Tag: Sean McVay

Sean McVay on Todd Gurley’s increased role: ‘Me not being an idiot’

Todd Gurley has gotten more touches recently, and Sean McVay had a funny reason for it.

To begin the 2019 season, Todd Gurley went eight straight games with fewer than 20 touches. In two of the last three weeks, he’s gotten at least 20 touches – the lone exception being the Rams’ 45-6 blowout loss to Baltimore.

The Rams have won both games in which Gurley has gotten at least 20 touches, as his involvement has provided a spark in recent weeks.

So, what’s the reason for his increased role? Sean McVay explained it in very simple terms on Wednesday.

“Me not being an idiot,” he said. “I think he’s felt good and really he’s done a nice job with that. You look at the Chicago game and just going from there, you don’t want to make some of the same mistakes that you ended up making earlier on in the season and I think he’s done a nice job handling a bigger workload. But then you also have confidence in those other guys if they need to give him a spell.”

There were a lot of unhappy fans after the Rams’ Week 10 loss to the Steelers, and not just because Los Angeles didn’t win. It stemmed from Gurley not getting a single touch in the fourth quarter and being replaced by Malcolm Brown on the first two drives of that quarter.

McVay recognized that was a mistake and didn’t want to do anything like that again.

“I think there’s some instances where you look back and it’s always hindsight in terms of what can you do. I think the Steelers game stands out in terms of where we were running the football well and didn’t really give him a chance to get back going based on how that thing played out,” he said. “So you always try to learn from your previous experiences.

“I think we’ve been able to, in the games that he’s gotten more touches, be efficient when we’ve been able to give him the ball. That’s a reflection of him, but also the guys blocking.”

Gurley’s numbers are unimpressive this season, especially for the league’s second-highest paid running back. He has just 642 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 4.2 yards per carry compared to 4.9 in 2018.

Some of that is attributed to his reduced role, but he hasn’t been nearly as explosive or involved in the passing game. That’s changed a bit in recent weeks, but it remains to be seen if the Rams will continue with that approach.

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NFL Best Bets: Three best underdog locks for Week 14

Our weekly NFL underdog betting staple continues into Week 14 where Ken Pomponio features three teams likely to upset their underdog odds

One of our three picks from a 2-1 Week 13 provided a snapshot of getting the best of the line.

We jumped on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a week ago as 1.5-point underdogs against the host Jacksonville Jaguars. We weren’t alone as the bets were pouring in on the Bucs, and by the time kickoff rolled around Sunday, Tampa Bay was a field-goal favorite.

It didn’t matter in the end as the Bucs won and covered easily by a 28-11 score. By jumping in ahead on the right side of a massive 4.5-point line swing – which moved, mind you, without the influence of a key injury – is nothing short of vital when betting the ultra-tight NFL.

Selecting the Bucs and the Tennessee Titans, another outright underdog road winner last week, while falling short with the Minnesota Vikings in a Monday night shootout in Seattle, upped our season record to 23-16 through 13 weeks.

Now we tackle the Week 14 card, looking for a third straight winning week. As usual, we’re looking at Wednesday’s posted point spreads from BetMGM. Here goes …

Washington Redskins (+12.5) at Green Bay Packers

Photo Credit: Jeremy Brevard – USA TODAY Sports

We’ll start with a straight formula, by-the-numbers play more than anything else as we note double-digit favorites have won 19 of 22 games outright this season but are only 10-12 against the mid-week spreads, including 1-4 over the last month.

Improving rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins and Washington have won two straight after a 1-9 start while Green Bay is coming off a get-right, 31-13 rout of the host New York Giants and just may be looking ahead a little to a crucial closing three-game stretch against NFC North foes.

We’re definitely not expecting Aaron Rodgers and Co. to slip up on the frozen tundra, but we’ll go with the D.C. visitors to somehow come up with a cover.

Denver Broncos (+7.5) at Houston Texans

Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports

Yeah, we know we’re playing with fire, going with another rookie quarterback on the road in the Broncos’ Drew Lock in only his second career start, but this is more a play against the Texans than anything else.

Wizard QB Deshaun Watson and Houston are coming off a massive, 28-22 upset win over the nemesis New England Patriots Sunday night, and it’s easy to see how the focus probably won’t be as sharp facing a visiting 4-8 Denver squad.

The numbers make our case as the Texans are only 1-4 ATS as favorites (as opposed to 5-2 as underdogs) this season while the usually-plucky Broncos are 6-3 as underdogs and 7-5 ATS overall, including 6-2 over their last eight outings.

That all makes the safe bet a narrow Houston win.

