It was a tale of two halves for the Los Angeles Rams in their Week 6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Sean McVay and the Rams trailed 9-6 at halftime, then proceeded to score 20 unanswered points in the second half to secure a 26-9 victory, moving them to 3-3 on the season. Running back Kyren Williams played a massive role in the second half turnaround.
Williams finished with 20 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown. But a game like this could never have been predicted after the first half. At halftime, Williams had two carries for four yards. McVay called only four run plays in the entire first half, one of which was called back for an offensive holding penalty.
But the second half was an entirely different story. Williams carried the ball six times for 52 yards on the first drive alone, a touchdown drive for the Rams. Two drives later, he carried the ball seven times for 55 yards and a touchdown.
McVay spoke about the conversations at halftime and what led to the complete shift in game plan in the second half.
“We got talked out of some things that we didn’t necessarily need to and wanted to be able to let them set their pads and be able to go downhill,” McVay said. “(I) thought it was a great mixture of things that they were able to allow us to get off. You have some explosive runs when you’re able to have 10 and 17 and then a 30-yard hit. I mean those are big time deals and it was awesome. Their execution is what enabled us to be able to do that. Really proud of those guys.”
The Rams put themselves in a better position to be successful with efficient first and second downs on the ground in the second half. McVay felt that was a big thing missing in the first half.
“Yeah, it was snaps. We didn’t have a third down conversion in the first half either, so you’re talking about when you get to third downs, and we didn’t have a whole lot of third downs in the second half because we were able to be so efficient on those early downs,” McVay said. “I think the first thing is you have to give credit to is (Cardinals HC) Jonathan Gannon and (Cardinals DC) Nick Rallis. They did some things that… I didn’t have us in good positions early on and so I give them a ton of credit. I thought once our guys were able to settle down, be able to adjust but it’s all about… if you’re not converting on those third downs, you’re going to have minimal opportunities. That was what was reflected, but however you cut it, it’s an excuse and I have to do a better job right from the jump for our guys and put them in some better spots.”
Williams has been a revelation for the Rams in his second NFL season. He has 456 yards on the ground through six games, putting him on pace for 1,292 yards this season. He’s also added another 105 receiving yards despite mainly being used as a pure running back.
The Rams’ second half against the Cardinals shows the type of team they can be at their best. And if they want to fight for a postseason spot in 2023, they’ll utilize the second half game plan right from the jump.
McVay won’t coach if wife goes into labor on game day
Off the field, McVay is anxiously awaiting the birth of his child with his wife potentially going into labor at any moment. He has already stated that if his wife goes into labor on a game day, he will not coach the team that day.
