McVay, Kromer, Goff … 11/20 … transcripts

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Run Game Coordinator Aaron Kromer, QB Jared Goff – – Nov. 20, 2019

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Rams Head Coach Sean McVay

(Opening Remarks)
“Great opportunity for our team going against a team that’s playing as well as anybody in the league right now. As far as some of the injuries and some updates, (WR) Robert Woods is still handling his family matters. He will not be here today. There’s really no other updates other than that for right now. (WR) Brandin Cooks is back, he’s excited to be able to play. He’s felt good for a couple weeks, so when he’s feeling good and we’ve gotten the thumbs up from everybody else, that makes us all feel good. He’s going to play and we’re excited about that.”

(On when Woods would have to return in order for him to play on Monday)
“That’s one of those things that I’d rather just be able to talk to Robert. I think, most importantly, is the family stuff always comes first – that’s our priority. That’s what he’s taking care of and we’ll worry about the football stuff a little bit later. I don’t want to put a finite answer on that. He is a guy that because of what a savvy player, his experience, how smart he is, I do think he’s one of the guys that does have the ability to play on a short week. But, you certainly don’t want to minimize the importance of the preparation throughout the week.”

(On how the scout him will try to emulate Ravens QB Lamar Jackson leading up to Monday)
“(QB) John Wolford’s going to do a great job for us. We’ll see if he found some extra speed this week, too (laughs). You can’t ever really, truly emulate this guy (Ravens QB Lamar Jackson), what he’s done and what they’ve done as a team. As a team, but then when you’re individually talking about their offense and Lamar Jackson, it’s been impressive. It’s fun to watch, it’s exciting, it’s going to be a great challenge and I know our defensive guys are excited about that challenge.”

(On if there is concern with Cooks returning to the field)
“I don’t think he would go back out on the field if he was worried about that. Football is a physical game and sometimes those collisions are inevitable. You hate that. You never want to see – that’s the worst part about this game is ever seeing any player get injured. That’s one of the worst parts. You hate that because of the work these guys put in. But, I do think it’s really important that you go out there with a clear mind and just being able to go compete to the best of your ability and not have to worry about those types of things. I don’t think he would go back out there if he felt like that was on his mind. I think that he’s really chomping at the bit, excited to go.”

(On the approach to the passing game going into Monday’s game after QB Jared Goff only attempting 18 passes in Week 11)
“Like we’ve talked about, that was the approach for the Bears. There’ll be some different situations that, as we continue to put together our gameplan, we might figure in. You got to be able to do a little bit of both, but with where we were at and how that game unfolded, going 11-for-18 was enough to be able to win the game. That is the goal and I know I’m guilty of it too – sometimes you lose perspective on your job. Our job is to really put all three phases together. Even though sometimes – I think what epitomizes the selflessness that (QB) Jared (Goff) displays is how excited he was about that when you know he wants the ball in his hands and to be able to make plays. I thought he made them at the most important time to be able to put that game away, and that’s what’s important. When we do decide to throw the football, we’ve got to be effective, we’ve got to be efficient, we’ve got to do a great job because they’re a great defense.”

(On if Woods’ availability will determine how the offense operates on Monday)
“I think I could better answer that later on in the week. Any time that you’re missing one of your key players in the pass game, it does alter it. But, we do have a lot of confidence in guys to be able to step up. I think you’ve seen (WR) Josh Reynolds continue to demonstrate time after time why he’s a starting-caliber player. Getting Brandin back, obviously (WR) Cooper (Kupp’s) experience and then (WR) Mike Thomas is very capable in his (own) role as well.”

(On how he would assess how Goff has done through the season as a whole)
“It’s hard to say. That’s such a difficult question because you’ve heard us say it all the time, ‘Each play is its own individual entity.’ I think what we want to see is, especially when you’re throwing the football all right, are we playing in the timing and rhythm of the play? Are we making a good decision and are we delivering the ball with accuracy and anticipation, if that’s what the pocket allows? Really, I think there’s a lot of times that you can check off all three of those and then there’s sometimes where we expect to be better and I know he expects to be better. I think what we’re looking forward to is let’s see how we finish and let’s play well this week.”

