Sean McVay Reveals Rams 'Narrative' in Loss vs. Bengals
The Los Angeles Rams took a disappointing 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night at Paycor Stadium, their second consecutive defeat by one possession after winning the season opener.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and the offense had a difficult night, struggling to convert in the redzone while Cincinnati's defensive line had its way with pressure throughout the night, ultimately recording six sacks.
But Rams coach Sean McVay opted for a positive outlook when discussing the contest's overall theme.
"The narrative of the game was I love the way that our defense played," McVay said. "I thought they were relentless."
Los Angeles limited the Bengals to just 67 rushing yards and 2.9 yards per carry, forcing Cincinnati to rely on quarterback Joe Burrow, who entered the week questionable to play with a calf strain.
Burrow threw 49 passes and completed only 26 of them, gaining 259 yards while tossing an interception and not reaching the endzone.
The performance from Los Angeles' defense allowed the team to hang around for longer than it could've considering the offense's challenging time.
"I thought the defense kept us in the game the whole night," McVay said.
Sep 25, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample (89) makes a catch in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams at Paycor Stadium.
Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports
McVay expressed postgame there were "a lot of things that just weren't good enough," and Stafford singled out missed opportunities in the redzone and turnovers as two of them.
The Rams had to settle for field goals on each of their first three drives into Bengals territory. The first two came from the Bengals' 11- and five-yard lines, respectively.
Unsurprisingly, McVay and Stafford accepted blame for the offense's play, while the latter echoed the former's sentiments about just how well the defense performed.
"I thought our defense played great," Stafford said. "We just didn't do enough on offense, especially early in the game, to give ourselves a little bit of a lead."
The Rams (1-2) will look to bounce back Sunday, when they'll travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 10 a.m. PST.