L.A. Rams (+2.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks

Photo Credit: Matt Kartozian – USA TODAY Sports

The NFC West-leading Seahawks are an impressive 6-0 on the road this season while the Rams have struggled at home, winning only two of five games in L.A. so far.

But coach Sean McVay is 3-2 against the Seahawks since taking the Rams’ reins in 2017, and one of the losses was a crushing 30-29 road defeat in Week 5 as PK Greg Zuerlein‘s 44-yard potential game-winning field-goal attempt sailed right with 11 seconds remaining.

Beating the Rams usually comes down to pressuring and flustering QB Jared Goff, but Seattle ranks in the league’s bottom quarter in sack percentage and quarterback hits while surrendering the fourth-most passing yards per game at 269.3.

Look for the 7-5 Rams to win outright in what could turn into a shootout Sunday night and boost their wild-card hopes.

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Watch: Sean McVay hands out game balls after Rams’ win vs. Arizona

Four players received game balls after Sunday’s win.

The Rams put it all together against the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in Arizona, rolling to a 34-7 victory. It was their most complete game of the season, maintaining control from start to finish with very few blemishes on the day.

It was a much-needed win after being blown out by the Ravens, especially considering how tight the NFC playoff race is.

After the game, Sean McVay handed out game balls to four players for their roles in the win. None of them are particularly surprising, given the impact they had on Sunday.

But before doing that, he gave a speech in the locker room to fire up his players.

Taylor Rapp certainly deserved a game ball for his pick-six, while Tyler Higbee’s career day warranted one, too. Robert Woods’ 172 yards were a big part of the win, as was Jared Goff’s near-perfect performance.

5 takeaways from Rams’ 34-7 victory in Arizona

The Los Angeles Rams dominated the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13. Here are a few takeaways from the victory.

The Los Angeles Rams flashed back to last season on Sunday against the Cardinals, looking like the team that made it all the way to the Super Bowl. They dominated Arizona for the fifth straight time, winning 34-7 in Arizona. The Rams were in control the entire game, jumping out to a 34-0 lead before garbage time began.

It wasn’t until midway through the fourth quarter that the Cardinals got on the scoreboard as Kyler Murray led a touchdown drive with his back against the wall. He capped it off with a nifty 15-yard touchdown run, giving the Cardinals their first score of the day.

Here are a few takeaways from the Rams’ dominant win over the Cardinals.

Defense smothers Cardinals’ offense

Other than Murray’s aforementioned garbage time drive, Kliff Kingsbury and his quarterback had a miserable day against the Rams’ defense. It was an unrelenting performance by the Rams through the first three quarters. The Cardinals failed to score points on their first nine drive, which included four three-and-outs and just one drive of at least 30 yards.

It was a return to form for a defense that had been dominant for most of the season before being dismantled by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in primetime last week. Murray was sacked six times and six different Rams were credited with sacks. Everybody on the defensive side deserves credit for this win.

It was the fifth time this year where the Rams held an opponent to 10 points or less. If they want to have a shot at the playoffs, it hopefully won’t be the last.

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Cardinals vs. Rams ultimate Week 13 preview

The Los Angeles Rams will take on the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday as the Cards look to start the end of the season strong. Can Kyler Murray lead the team to their first victory since October?

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals aren’t in playoff contention anymore, although they are not technically eliminated from the playoff race. Despite this, the overall mood of the locker room feels optimistic. The surrounding view of the team is far different than it was at this time last year. While a victory Sunday can’t propel them into the postseason, they can play spoiler to a dreaded division rival.

Recent history hasn’t been kind to fans in the desert when facing the Rams.  Los Angeles has dominated the Arizona Cardinals the past two years, outscoring them 130-25. That number includes two shutouts. For four games, Arizona had zero answers for the Sean McVay-Wade Phillips coaching combination.

This 2019 Cardinals team looks to be a lot different than the ones the Rams have played recently. Their record shows that of a ball club featuring a rookie head coach and quarterback, but the box scores show a team that has gone toe-to-toe with some of the league’s best.

This year’s Rams have had a fall from grace after nearly defeating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. They’re 6-5 and have sputtered out of control following a strong start to the season. Jared Goff has only eleven touchdown passes compared to twelve interceptions. They’ll be coming into Glendale on a short week following a 6-45 massacre at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.

The Cardinals very nearly beat that same Ravens team in week two of the season, falling 17-23 after a beautiful pass from Lamar Jackson to Hollywood Brown on 3rd down and 13. That game looks more and more impressive for the Cards as the season moves along, as the Ravens are looking like the AFC favorite for the Super Bowl.