(On how much Ravens CB Marcus Peters impacts his preparation)
“It does because he’s a great player. You look at the production that he’s had and how quickly he’s picked up some of the things that they’re doing schematically. He’s always been a guy that has great ball production. You look at him in his first game, getting an interception against Seattle. He has one against Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago. He’s very comfortable. He’s a guy that whether he was here or not, you’ve got to be mindful of because he does have such elite ball skills. You do want to be careful about some of the things that he might be familiar with. He’s a great player and I’m really happy to see him doing so well.”

(On if S Eric Weddle offers any tidbits of information that might help him as a playcaller and going against a team that Weddle was once a part of)
“What you respect about (S) Eric (Weddle) is he’s one of those guys that you’d pick his brain because you just want to talk some football. But, in terms of some of the intricacies, I think he’s got a lot of loyalty to those guys even if he’s not there anymore. Those are things that I think he would probably say, ‘Hey, I like talking ball with you.’ But I don’t want to do something that takes away from his ability to try to unfairly give information with the Ravens.’ I know that’s something that he’s communicated. I haven’t talked to him about it.”

(On Weddle talking about the Ravens intricacies is regarded as unfair)
“I think this – I think it’s totally at each person’s individual approach. With his reasonings, I think it’s a small demonstration of why he’s a special guy. But, we’ll talk some ball. We’ve talked before, maybe I already asked those questions in the free agent visit, he just didn’t realize it (laughs).”

(On if he has more confidence in the offensive line this week having a full week of practice going into Monday and with how well they played in Sunday’s game)
“Experience is big. I think for them, most importantly, to be able to draw on that positive experience they had against a really good defense, I think gives you confidence going into the next opportunity that you do have. Each week presents new challenges, but repetition is the mother of learning. I think the more reps these guys get throughout the course of the week, the more comfortable they’ll be. I think, certainly the other night was a great experience for them to draw on and play together and hear some of the communication that’s involved as you just go through the sequences of a game. I thought all five of those guys competed really well.”

(On expecting the same five offensive linemen playing on Monday)
“Yes.”

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Rams Run Game Coordinator Aaron Kromer

(Opening Remarks)
“I think with the offensive line, the way it’s set up, their production that they had last week, I feel like it’s trending in the right direction. With this group, these two young guards, I’m talking about (OL) Austin Corbett and (OL) David Edwards, have really fit in well within our scheme, and really to scheme around them with their talents. (OL) Austin Blythe has brought a calmness and experience to the center position. He’s been able to communicate to the group what calls, and that sort of thing is needed. It’s ignore one game in row, as I say, but hopefully, it’s trending in the right way and the right direction. We look forward to another game with the same group.”

(On what the coaching staff did to simplify things for the younger players like OL Bobby Evans to have a successful game against the Bears)
“David Edwards playing next to him (OL Bobby Evans), believe it or not, after a couple of starts that he’s had, is really an intelligent football player. He was able to help Bobby a lot – in any kind of mental gymnastics he might have within the schemes. He did a good job. We ran the ball a lot and that helps an offensive lineman and had some good play-action passes. Again, on first and second down, when you do those kinds of things and you can have some success with that then usually a good thing will happen for the O-line.”

(On why this group of offensive linemen was able to mesh and perform well)
“I think it’s a combination of the calmness of Austin Blythe at center, directing the group. I think it’s David Edwards coming into himself, into his own with having a couple of starts under his belt – even though it was left guard, right guard and all that. I think he gets football and he’s a good player. Adding Austin Corbett has really made a difference – size and athleticism and football intelligence. In my opinion, it’s just a good group. It’s a good group of young players with a lot of potential.”

(On Blythe playing behind former Rams G Jamon Brown last season before stepping in and showcasing his skills and if there are times as an offensive lineman when you don’t know what they have until they get in the game)
“That’s a great question because that’s exactly what happened with a couple of the guys that are playing right now. David Edwards was playing all four positions all preseason – playing left guard, left tackle, right guard, right tackle – and had done a solid job, but I didn’t know he had enough football knowledge within the NFL schemes and the NFL defenses , if he could go in and have success. He was forced into action with injury and had done a solid job and he’s earned a spot. Shoot, it’s going to be hard to get that spot away from him.”

