mcvay press conference, 10/28 … vid & transcript

Los Angeles Rams HC Sean McVay, post-game remarks
(Opening statement)

“What a hard-fought win. Our team did an excellent job just finding a way to get it done. Can’t say enough about our players’ resilience, their ability to just stick together, stay connected. It didn’t start off great at all for us offensively, and that was a result of some of the situations I put us in. But, the guys settled in. We made some plays at the end of the half. I thought it was huge to be able to have our special teams pin them down deep, resulting in a safety to get us on the board from the start. Then, really, when you just look at really playing complementary football – offense, defense, special teams – all three phases, having to come through and make plays that were instrumental for the outcome. Really just proud of our team today. Coaches did an excellent job. Hats off to (Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy) Coach McCarthy, and his staff and their players. That’s an excellent team right there and that was a really hard-fought win. We’ve got a lot of things we can learn from it, but well certainly take it and it was great by our players today.”

(On if there’s anything he can attribute to slow start on offense)

“I don’t want to take anything away from the Packers. I thought they did a good job. I think there were some situations, in terms of just the rhythm, the tempo, I didn’t enable us to get into. We had some incompletions on some first downs, or some inefficient runs as a result of getting into some looks that we really didn’t want to do. That starts with me and really then it leads to the second down-and-longs, and then you’re in those third-and-longer situations where they can tee off. (Packers Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Mike) Pettine has a great package where he can provide a variety of different looks and we struggled with that a little bit. They did a nice job. I thought the defense, just being able to keep it a one possession game as a result of just us seeming like we were just punting and going – we get a first down, but then we go three-and-out right after that. The guys did a good job making some corrections in the second half. (WR) Josh Reynolds, what a great job he did stepping up in a big way with two touchdowns. (LB) Ramik Wilson forcing the fumble and being able to get that recovery and then (RB) Todd (Gurley II) being able to close it out. Great job by the offensive line and then having the presence situationally and understand, ‘I could score right there, but I’m going to get down and know that the next play we end up taking a knee and running the clock out.’ That’s the situational awareness we talk about, unselfishness. When one of your best players embodies, that it’s good things. (DT) Aaron (Donald) shows up in a big way again today. Just a lot of really great individual contributions to a team win that you can’t say enough about our guys today.”

(On it being the second game QB Jared Goff has lead the team back to a win from a 10-point deficient and if it’s a signature victory for him)

“I think it just continues to demonstrate that he’s got an even keel demeanor, a great poise about himself that no moment’s too big. Really, he just continues to play that next snap. You know how much confidence that we have in (QB) Jared (Goff) and he’s doing an excellent job. Signature win, I think it was a great win for our team today and he did a great job leading our offense. His demeanor does help. I’m a little bit more wired than Jared, but he can help me even out a little bit. Just a great job. He had a great command of the game, especially in the second half where I think the game slowed down a little bit for him. That’s a tough defense, really impressed just with some of the different looks Coach Pettine and his staff presented and then their players’ ability to execute. Felt (Packers OLB) Clay Matthews all day. They moved (Packers CB) Tramon Williams into the nickel spot and did a couple different things then what we had seen in the first six games. Safeties were very active, they did a nice job with their interior front as well.”

(On the pressures and how much of that became an issue of adjusting or just more efficiency of the execution)

“Yes, I think that was it. It was really more a matter of let’s be efficient on the early downs and not get ourselves into the second-and-long and third-and-longs. Then I thought you could see we got some good tempo going, where you got some second-and-manageables. Got them in a couple man coverage principles where Todd ends up coming out the backdoor on a great job by the line picking it up, being able to protect and then Todd coming out the backdoor. Then we ended up converting on the two-point conversion on that drive. I thought we got going a little bit there. (WR) Robert (Woods) and (WR) Brandin (Cooks) both had big catches. Obviously, Josh Reynolds with the two touchdowns. The one on the third down and the one from the one (yard-line). It was just tough and Josh stepped up in a big way today. A lot of guys made a lot of big time plays. The offensive line continues just to demonstrate that grit that we love and defense just flew around. (Packers QB) Aaron Rodgers is unbelievable and some of the different things, (Packers WR) Davante Adams is a great player. They’ve got a lot of great players and it was tough, man. You could feel it, that was a high caliber back and forth game. There was Packers fans – there was a lot of Packers fans here today, too. There was a lot of cheers when the Packers scored, I was a little surprised about that (laughs).”

