Sean McVay is entering his fourth season as head coach of the Rams and 2020 is shaping up to be his toughest on the job yet. Not only does Los Angeles have a difficult schedule next season, in part because of how good the NFC West is expected to be, but the coronavirus pandemic has made preparation hard for the Rams – and every other team, for that matter.
McVay got a look at the schedule on Thursday night when it was released and it’s certainly no stroll through the park. The start to the season is especially daunting, with games against the Cowboys, Eagles and Bills in the first three weeks.
“It’s exciting,” McVay said on NFL Network. “I think the thing that stands out, you always look at that opener. To be able to start in SoFi Stadium on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys, couldn’t be more excited about that, so that should be great.”
The Eagles and Bills games are both on the road, and McVay said the Rams plan to stay out east during that two-week stretch.
“I think so, especially when you travel those two time zones – both of those being slotted for 10 a.m. kickoffs,” he told Rich Eisen. “We’ve done something similar when we’ve had some East Coast trips in previous years and it’s worked out for us, so I think you can expect to see the same.”
In 2017, the Rams played on the road in Jacksonville and then traveled to London the following week, but instead of flying back home after their win over the Jaguars, they stayed in Florida and then flew across the pond.
Last season, they used the same plan after playing in Atlanta and then London the week after, choosing to stay in Georgia instead of flying back to L.A.
It’s a smart plan that cuts down on travel, but it’s unfortunate the Rams can only do so once. None of their other three games in the Eastern Time Zone are in back-to-back weeks, so they can’t stay for more than a week.
One aspect of the Rams’ schedule that McVay does like is the positioning of their bye week, which comes right in the middle of their season at Week 9.
“That’s always ideal. The longevity of a season, to have that right in the middle serves in a great spot for us. It’s pretty similar to what it’s been in years past, this being the fourth season I’ve been here. We’ve been fortunate where our bye weeks have fallen around that Week 9, Week 10 area and that’s always ideal.”
Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:
Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea
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