When Sean McVay was hired by the Rams in 2017, he completely changed the offense. Los Angeles went from one of the worst teams in the league for years on that side of the ball to one of the best, helping to elevate the play of both Jared Goff and Todd Gurley.
His offensive scheme was unique and kept defenses on their toes with heavy usage of 11 personnel, pre-snap motion and lots of play-action passes. It seemed like teams may have begun figuring McVay out last season, but that won’t cause the fourth-year head coach to make wholesale changes.
The core of the Rams offense is expected to remain the same, but there will be new wrinkles – as there always are each year.
“Yes and no,” Jared Goff said Monday when asked if he expects the offense to change much. “I mean we have our wrinkles just like we do every year. The core values remain the same. Sean is still calling the plays. It’s still all his offense. So, there will be some new things definitely, but the core of it will remain the same.”
The Rams welcomed offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell to the mix this offseason, the first time McVay has had an OC since Matt LaFleur was in L.A. in 2017. O’Connell will also serve as the de facto quarterbacks coach, so Goff will be working closely with him.
Even though they were restricted to conference calls and long-distance work, Goff loves what he’s seen and heard from O’Connell so far.
“He’s been great. He’s been really good. We’ve obviously pretty much all communicated through Zoom up until today. Just getting a feel of his demeanor, the way he talks, the way he communicates – he’s played the position. He understands the little intricacies that go along with playing it and I’m super excited,” Goff said. “I couldn’t be more excited. I mean, I was excited when they hired him. I’ve always heard his name. I know a lot of people that have played for him, a lot of people that know him. When we hired him it was exciting, and it’s been exciting today that you kind of get to communicate with him and everyday it makes my job a lot easier.”
AS Goff said, McVay will still be calling the plays and it will be his offense, but having another bright young mind on that side of the ball with O’Connell will only help the team as a whole. He can bring fresh ideas to the equation, and given his track record of working with quarterbacks, O’Connell should have a positive impact on Goff’s game.