(On having won a lot of lopsided games and how important is it for the team to have a tight comeback game)

“This league is so tough. Every week presents a new challenge and something we can learn from – and that’s whether you win or lose. That’s what the beauty of this game is. There’s a lot of things that I know, starting with myself, that I can learn from and try to be better moving forward. I just think the toughness, the mental toughness, being your best regardless of the circumstances that our team has demonstrated. We’ve had a lot of tough wins. You look at, at Seattle, having to come from behind in a back and forth game, what the Denver game entailed. So I think this team has demonstrated through eight games, while we have a long way to go, there is a variety of ways we can win. But ultimately, our team is winning games because all three phases are doing an excellent job contributing to the outcome that we’ve gotten so far.”

(On if Goff is feeling OK physically after taking some hard shots)

“Yes, I think he took some shots. It was a physical game, but I think he’s going to be good. I think no different than any other week where physical football game, playing the quarterback position, sat in there, kept his eyes down the field, took some shots after he delivered the football. Had a couple times where they ended up getting to us with some good pressures. So, I’m sure he’ll be sore tomorrow, but I don’t think it’s going to be anything that’s going to prevent him from being able to go this week.”

(On Gurley going down like he did on the last play of the game and if it was something that was discussed or if he just did that knowingly)

“That’s something that we talk about, but Todd probably would of done that on his own. But when we send it in we say, ‘Alright, this is a situation where if we get the first down we’re going down, we don’t want to score.’ But smart players find a way to just make happen when it comes down to it. When that situation presented itself, great job by the offensive line and some of our perimeter skill players to be able to get us out on the edge on a toss-crack play and then him having the presence to get down. I’m sure some of his fantasy owners won’t be happy but that was a great job by Todd for the win.”

(On CB Sam Shields and how he played against his former team)

“Unbelievable. I don’t know if you guys read that article that he wrote in The Players’ Tribune, but you talk about a guy that you can’t help but root for. Some of the things that he had to go through to get back to this point, you just love that. That’s what special about (CB) Sam (Shields). Hearing some of the things, especially the way he feels about this team, the way that the teammates and the way that he’s really endeared himself to his teammates, become part of this group, this family that we got going right now. It was awesome for Sam. Giving him a game ball, he certainly deserved that. Made a couple plays that were instrumental for the outcome, but what a stud he is. In talking about how much he loves football, that feeling you get in that locker room, be able to share that feeling of accomplishment with your teammates. That’s what’s so special about this game and it’s great to have Sam on our side.”

(On if the crowd noise had an affect on anything they did on offense)

”It didn’t, but it got a little bit louder than what you anticipate when you’re in a home atmosphere. It’s a credit to Green Bay. Great franchise, great organization. They traveled well and there was a lot of people that were excited. But it was an awesome atmosphere in the Coliseum. You talk about, going back to the last time we were here, the Minnesota (Vikings) Thursday night game and then this one right here. It’s been a great atmosphere and environment in the Coliseum and something we love being back at home. It was great to be able to get a win in front of our fans.”

(On how instrumental the safety was before the half as well as the two overturned catch calls)

”Yeah, incredible. The defense, that’s something that’s been consistent. You look at their ability and (Defensive Coordinator) Wade’s (Phillips) staff and our players to be able to adjust and adapt. Then, I thought it was also very critical for us to be able to sustain some drives on offense, keeping our defense off the field. Some big third-down stops. Got them in some second-and-longs, some third-and-longs and really, it was an outstanding job by those guys in the second half without a doubt.”

(On what it means to be the only 8-0 team in the league)

”I think what it means is that everybody puts so much work into those three and a half hours or however long the game ends up being. To be able to share in that accomplishment, you’re just so excited for the players, for our coaches, just to be a part of it. When you see your guys having success, doing the little things the right way that ends up leading to the outcome that we want, you get excited about it. I probably was a little excited. I don’t really remember it, but I do remember seeing him get that first down, do a great job getting down. Just the feeling of that shared accomplishment is what’s special. It’s eight games and that’s really a credit to our players, but there’s a long, long way to go. We’ve got a great football team that we’ve got to get ready for on the road in the New Orleans Saints who – excellent in three phases. (Saints Head Coach) Sean Payton does a great job. Obviously, (QB) Drew (Brees) doing an excellent job again this year. They’ve got a lot of weapons. We’ll look at this film, clean it up and then can’t wait to get ready for the Saints this week.”