The Cardinals are refreshed after their bye week. In fact, it’s possible all 53 players on the active roster will be healthy this Sunday. Can they start the end of the season strong, or will they come out rusty and unprepared?

Continue on for our game preview of the Rams.

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Sean McVay: Aaron Donald’s stats are misleading but he can still improve

Aaron Donald certainly has things he can improve on, according to Sean McVay.

Aaron Donald has been one of the best overall players in the NFL the last few years, winning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. He led the league in sacks with 20.5 last season, which set an NFL record for a defensive tackle, but his numbers don’t look as impressive in 2019.

He has eight sacks in 11 games, which is still impressive for a DT but it isn’t what fans are used to after seeing him stuff the stat sheet last season.

Donald was shut out by the Ravens in Week 12, being held to just a tackle assist on the night. He didn’t get a single hit on Lamar Jackson, nor did he do much in the way of pressure. Sean McVay said Donald’s stats are misleading because of how much attention he draws.

Still, McVay believes Donald has room for improvement.

“Sometimes the stats can be misleading. I don’t think anybody on our team, really as a whole, played good enough to feel good about what occurred last week,” he said. “He certainly has things he can improve on. Then, sometimes there is an element of, all right, if they are paying a lot of attention and he’s dictating double teams, then it does free other guys up. Sometimes it’s about the play-ops that present themselves. More than anything, you look at your factor-ops from a defensive standpoint. He consistently grades extremely high on that, but that was a game our team as a whole, and I don’t think anybody can say that they were good enough last week.”

Donald remains one of the best players in the league and someone every offense has to be aware of. He can wreck a game with his ability to generate pressure and create negative plays, which is what makes him so good.

He’s still in contention for Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, which says everything you need to know about how well-respected and viewed he is by everyone.

Rams coach Sean McVay is a big fan of Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald

McVay gushed about the Cardinals legend when he spoke with reporters on Thursday.

Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald is arguably the most respected player in the entire National Football League. He has fans all over. One big fan of his is Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.

McVay gushed about Fitzgerald when he spoke with reporters on Thursday as his team prepares to take on the Cardinals this weekend in Arizona.

“You talk about the epitome of a pro – class, represents everything that’s right about the NFL,” he said. “Then the production, the talent, what he’s done over the course of his career is why he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer,
without a doubt.”

McVay just loves everything about Fitzgerald on and off the field.

“I think the things that he does off the field – the way that he just consistently handles himself,” he said. “Then you watch the way that he competes with the ball, without the ball – the way that he’s still able to be productive. You can’t say enough good things about Larry. I have so much respect for him. I’ve loved watching him compete over the years. I’m a fan of Larry Fitzgerald. It’s impressive what he’s done.”

Through 11 games this season, Fitzgerald has 55 receptions for 593 yards and three touchdowns.

He has been especially productive in his career against the Rams. His 185 receptions against the Rams are the most he has against any team in the NFL.

The Cardinals and Rams lay this Sunday at 2 p.m. Arizona time at State Farm Stadium.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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Kliff Kingsbury on Sean McVay: ‘I wouldn’t have this job if not for him’

Kliff Kingsbury raved about Sean McVay on Wednesday.

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For the first time as NFL head coaches, Sean McVay and Kliff Kingsbury will square off on Sunday. The two are close off the field, but this will be the first time they face each other on opposing sidelines.

Kingsbury nearly joined McVay’s staff last offseason after he was fired by Texas Tech, but instead opted for the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy after accepting a job as USC’s offensive coordinator.

On Wednesday, Kingsbury said he was “close” to joining the Rams, even after the USC opening came about.

Of course, Kingsbury found himself in a great spot with the Cardinals as their head coach, and he credits his current job to McVay. He told Arizona media members that if not for McVay, he wouldn’t be in this position.

On a conference call with Rams media, he discussed further how helpful McVay has been during his transition to the NFL.

“Sean was great. Even though we’re in the same division, anything that I needed once I got the job – questions, thoughts, giving real advice – he was great,” Kingsbury said. “That’s just the type of person that he is – those of you that have been around him. We haven’t talked much during the season – both of us have jobs in the same division – but, he knows that I’m always cheering for him 14 out of 16 games and I’m sure he’s doing the same.”

Kingsbury and the Cardinals can play spoiler on Sunday afternoon against the Rams. A win would drop Los Angeles to 6-6 on the year, effectively ending any playoff hopes McVay’s squad had.

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Sean McVay not bothered by Jalen Ramsey-Marcus Peters spat

Sean McVay isn’t worried about the incident between Jalen Ramsey and Marcus Peters.

