Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay found himself in familiar territory making his rounds at Super Bowl LIV.
The Rams are just a year removed from their appearance in Super Bowl LIII that saw them come up short against the New England Patriots. Rather than attending as a coach like he would have liked once again, he was there as a guest analyst for ESPN and their Super Bowl LIV pregame coverage.
McVay gave his insight on a wide array of topics surrounding the final game of the 2019 NFL season. He knew it was only a matter of time before he was asked about his experience of coaching in the Super Bowl.
McVay admits that he would do some things differently if he is fortunate enough to get back, and the challenge lies in maintaining focus amidst all the distractions that come with playing in this game, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“I think it was more along the lines of just trust your players, continuing to really trust them, put them in positions to have success and then weather the storm if things don’t go the way you want early,” McVay said. “I think there’s so many different things going on – elongated pregame, halftime, all those things. But just get into the moment, just produce in the present, be where your feet are planted. Doing those things and maintaining an even keel and poise throughout the game, and I think I could’ve been better there.”
McVay’s comments are certainly understandable. Aside from serving as the pinnacle of football season every year, it also becomes quite the social event with most teams and players firmly in the midst of enjoying their offseason.
Unfortunately, it is not something that the Rams were able to do during their trip to the big show last season. Although the defense had done a spectacular job of containing the Patriots, McVay’s offense struggled to get anything going in the 13-3 loss.
The game would seemingly serve as a prelude of what was to come for Los Angeles in the 2019 campaign as the drop-off on offense continued. As a result, they missed the playoffs for the first time since McVay’s arrival with a 9-7 record.
The slump has now spurred the Rams to usher in some significant changes to their coaching staff this offseason. Regardless, the onus will ultimately fall on McVay to get this team back on track that way he can get another shot at doing a better coaching job in the Super Bowl.