(On what he’s learned about the rest of the season about potentially have some changes next year and if it is a chance for the young guys to show that they can hold down a spot)
“In an evaluation aspect, it’s a blessing in disguise because you’re getting an opportunity to see a Bobby Evans play. No one wants (T) Rob Havenstein to be injured, or the others for that matter, but you’re getting an opportunity to see David Edwards play and Austin Corbett get a chance to play, who never played an NFL real game, only preseasons at the Cleveland Browns. Just to get them in the game because you see potential, but like you’re saying, you don’t know until they play. How they will respond or react. So far, in a short amount of evidence, like I said, it’s really a bright future for these guys playing.”

(On how much more challenging it will be for the offense this week if they are in more situations where they have to pass the ball)
“It’s always challenging. Like I said a couple weeks ago when I was up here. When this past week, we didn’t get in a hurry up trying to get back from a two-score down or a one-score down when you’re trying to work your way back and they call every blitz that they ever put in during training camp and those kind of things. And you get down after down of drop-back pass protection, that’s not easy on anybody –whether they’re rookies or vets. That didn’t happen last week and that really helped in that way. We’ll get one more evaluation if that is the situation, hopefully it’s not, but it could be and we have to be ready for it.”

(On what he said to Evans going into Sunday’s game and what his instructions were to him)
“The number one thing is just trust what you do, trust yourself. You don’t protect the quarterback, you block for the quarterback. There’s a lot of guys that think that they should back up and hope and protect, and we think that we should go block the defender that you have in the passing game. When you have that mentality, you’re more aggressive toward going to get your guy and that brings a calmness because you’re not worried what he’s going to do. You’re only concerned about what you’re going to do.”

(On how much T Andrew Whitworth has helped with the transition that the offensive line has gone through and him being an extension of the coaching staff)
“That’s a great question because I do see him (T Andrew Whitworth) as an extension of the coaching staff. I asked Andrew six, seven weeks ago that, ‘Hey, listen man, we’ve got some young guys playing. We have some guys coming in and out with injury. Please help me coach these guys. Help me with thought process. Help me talk to them when I’m not talking to them.’ He’s done a good job.”

(On RB Todd Gurley II’s 25 carries and if he is confident that if necessary, he can do that more than one game in a row)
“You know that’s a good question – not like your one game in a row. Good question because he (RB Todd Gurley II) did it and he looked solid last game. I do believe that he looked good in walk-thru today. It was a walk-thru, but he looked like he was moving again so we have high hopes that he can.”

(On the highs and lows of the season and how he thinks Head Coach Sean McVay has handled it)
“Well, obviously your normal self’s a lot easier when you’re winning every game and everyone’s telling you you’re a genius. Because you’re having a lot of success and he’s just as much of a genius, or just as good as a football mind this year. Things just aren’t working out the same and whether it’s the line not blocking well enough for him or somebody not playing well enough. He’s (Rams Head Coach Sean McVay) putting us in good position to have success and we all have to help him have more success. That’s a lot of weight on your shoulders and he’s handled it in a leadership way. He’s a guy that’s very competitive, he has a very competitive nature. When you’re around those kind of people, they don’t think of failure. There is no failure, you can’t fail. When it happens, they’re surprised and then they go back and become solution oriented. What caused us to fail? What do I have to do better? Maybe we can’t run this play the same? Or we have to do this play a little bit different. Week in and week out, he has dug deep and tried to find what we can have more success with the following week.”

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Rams QB Jared Goff

(On saying the win over Chicago was one of his favorites as a Ram and if he thinks he needs to play better moving forward despite winning in Week 11)
“No doubt. I think in that moment I was happy we won, but of course, after looking at everything, you always want to get better and always want to improve. That’s no different with moving through this week. Offensively, we want to be a lot better than scoring 17 points. We will be and we need to be if we want to do what we want to do throughout this whole season. We need to be better than that and it starts with me, like I’ve mentioned. I’ll be better.”

