McVa, O’Connell … 11/27 … transcripts

Head Coach Sean McVay and Offensive Coordinator Kevin O’Connell- November 27, 2020

Head Coach Sean McVay

(Opening statement)
“First of all, I’ll just start off today kind of giving you some insight into the decision-making process. So, I was made aware late last night, that two people from our organization, one player, one staff member tested positive. Then they retested, both of those came out negative, and then again, this morning, both of those results were negative. So that’s a really good thing for us. As a result of the precautionary measures, we did cancel practice, but we still took part in virtual meetings. We did our finalizing our game plans, all those types of things. It wasn’t exclusive to just those results. We had always known, kind of going into this game, that we were going to treat this in between a short week and kind of like a Thursday preparation as well. Because of that, what we wanted to really be able to do was get the meetings, give our players another day off their feet. Then you guys have been out there, it’s like a tornado, like a wind tunnel out there at our facilities. So to get a lot of the work that you would like to get, as far as throwing and catching, things like that, that limited our availability to get that done. So tomorrow we’ll have a little bit longer walk-thru, kind of an all-encompassing deal and in a lot of instances, for those of you guys that have covered us for the last few years, it’ll be very similar to what we had to do when we played Seattle and the fires forced us to miss the Friday practice, where we actually did an extended walk-thru at USC. So there was a lot of things that went into it, but I do think based on the maturity of this football team, they did a great job handling the meetings and we were able to do everything except for the physical work. Because of the short week, because of some of those precautionary measures, like I had mentioned, that’s why I felt like that was going to be the best decision for our football team. I have confidence that our guys will be ready to go and we’ll have a good walk-thru and kind of an extended opportunity to really finalize everything tomorrow and then be ready against a tough team on Sunday.”

(On if the team has been able to continue to operate at a high consistency considering what we’re going through)
“I would say that it’s a result of the players. I think the coaches have done a really good job too, of being steady, staying neutral through all of this and trying to be as consistent as we can in a really different time than what we’re all accustomed to operating under. It’s really all about the players. I think their understanding of how to be pros, how to prepare, how to take care of themselves and then ultimately be ready to go when we kickoff, is the most important thing. I think our guys have done a really nice job in the last couple of weeks, especially coming off the bye and want to be able to keep that momentum going and I think if we’re fresh, if we’re feeling good, especially this late in the season, I think this was the best approach today. Unfortunately, you realize how volatile this thing is when you look at unfortunately the Ravens situation and some of these other teams around the league, you realize how quick it can catch up with you, especially when you start to look at what possibly could have occurred as a result of close-contact tracing, all those things, had those results been positive with those two people that I had mentioned earlier. Fortunately, we didn’t have to suffer the consequences, but it was a good way of kind of resetting your focus and understanding how crazy this thing all is.”

(On not falling for any traps or pitfalls that could be out there ahead of you him)
“That’s exactly right, and we know what a great team this is. It was brought up earlier this week, we haven’t beat them in a while and we’ve got to be at our best to go get our eighth win. Looking forward to the opportunity to compete.”

(On clarifying if the staff member was a coaching staff member)
“No. I don’t want to get into specifics on it. I can say it was not a coaching staff member.”

(On clarifying that they both have tested negative twice, once on Thursday night, once on Friday)
“Correct. Absolutely.”

(On when the timing of calling off practice that made)
“Actually, last night I had gotten confirmation that the second test for both of those individuals was in fact negative. You had to wait until this morning at around 8:45 to confirm those second negatives to then be able to operate accordingly. But like I said, it was a combination of that, but then also the weather had a huge part in it. I think just considering our guys, being able to get their rest. So, there was a lot of things that factored into it. But if you guys were out there, in terms of really being intentional of getting work in, unless you’re really doing kind of an above-the-neck jog-thru, which we’ll be able to do tomorrow, I felt like that was the best decision. Had the weather been different, maybe I would have had a little bit different approach and waited, but I do think it’s also a really good thing for our players with how much we’ve traveled, with it being a short week and it was a credit to how they handled yesterday that made me feel comfortable making that decision.”

