The Los Angeles Rams pulled off an improbable victory in Week 1 as they beat the Seattle Seahawks on the road.
Los Angeles took home an outstanding 30-13 victory as the team really came together in the second half. Matthew Stafford and the offense overcame Cooper Kupp’s absence, while the defense suffocated the Seahawks attack in all phases.
Sean McVay was fired up after the win and expressed how happy and proud he was of the players.
“Great team win,” McVay said. “I love the resilience. A lot of respect for Coach Carroll and that team. That’s a good football team. We all know that. They’ve done it at a high level for a long period of time. Really just happy for these guys, for the work that they’ve put in, for that to be on display today. I think one of my favorite parts about it was things didn’t always go perfect and these guys just stayed steady. They were even keeled. They just continue to pick one another up and I loved the way we handled the ebbs and flows of the game which is exactly what occurs in football.
“A lot of guys stepped up and made big-time plays. I could go through a plethora of people but I’m so proud of this team. I’m so proud of this group. It was awesome to be able to see a lot of the work that they put in come to fruition. But it’s one game, and they know that. We’ve got to continue to keep it rolling. We’ll enjoy this and then we’ll move forward towards a phenomenal football team next week.”
McVay also talked about how his young defense rose to the occasion and put on a dominant performance.
“I thought they shot their shot. I think it was one game. Here’s the reality. Those guys put in a lot of hard work and I was glad that it came to fruition today, but you’ve got 17 opportunities that are guaranteed, and so what I think is really important is that we understand what a great job with the work that was put in, what a great job accomplishing the goal that we had today, and now how do we enjoy but how do we understand what got you in those positions was the work you put in, was having that growth mindset, and I think this team embodies that.
“I couldn’t care less what’s said outside. There might be some change in narratives, and that doesn’t affect any way that we’ll go about our business right now because if you read it, you feed it, good or bad, and so I don’t think that’s something that I’ve ever gotten caught up in, and I don’t get the sense that these guys have gotten caught up in other than going and playing as a team, loving one another and playing as hard as they possibly can to be able to do their job because they don’t want to let the guy down next to them, and there’s a great relationship they have with their coaches. It’s a special group. I’m really enjoying it. I certainly love working with this team and want to keep this thing going.”
Lastly, McVay made sure to credit Raheem Morris and the leaders on the defense for executing the game plan and limiting Seattle to minimal yardage in the second half.
“So three total? Or are you saying 12 plus nine? Either way it’s outstanding. That is freaking great. When you’re able to get some rush opportunities, you’re able to get some of the isolations that we got where Aaron can come to life and then it’s not just about Aaron, either. He is a special one of one type of player but there’s some guys around him that expected to come in and play well, and I thought they did that, and I can’t wait to really dive into this tape and really see.
“But such a credit to the defensive staff, Raheem’s leadership, I thought the three defensive captains with Ernest Jones, with Aaron Donald and with Jordan Fuller, they did a great job, but it was about the whole group’s effort today. It felt like they were doing that, and it was why the offense was able to really get going because they felt like they were just getting the ball back, and then I thought it was imperative that offensively we were able to control possession. I want to say we almost had 40 minutes of possession. Anytime you’re able to do that, that’s usually critical and key for success. “
