McVay's Best Season? Rams Coach Reveals 'Gratitude and Appreciation' Before Playoffs
A year ago, the Los Angeles Rams capped off one of the worst Super Bowl hangovers in league history and faced a daunting future with aging veterans, no first-round pick, and head coach Sean McVay considering retirement.
Having climbed the mountain, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals en route to a Lombardi Trophy, the Rams’ – McVay’s – was sobering. The victory hadn’t done what he thought it would -- satisfy him -- and the fall back down to Earth was as humbling as it was painful.
The earnings, broadcast deals, and an influx of balance in his life were one decision away. But McVay ultimately decided to come back.
Double-digit wins and a playoff berth later, it seems he’s made the right choice. Finishing 10-7, the Rams will visit the Detroit Lions on Sunday night for a chance to advance to the Divisional Round.
It’s been a wildly impressive year, but McVay’s best? He wasn’t so sure.
“I don't know about that,” McVay said. “I think I'm really proud to be associated with this team. I think more than anything, especially given the experiences that we've accumulated with this being the seventh year, I think I have a lot more gratitude and appreciation for the journey instead of it just being words.
“I think we've lived it out a little bit more consistently. I do know that last year's challenges, and there were a lot of challenges even before that it might not have just been as headlined because we were getting positive results, I think have helped us continue to grow and establish a grit and a mental toughness that served us well.”
Los Angeles’ season was boosted by two critical factors: quarterback Matthew Stafford was incredibly effective after recovering from a tumultuous 2022 and McVay’s deployment of young stars took the offense to a new level.
Receiver Puka Nacua broke the rookie record for receptions and receiving yards in a season and second-year back Kyren Williams displayed incredible resilience to earn the starting job after a season-ending injury, get hurt during the 2023 campaign, and still find over 1,100 yards.
As the orchestrator of the offense, McVay’s fingerprints are all over their production. It was the team’s toughness, though, that the coach held on to – both for himself and his constituents.
“What I'm proud of is that I think this team has an identity and they've really created their own culture …” McVay said. “I'm around a lot of people that you want to be motivated not to let them down instead of some of the selfish stuff that I wasn't afraid to acknowledge, especially last year.”
No matter what happens in Wild Card Weekend, this season has been a successful one for the Rams. The emergence of young stars paints a brighter future for a team finally in the position to make a first-round pick, their quarterback is still playing at a high level, and their coach is re-committed.
For perhaps the first time in years, Los Angeles can be confident that the future is as bright as the present.