(On has he heard that Sunday’s game could possibly be rescheduled)
“I have not, nope. My understanding is that we’re kicking off. We’re playing at SoFi at 1:00 and that’s our plan.”

(On will TE Tyler Higbee play on Sunday and other injuries)
“I think it will come down to a game-time decision like we talked about. We’ll see how that elbow is feeling. I think the more rest you can get, the better opportunity he’ll have to play. (OLB) Terrell Lewis, his knee is going to make him doubtful for the game, I’d be very surprised if he’s available and ready to go. Then (OL) Brian Allen, we’re still monitoring his knee situation. Those are the only guys whose status is up in the air. Then we would have given (DL Michael) Brockers the typical veteran rest day had we practiced today.”

(On who will replace Higbee)
“It would be (TE) Johnny (Mundt) and (TE) Gerald (Everett), both of those guys. Gerald’s played a lot of football and then, like we’ve seen, I thought Johnny did an outstanding job against the Bears stepping in, he’s gotten more snaps in some of our different personnel groupings. I’d love to be able to have Tyler, but it is a good situation with the depth that we’ve had and some of the confidence that I know Johnny’s gained from being able to play, whether it’s going back to last year or even some of the snaps this year.”

(On if he think the team will continue using the virtual meeting format post COVID-19)
“What I would say is, there’s no substitute for being in person with people and the way that communication exists and how important I think that is, especially when you’re coaching or when you’re communicating to players. There’s nothing quite like that, but what we have learned is that these opportunities still allow you to work through some of the situations that we’ve had to navigate this year and you can get a lot done. It’s definitely something that we would implement, but there’s always the preference of being in person. Definitely not closed minded to it if it’s a more efficient way of doing things, and there’s a lot of parameters that would surround that. I think you guys know I feel in person is way better and that’s always going to be the preference on my part.”

(On if his confidence in the season diminished with all the changes this week)
“No, definitely not. I think what you realize is just what a serious situation this can be. You don’t want to minimize how crazy and how quickly it can get out of hand if you’re not careful. But in terms of the confidence, I mean, I think it’s an incredible accomplishment to even get this many games done, for the way that the league has handled things, with the way that our team has and a lot of the other teams. It definitely doesn’t change anything. These are things that everybody has to navigate through and if you said these are the biggest adversities we have to deal with, in the big picture with a lot of things that I know a lot of other people have going on, this is very minimal. So, we’ll handle it accordingly and we’ve talked about it from the very beginning – having good agility and being able to adjust and adapt with a positive mindset. Our guys have done that exactly, so it makes it a lot easier for me.”

(On Defense Line Coach Eric Henderson and how he has developed)
“There’s really not a lot of things that you don’t like, you like everything about the guy. He has great energy; he’s has great command, he played the position. I think he has a great way of helping these guys reach their highest potential and everybody’s talking about the ‘dawg work’ – the theme that he ended up really establishing by putting a lot of thought into what’s going to be something that we can have as a focal point for that D-line and it’s really resonated with the rest of the team. But his development and what he’s done with our D-line each of the last couple of years has been outstanding. I think he is a future star, as far as a coach. He possesses everything that you’re looking for in a great coach. I love working with this guy every day.”

***

Offensive Coordinator Kevin O’Connell

(On what he saw from the offense and QB Jared Goff against the Bucs)
“Obviously we got off to a good start in the game and I thought (QB) Jared (Goff) had a lot to do with that. He was very prepared. He did a very good job of asking some great questions during the week and kind of really want some clarity on some things. But at the end of the day, he went into that football game prepared. He went in confident and he executed the plan in a variety of different ways at a really high level. I thought he got through progressions really well when things weren’t exactly where number one or number two, wasn’t open. He created a couple plays kind of off schedule that I thought was a big help for our offense. Then when things were there, he was pretty lights out from the pocket as far as making sure that when number one was open, he hit that guy. Handled some of the pressures, they brought some zeros (blitzs), that’s kind of always been something that those guys have been known for and were able to turn the defense’s aggressive calls back around with some checks and some audibles and things. I was really happy with Jared.”

