The Los Angeles Rams were able to secure a much-needed win in spectacular fashion against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.
Although they managed to get back on track, the Rams still face an uphill battle trying to secure a spot in the playoffs at 7-5 heading into the final stretch of the 2019 NFL season. It is the first time head coach Sean McVay finds himself trying to play catch-up at this point in the year.
McVay took the league by storm as one of the more intellectual minds in the NFL after taking over in Los Angeles prior to the 2017 campaign and followed through on the hype by going to the Super Bowl in just his second season as a head coach. Of course, the Rams now find themselves in a must-win situation much earlier than they would have hoped for coming into the year.
According to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, McVay admits that their struggles have only added further motivation for him to try and spark a potential resurgence:
“I would be lying to say that this [season] hasn’t been more challenging,” McVay said. “But that’s also why there’s a motivation to make sure to do right and to use this as an opportunity to try to respond in the way that you challenge your players and everybody else to.”
It should come as no surprise to see McVay acknowledge that the team has largely fallen short of expectations given their recent body of work, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Their performance this year has been a far cry from the dominance they displayed on offense the previous two seasons upon McVay’s arrival.
Regardless, it is still encouraging to see that McVay has seemingly embraced it as an opportunity to bounce back rather than downplay their struggles. After all, it would have been far-fetched to assume that there would not be any down periods during his first stint as a head coach and he knows that the onus will ultimately fall on him to find a way to make it work with the players that he gave the green light on to secure for the long haul.
The Rams are now set to enter the most crucial stretch of the entire season that begins with a primetime showdown with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football in Week 14. A win against the formidable Seahawks would make quite the statement for the reigning NFC champs.
