Athletic ranks McVay #2 of top offensive playcallers

[WestCoastRam]

Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay top defensive peers’ ratings of NFL’s offensive play callers

A sample of NFL defensive coordinators and coaches say who they think is best at designing and executing an offense.

www.nytimes.com

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2. Sean McVay, Rams​

Many coaches view Shanahan and McVay as 1a and 1b. Like Shanahan, McVay’s play calling helped keep the Rams playing at a high level despite multiple injuries. Their offensive line was ravaged, Puka Nacua missed five games, and Cooper Kupp regressed with injuries and age last season. Yet the Rams remained efficient, finishing eighth in success rate and 10th in DVOA.

McVay has drastically evolved his offense from a highly systemized and coach-controlled outside zone, play-action system into a gap scheme, quarterback-centered, more spread-out system with Matthew Stafford at the helm. Coaches surveyed gave McVay a lot of credit for giving Stafford the tools to weaponize his football IQ at the line of scrimmage.

McVay’s career low point was in Super Bowl LIII, in which the Rams only scored 3 points in a loss to the Patriots. In that game, he couldn’t adjust to Bill Billichick’s 6-1 front. With years of experience, McVay’s ability to adjust is now levels above where it was early in his career.

“I think he can just see it live the best,” one defensive coordinator said. “He has a full Rolodex of plays. He can get to anything on his call sheet, but he can also get to anything in his head. If he needs to adjust in-game, he can completely come up with a new game plan on the spot. So it’s almost to the point now where he’s seen a lot. He has such a good memory of everything, with 12 years of experience calling plays and reacting to stuff. If you’re playing this (defense), he’s going to go to this … and he can do it in a second. That’s weird that he can just adjust so easily.”

 

[Faceplant]

Let's hope this is a good year, with minimal injuries. Interested to see the latest evolution of this offense with DA at the X and strong TE and RB corps. If they can average 24+ PPG, this team can go deeeeeep.

 

[fearsomefour]

Its been awhile since the Rams had a consistently dynamic offense.
So.....this casts a bit of doubt perhaps.....but, when you look at what McVay has done over the last two years with disaster injury scenarios and all the rest....a truly remarkable job by McVay.

 

[snackdaddy]

Are they ranking Shanahan ahead of McVay? The choke artist in the biggest games?

 

[snackdaddy]

McVay's got a photographic memory when it comes to football. McVay is in great physical shape. McVay is a cool looking guy. McVay is hip. McVay is funny. McVay gives great interviews.

Shanahan is none of that.

 

[RamFan503]

Are they ranking Shanahan ahead of McVay? The choke artist in the biggest games?

Whiners are NFL darlings. And Shanahan being the son of Mike doesn't hurt. But yeah... They need to pull their heads out of their asses and recognize his choke factor.

 

[El Chapo Jr]

So who was the better playcaller when they faced off in the playoffs? Who's got more offensive coordinators head coaching jobs? I'd take McVay as our coach hands down.

 

[TSFH Fan]

The poll’s sample was “six defensive coordinators and defensive assistant coaches from around the league.”

Different sampling gave slightly different result. Jeff Howe (also at The Athletic) polled 31 coaches and executives around the NFL, each with 3 votes, to name the 3 best offensive play callers in the NFL. 30 of the 31 responded:

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngelesRams/comments/1n5x8xe/who_are_the_three_best_offensive_play_callers_in/

NFL decision-makers’ predictions for 2025: Joe Burrow goes nuclear, Lions stumble and more

In our anonymous survey, GMs, team executives, head coaches and assistants made their picks for the upcoming NFL season.

www.nytimes.com

 

[dang]

Let's hope this is a good year, with minimal injuries. Interested to see the latest evolution of this offense with DA at the X and strong TE and RB corps. If they can average 24+ PPG, this team can go

Don’t settle for FGs so I’m going with 28/game.

 

[Ram Ts]

Are they ranking Shanahan ahead of McVay? The choke artist in the biggest games?

I didn’t realize this, but apparently this ranking only included quarters 1-3. There will be another one coming out for 4th quarter / OT

 

[WestCoastRam]

Are they ranking Shanahan ahead of McVay? The choke artist in the biggest games?

yes

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

 

[DzRams]

Don’t settle for FGs so I’m going with 28/game.

I'm with you. I feel we'll need to be in the 28 ppg range to be a real contender. That's typically where the top offenses are.

 

[Ellard80]

The poll’s sample was “six defensive coordinators and defensive assistant coaches from around the league.”

Different sampling gave slightly different result. Jeff Howe (also at The Athletic) polled 31 coaches and executives around the NFL, each with 3 votes, to name the 3 best offensive play callers in the NFL. 30 of the 31 responded:

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngelesRams/comments/1n5x8xe/who_are_the_three_best_offensive_play_callers_in/

NFL decision-makers’ predictions for 2025: Joe Burrow goes nuclear, Lions stumble and more

In our anonymous survey, GMs, team executives, head coaches and assistants made their picks for the upcoming NFL season.

www.nytimes.com

What to 31 nfl executives and coaches know? Many posters on these boards saying McVay needs to give up play calling...

 

[Faceplant]

What to 31 nfl executives and coaches know? Many posters on these boards saying McVay needs to give up play calling...

Holy shit... Who is saying THAT???

 

[El Chapo Jr]

What to 31 nfl executives and coaches know? Many posters on these boards saying McVay needs to give up play calling...

 

[Ellard80]

Holy shit... Who is saying THAT???

lol... I'm not going to go back and look for them. But ALOT of people have said this on this board. Double figures in number.

 

[snackdaddy]

View attachment 72291

I know he wasn't in charge of the defense in superbowl 51. But when they scored with 8:31 left in the 3rd quarter his offense scored exactly zero points the rest of the way. In two Superbowls and an NFC championship game his offenses score exactly zero 4th quarter points. He finally broke through in SB58 with 9 in the 4th quarter. And it sure looks like the window is closed for them to finally win one. Even with the weak schedule. Rams window is wide open. Again.

 

[OntarioRam]

I've taken a long time to come around on McVay but boy oh boy am I believer. The last few years really cemented it for me. I thought he got the most out of a team that was not always the best in every position on paper, and showed great affinity for developing young talent and leading teams through real adversity. Easily the 2nd best coach in the NFL IMO and I am so glad we have him. It is hard to argue anyone is better than Andy Reid, in my view. All he does is make Super Bowls. Sure, Mahomes is amazing, but I don't think he is that much better than Stafford or several other elite QBs, and many years recently the AFC has had all the heavy weight contenders. So I don't think you can explain it away due to the QB. And even before that in Philly, he was routinely making the conference final with lesser QBs.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

Did McVay just say he has another kid on the way?