is. Um I think we have the right kind of guys that know that, hey, we need a big stop or a big point in the game, you know, let’s stay in this fight and it hasn’t gone the way we wanted. Or is it, hey, we didn’t get the result we wanted. Let’s make sure that we just continue to do what we’ve been doing, trust our process, trust each other, go out there and play. Have you seen the resilience grow these last couple years as like that young young roster in 23 has kind of grown and developed the last year? Yeah, I mean I think that comes through experience, right? uh you get into the league and trying to remember back then, but um you know, everything is so new to you, every experience is so new to you and and when you get when you get to a couple years and a couple games under your belt, you start to understand uh I mean, this thing keeps moving. This train keeps moving. You got to make sure that um you know, you you put the last one to bed, figure out how you can be better, go out there and attack the next week, and and um you know, I think our guys uh you know, are doing a really good job of that, and that just comes with, you know, experience. Cool. Thanks.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford talk about the team’s resilience in the face of adversity, game-planning for the Arizona Cardinals, and their “next game” mentality each week.

0:00 Sean McVay injury updates
1:00 Cardinals overview
1:40 Jacoby Brissett on Cardinals offense
2:19 Reviewing Panthers game tape
3:26 NFC standings
4:25 Losing on the road
5:11 Run game efficiency
6:46 Coaching turnovers
7:33 Emphasizing turnovers
8:06 2024 loss to the Cardinals
9:06 Reframing the locker room
10:25 Divisional games familiarities
11:09 Previous Super Bowl runs

13:21 Matthew Stafford on rewatching film
13:56 Adaptability and resiliency
14:42 Moving forward
15:10 Mastering ability to move on quickly
15:40 2024 loss to Arizona
16:28 Home game advantages
17:34 Clinching the division break
18:23 Team energy
19:03 Responding to Week 13
19:57 Young roster developing

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