(On what needs to change this time around against the 49ers to have more success than last)
“Well, I think just as a group, just being more consistent. We went back and studied that game real hard and tried to see a lot of the things we could have done better, which were a lot. I mean, me personally, there was a lot of things I could have coached better. I know our players look at it like we all could have done little things here and there better to make sure that the outcome came out the way we wanted. They’re a good team, they’re always well coached, no matter the scenario of who’s in who’s out. It’s no secret they’ve had some injuries and just like a lot of teams in this league, but the one thing you continue to see when you turn on the tape is a really well coached team. They play really, really hard. You have got to match that energy and urgency and then match the execution level. Because you know they’re going to be so well coached. It’s always going to be a challenge when you play these guys. Uh, we know that and Sunday is going to be no different.”

(On the ability for Goff to handle blitzes better and his success rate going up since the Miami game)
“I think he’s just as the season has gone on, I think he’s learned some things, as far as how people either defending us or maybe some of those pressures that talking about. I think he’s just used that as good experience. It’s something that when you do that and you turn something that maybe doesn’t go your way, you turn it in into a positive, especially at the quarterback position, it puts everybody else in that huddle at ease, puts those guys in positions to have a lot of success and he’s playing with great timing and anticipation so that you can be one step ahead at the quarterback position. When you do that, it provides a great opportunity for yards after catch the guys like (WRs) Cooper (Kupp) and Robert (Woods), we saw that the other night. It also just keeps us ahead of the chains in those first and second down scenarios where we can turn those into some explosive chances, but also be in that third (down and) two, third-and-three, third-and-four, those manageable distances where the playbook, the whole playbook is at (Head Coach) Sean (McVay’s) disposal. It’s been a combination of a lot of things, but Jared deserves a ton of credit for kind of using some experiences throughout this season to turn it into a positive for him and the rest of our offense as we move forward.”

(On if it was a major goal to operate under chaos and learning how to win the math)
“Yeah, I think so. I think you’re always trying to think of how you can equip the whole offense, but the quarterback to obviously, be in a position to make great decisions both pre and post-snap. I mean, we talk a lot about playing the position from after the ball has been snapped and each individual down being its own and fundamentally technique how we view the defense. All those things play into the decision making and the ability to protect the football. At the same time, that poise and that understanding of preparation, equaling the right to feel that comfort pre-snap and getting us into the right plays. I think it’s been a great growth and progression for him throughout this whole season of kind of seeing that both work at times, and then seeing how, maybe we can do things a little bit differently. And me being right there with him in a supportive role to do anything I can to help him do that.”

(On if he has any indication on the game status of 49ers CB Richard Sherman)
“I’ve gone about it all along like we’re going to see him, he’s such an important part of their defense. If he’s able to go, we’re expecting to see him. We have so much respect for him as a player what he’s been able to do in that defense and in both on the field, but also his leadership and his understanding of what they want to do schematically off the field and how he kind of helps control everything for those guys. Expect to see him. It’ll be a great for us as an offense and in the pass game and run game, because he’s such an all-around great player.”

(On if when a defense is having success like the Rams, if every offensive coordinator is trying to figure it out)
“I think it is different just because it’s such a week-to-week, who are we playing this week and how do they operate? But if there are similarities or maybe someone in (Defensive Coordinator) Brandon (Staley’s) background that he’s either coached with or been around a similar scheme, I’m sure people are studying that. As a matter of fact, just because they’ve had so much success and you can see why. I go back to training camp and just remember some of those days where we have real competitive days and you just think about how productive they were early on, despite the absence of an offseason. You just give those defensive coaches so much credit led by Brandon and obviously the leadership on that defense and that shown up week in and week out. As your question goes, I think that’s something definitely Brandon will have to be ready for it in the offseasons when the whole league gets to study the special things those guys are doing over there. I think that goes both ways, but it’s a good question.”

