'Good Shot!': Rams Coach Sean McVay Addresses Viral Hit
The Los Angeles Rams (3-8) have had to place several notable names on injured reserve throughout the course of their cursed Super Bowl defense. Receiver Allen Robinson became the latest to have his season end for medical reasons, as a foot injury prematurely shuts the door on 2022-23.
Fortunately ... or unfortunately, if you believe removal from this trail of toils is an act of mercy ... head coach Sean McVay doesn't appear to be joining them.
While the Rams' defense held its own against the mighty Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon, the fact they allowed only two touchdowns on seven red zone opportunities will likely be forgotten in the wake of a 26-10 defeat. It's the Rams' fifth loss in a row and puts them one step closer to McVay's first losing season since he took over in 2017.
The defense wasn't even responsible for the most popular hit of the day, nor was any member of the AFC-leading Chiefs the victim. That instead became McVay, who took a shot to the jaw from the shoulder pad of tight end Roger Carter Jr., an undrafted rookie making his NFL regular season debut, as the latter was taking the field. The case of friendly fire immediately went viral, with some seeing it as a visual representation of the Rams' woebegone season.
McVay, seen briefly wincing after the de facto helmet-to-helmet blow, was immediately asked about the hit in the postgame aftermath and appeared to take the incident in stride.
"It's good, I took a good shot," McVay said, mustering the closest thing he could to a smile in dealing with another defeat. "Roger ran right into me. It was a good shot, but I'm ok."
McVay hoped that Carter, elevated from the practice squad a day before kickoff, would exercise further caution in the future, but downplayed the folly as much as he could, hoping that attention could linger upon the positives gleaned from a valiant effort against the Chiefs (9-2).
"It's one of those deals, it's really not that big of a deal," McVay declared. "I think it probably looked worse when you end up replaying it. It was a good shot at first ... I don't think I broke my jaw, so I'll be fine."
Carter played 12 snaps on Sunday, primarily on special teams, after making a memorable first impression. He was signed by the Rams out of Georgia State after the draft and earned 22 yards on a pair of preseason receptions earlier this summer.
The Rams return home next Sunday, looking to end their losing streak against the Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium (1:05 p.m. PT, Fox).
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