After the Ravens picked apart and dismantled the Rams on Monday night at the Coliseum, Marcus Peters and Jalen Ramsey got into it on the field and exchanged words. Ramsey had to be restrained by a member of the Rams and was held back all the way down to the team’s locker room.

Peters was seen taunting Ramsey during the game and even mocked his usual celebration, which appeared to anger the Rams cornerback. Ramsey refused to answer any questions about the altercation after the game, attempting to move on from the disappointing night.

Sean McVay wasn’t immediately aware of the confrontation between Ramsey and Peters and didn’t see them arguing until they were separated, but on Tuesday, he was asked if he talked to Ramsey about it.

“I have not, I haven’t spoken to him,” McVay said. “I addressed the team, we talked about a couple of things today. We’ve been getting ready for Arizona. (Rams communications director) Artis (Twyman) had mentioned (it) to me before we started here. And then, I saw those guys talking when I was walking off the field, but by the time I had circled back, they were separated and really that’s kind of all I had seen about that.”

Postgame incidents are never something the NFL or its teams want to see, but this one was pretty harmless – especially compared to the fight between the Browns and Steelers a couple weeks ago.

McVay would not compare the Ramsey-Peters spat to the Myles Garrett-Mason Rudolph fight, saying it was just a matter of competitors going back and forth.

“What, just them talking back and forth? I’m not sure,” McVay said when asked if this was in the same category as the Browns-Steelers fight. “Guys have fun, that’s a part of it. What we always talk about is, as long as what goes on doesn’t take away from what we are trying to get done as a team, those are things that competitors (do), they go back and forth, but I think that’s a little bit of a different scenario than kind of what occurred in that game.”

McVay had a strong relationship with Peters while he was with the Rams, and he still does. He said he talked to the cornerback before and after the game, saying he’s playing at a high level for his new team.

“I talked to him before the game – Marcus and I have a great relationship – then I talked with him afterwards. He did a good job. That’s a really good football team and he’s playing at a high level for them,” he said.

McVay clearly wasn’t bothered by the incident after the game, as long as it doesn’t deter from the task at hand: winning games.

Rams will be tested by yet another ‘dynamic runner’ in Kyler Murray

After getting torched by Lamar Jackson, the Rams will face yet another dynamic quarterback in Kyler Murray.

“I kid you not, and I wouldn’t lie to you guys. Half the time, I didn’t know where the ball was.”

That was said by Eric Weddle after the Rams got their “faces peeled off” by the Ravens, as the veteran safety put it. He and his fellow defenders had no idea how to stop MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson, who torched them for five touchdown passes and 95 yards rushing in only three quarters of play.

The good news is, the Rams won’t have to face Jackson again this season unless they miraculously make it to the Super Bowl. The bad news is, they have to play a quarterback with similar speed and quickness twice in the next five weeks – beginning on Sunday when the Rams visit Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.

It’s the team’s first taste of Murray, who’s in contention for Offensive Rookie of the Year after being drafted No. 1 overall by Arizona. He doesn’t run as much as Jackson, and the Cardinals don’t utilize zone reads the way Baltimore does, but Murray is certainly the second-fastest quarterback in the league.

With as much trouble as Jackson gave the Rams, it’s easy to wonder how Los Angeles will fare against another player like Murray. Sean McVay shared his thoughts on the Cardinals rookie Tuesday, calling him a “dynamic runner” who’s throwing the football well.

“Really impressive. Takes great care of the football. His ability to speed it up and be able to deliver the ball when he sees guys open is really impressive – just how twitchy he is,” McVay said. “He can obviously make throws from a bunch of different platforms. He can make plays in the pocket, out of the pocket. Then, you see just what dynamic runner he is as well. You look at a couple of the plays that he’s made as of late, where they’ve started to utilize him a little bit more as a runner. He’s playing with a lot of confidence and you can see why he was a No. 1 pick.”

Kliff Kingsbury and the Cardinals probably watched Baltimore’s dismantling of the Rams and loved what they saw. Los Angeles had no answer for Jackson, whether it was against the run or pass. When Weddle, one of the smartest players in the NFL, says he didn’t know where the ball was half the time, that’s alarming.

Expect to see plenty of read-options by the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in an attempt to fool the Rams defense. At the very least, it can slow down the pass rush the way it did in Monday night’s drubbing.

Arizona is only 3-7-1, but this is yet another tough test for the Rams. They failed miserably against Jackson and the Ravens, so perhaps they learned from their mistakes and will be better prepared for yet another former Heisman winner.