(On if it is unsettling not knowing how many passes he’ll attempt from week-to-week)
“I think it just varies on the way the game goes. I think we were in a situation last week where we knew how well our defense was playing. They were running the ball and we were running the ball – that’s going to cause the game clock to go a little bit quicker, so we didn’t get quite as many plays off as we usually do. We were using (RB) Todd (Gurley II) a lot and he was doing his thing. Sure, I want to throw the ball a bunch. But, if I throw the ball once and we win, I’m happy with it. This week was 18 and next week, who knows. I’ll be ready for anything.”

(On how he measures his success)
“It’s definitely a lot to do with coaches and teammates and personally feeling like I’m performing up to my standards. I really try not to put exact numbers on it because I think those can be skewed. But I think overall, when we win is when I feel the best and I think that’s a quarterback’s job is to win. By no means does that mean play bad every week and win and you’re happy. I think you still want to play well and still need to play well. I think at the end of the day, finding a way to win and figuring it out is something that I’m growing into and trying to always do my best with. I think last week was a good example of that where numbers don’t jump off the page, but I thought I – towards the end of the game especially – was able to take care of the ball and do some good things. At the end of the day, you always want to improve, you always want to play well. I need to play better than I have played and will do that. To answer your question, I think when we win and I’m able to come off the field with a win, I’m happy.”

(On if he feels his ability to throw the deep ball is better or if he has just had more of an opportunity to showcase it)
“I think both. I think I’ve always been a deep-ball thrower. Since I can remember in high school, I’ve had a good feel for that. I think we just had more opportunities to do it this year and have taken advantage of them. I think we’re really being a little bit more aggressive in that area and I love it. It’s good. I think we’ve got the guys who can do it on the outside and obviously, I think I can contribute my part as well. We have hit a few of those and we want to hit more.”

(On the sense of the team looking at the playoff picture and moving forward)
“One week at a time, man. That’s all that we can control is one week at a time. We’re 6-4. We are absolutely still in it, and have a great chance to rattle off some wins, and get ourselves where we want to be, but it starts one week at a time. This week is the Ravens that’s all that we can really focus on and there is nothing else left to be said.”

(On what it was like going against Ravens CB Marcus Peters in practice and now going against him as an opponent)
“He’s a tremendous competitor and tremendous player. I think, just seeing the way that he worked every day was something I always admired of him. Seeing how hard he worked, how high his football IQ was and how much he understood concepts and route patterns. That’s what makes him great, I think he’s able to jump stuff when he sees it coming and you have to be aware of that. It will be fun this week competing against him and I’m sure he’ll be ready.”

(On if Goff’s familiarity with Peters will allow him to take advantage of the Matchup)
“Yeah, but it is as well for him. I think we know him, but he knows us. It’s going to go both ways. Again, I think he’s a great competitor and he’s going to play well. It will be a good challenge for us and I’m excited to compete against him.”

(On what’s the challenge for the team if they have to prepare to play without WR Robert Woods)
“He’s tough to replace and we don’t know if we will have too – quite yet. I think that’s pretty day-to-day but, (WR) Josh (Reynolds) has always stepped in and done a great job and has always provided that next-man-up mentality for us. Josh, in my opinion, is a starting wide receiver in this league and can be for a long time. I think when he is in there, I feel as comfortable with him as anyone else. He does a great job.”

(On WR Brandin Cooks’ return)
“It will be great, yeah. (WR) Brandin (Cooks) is going to be good to have back. Just having his ability, his speed, his smarts, his spacing on the field – everything he does – the way he blocks, everything. It’s so big getting him back in and getting him back out at practice today was fun.”

(On if the offensive line playing well against the Bears changes his mentality knowing the same five offensive linemen will start against the Ravens)
“I think it’s definitely a little bit more comfortable than it was last week, just because we have played a game and have practiced for a week together. I feel confident in them. I felt confident in them last week, like I mentioned early in the week. That showed in the game and obviously feel just as much confident, if not more after the game. I think, just getting another week of those guys jelling together that will be great.”

(On with all the moving parts with the team if he enjoys helping manage situations on the fly)
“I think it’s all part of the job. I think it’s all part of being in this league – stuff happens, injuries happen and you’ve got to be ready to adapt. It happens every single week, to every single team. It’s something that has been happening to us for the last three or four years since I’ve been here and we’ve always overcome it. I expect nothing less.”