(On how RB Cam Akers and WR Van Jefferson have evolved throughout the season)
“I think you go to training camp and from day one, the physical skillsets, we saw right away. Movement skills, the understanding of being able to carry some of the things they did successfully at Florida State and Florida, right into the NFL. We thought that that would be possible, but at the same time, we do a lot offensively and there was going to be a little bit of some growing pains, as far as the volume of what we do. When you can’t have those competitive preseason games to really throw some volume at them and see if they can take it to the game, you really have to kind of pick and choose your spots as we’ve kind of gone on. Also, those guys understanding that to keep stacking days and each individual week, but then you start stacking weeks throughout the season. You guys may not see it, or the fans may not see it in the games, but we’re at least getting them reps in practice and kind of bringing them along in a way where, ‘Hey, we know van can run that route down in the little red zone and it’s going to come up at some point.’ And it happens to come up on Monday Night Football against the Bucs. Or the same thing with (RB) Cam (Akers) with his touchdown, he had out of the backfield. Like those things are things we’re constantly working through from the skill-development phase of teaching the techniques, teaching the plays that we want to activate with those guys. But then, just when those plays do get called, that fits with that particular game plan, or that particular drive in a game, those guys are going to be ready and they were. I give those guys so much credit for being ready for in that moment and using all that preparation to help them have success.”

(On whether he still considers Akers a rookie considering the experience of this season)
“Yes, I still do consider those guys rookies just because they’re learning. There are new things that are coming up each and every week and as we face different challenges on defense and game plans get tied directly to those, there’s things that are still new to those guys. Just like there are for a lot of us. But I don’t worry as much about that rookie wall for those guys. Two real reasons, they both do a tremendous job keeping themselves in great shape and the recovery process of learning that NFL routine. We’ve got great veteran leadership to teach those guys how to do that. Then our strength staff, our training staff, those guys, our sports performance, we’ve got those guys a lot of different aspects that they can rely on to help them throughout their rookie year. On top of that, we’ve got real depth at both those positions. So, it’s not like from a volume of repetition standpoint, they should really be fatigued at this point. If anything, they should be starting to feel more comfortable with what we’re doing and being excited when their number gets called, they’re going to make the play. That’s really how we all can feel about those things.”

(On the early injury derailing Akers acclimation to the NFL)
“Yeah, I think that was a big part of it, obviously. He was in a really good place going into that Philly game and then he has the injury. You never want to look at it for a young player as a true setback, but just the rhythm of the reps and kind of in the absence of that offseason that you were talking about, kind of that growth progression, both physically and mentally within the offense hit pause for a little bit. But I think for the most part, those guys. I just think of though when I see them after practice or I see them tapping Jared on the shoulder, asking him a question, something. Or maybe it’s (WR) Van (Jefferson), ‘Hey, let’s get one more rep at this route or that route.’ Those guys have the right mindset. That’s why they’re here. They got great makeup and obviously the physical skills speak for themselves. I think we’ve all been really fired up, but just the type of work ethic they have. I have so much confidence in the guys coaching them with (Running Backs Coach) Thomas Brown with (RB) Cam (Akers) and obviously (Wide Receivers Coach Eric) Yarber and (Assistant Wide Receivers) Coach (Zac) Robinson in that receiver room. I mean, those guys are getting the best coaching out there and it’s showing up as they continue to develop.”

(On if training camp was the first time practicing against DL Aaron Donald)
“When I was in San Francisco, we did, we played (DL) Aaron (Donald) in the opener and then the second to the last game, I believe in 2016. But yeah, he’s one of those guys that as an offensive coach, there’s a very small list of guys in this league that whether you’re playing them or not. You know about them, exactly their impact because of all the crossover tape that we do watch, either in the offseason studying other teams or in a game plan, you end up finding some time to see some of his plays jump off the tape and they always do.”

(On the way Donald approaches practice and training camp)
“I mean, laser focus and effort every single day. There’s a lot of really good players in this league, that you see a different player on Sunday than you do Monday through Saturday. A lot of guys are able to do that, but the real special ones are the ones that you’ll watch in their preparation, they don’t take one rep for granted. They don’t take a rep to show just how special of a talent they are. They don’t ever take anything off because guys like (DL) Aaron (Donald) are trying to win every down, win every rep, every individual one-on-one matchup. Because he’s got the confidence that he should win them all. That’s why he never wants to allow anybody to see anything different happening on the practice field, game field, whatever it may be. You have so much respect for that. Really that’s what makes this culture here and everything, he’s such a huge part of that because when your best players are kind of your hardest workers and your best workers. That sets a great example for a lot of the young guys.”