Some perspective on McVay.

[Ellard80]

Not going to lie - I'm been frustrated with a lot of what McVay has done this year including their latest personnel decision.

However here is something to think about.

McVay has as many more or more post season wins than the following coaches:

Bill Walsh
George Seifert
Asshole Face
Jimmy Johnson
Tony Dungy
Vince Lombardi
Paul Brown
Mike Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan
John Madden
Mike Tomlin

Bill Belicheat - avg 1.06 playoff wins per year... McVay coming into this year 1.11

 

[Faceplant]

Best coach in Rams history. Still needs to do better, but I love this culture.

 

[thirteen28]

I don’t want to get rid of him. But I definitely want him to take a long, hard, honest look at himself and some of his tendencies and work to change those. His bad tendencies have really come to the forefront this year.

 

[Ellard80]

I don’t want to get rid of him. But I definitely want him to take a long, hard, honest look at himself and some of his tendencies and work to change those. His bad tendencies have really come to the forefront this year.

Have they though?

The complaints I've heard about McVay this year are basically the same things I've always heard.

Is coaching the reason we are failing? It may be part of it, but it's also players making mistakes and the refs driving the vampire stake into our hearts.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Why try to find the next Sean McVay when you’ve got Sean McVay.

Is there any HC in the league right now that doesn’t have warts? Maybe Andy Reid?

Fans calling for McVay to adapt is 100% warranted. Calling for his head is just a knee jerk reaction and silly.

Objectively demands we roll with McVay, not throwing your arms up and thinking we can replace him.

 

[methomas50]

Those of you that bitch about McVay.........are really going to miss him when he is gone. And sadly, I don't think it is that far off.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Why try to find the next Sean McVay when you’ve got Sean McVay.

Is there any HC in the league right now that doesn’t have warts? Maybe Andy Reid?

Fans calling for McVay to adapt is 100% warranted. Calling for his head is just a knee jerk reaction and silly(FUCKING STUPID).
Objectively demands we roll with McVay, not throwing your arms up and thinking we can replace him.

Thought your post was almost perfect; and gave it a Thread Winner ... but ... did want to offer this one edit.

 

[DzRams]

I don’t want to get rid of him. But I definitely want him to take a long, hard, honest look at himself and some of his tendencies and work to change those. His bad tendencies have really come to the forefront this year.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[DzRams]

Have they though?

The complaints I've heard about McVay this year are basically the same things I've always heard.

Is coaching the reason we are failing? It may be part of it, but it's also players making mistakes and the refs driving the vampire stake into our hearts.

It's my opinion that we're mostly failing this year due to coaching.

Special teams? If it's personnel, that's on McVay. If the ST coach was a bad hire, that's on McVay.

Defense? We have mega talent, here. The D is underachieving. Is Shula the right guy? Can anyone say that he's maximizing the talent he has?

Offense? 22nd in scoring. They're moving the ball but failing in critical moments, thus not putting many points on the board.

Arizona's defense knew everything we were doing and had answers. Our failure to not change something to prevent that is not putting our players in the best position to succeed. That's a coaching thing.

We have more penalties than normal this year. Overall, the team looks undisciplined, unfocused, and some say is lacking fire. These are coaching things.

As for being screwed by the refs, sure that's happened, but I'll provide the answer McVay does. We're not maximizing our opportunities in the 59 minutes before those critical wrong calls. None of our games should have come down to the moment where a ref can hurt us.

 

[PhillyRam]

It's my opinion that we're mostly failing this year due to coaching.

Special teams? If it's personnel, that's on McVay. If the ST coach was a bad hire, that's on McVay.

Defense? We have mega talent, here. The D is underachieving. Is Shula the right guy? Can anyone say that he's maximizing the talent he has?

Offense? 22nd in scoring. They're moving the ball but failing in critical moments, thus not putting many points on the board.

Arizona's defense knew everything we were doing and had answers. Our failure to not change something to prevent that is not putting our players in the best position to succeed. That's a coaching thing.

We have more penalties than normal this year. Overall, the team looks undisciplined, unfocused, and some say is lacking fire. These are coaching things.

As for being screwed by the refs, sure that's happened, but I'll provide the answer McVay does. We're not maximizing our opportunities in the 59 minutes before those critical wrong calls. None of our games should have come down to the moment where a ref can hurt us.

I have said it before, its like they are in a post Super Bowl funk that teams that lose the SB often fall into. Obviously they didn't make the SB, but the last two years they lost to the eventual SB champ, with many calling last year's NFCCG the real SB.

So to me they seem a little burnt out. Maybe the hype from the offseason should have offset that feeling, but it just might have added more pressure to the team.

They need to snap out of the lazy penalties, inconsistent tackling, and poor execution that has plagued them. Can they? Sure. Will they? Who knows.

 

[Merlin]

Why try to find the next Sean McVay when you’ve got Sean McVay.

Is there any HC in the league right now that doesn’t have warts? Maybe Andy Reid?

Fans calling for McVay to adapt is 100% warranted. Calling for his head is just a knee jerk reaction and silly.

Objectively demands we roll with McVay, not throwing your arms up and thinking we can replace him.

Exactly right.

This roster got a bit stale and full of itself and the NFL is exposing them. We may love these players, but at this point it is clear there's a lot of fat that needs to be cut, and in key positions.

I think the next couple games there's going to be a tipping point on some of those decisions. We either win or a lot of draconian shit is going to unfold.

 

[Ellard80]

It's my opinion that we're mostly failing this year due to coaching.

Special teams? If it's personnel, that's on McVay. If the ST coach was a bad hire, that's on McVay.

Defense? We have mega talent, here. The D is underachieving. Is Shula the right guy? Can anyone say that he's maximizing the talent he has?

Offense? 22nd in scoring. They're moving the ball but failing in critical moments, thus not putting many points on the board.

Arizona's defense knew everything we were doing and had answers. Our failure to not change something to prevent that is not putting our players in the best position to succeed. That's a coaching thing.

We have more penalties than normal this year. Overall, the team looks undisciplined, unfocused, and some say is lacking fire. These are coaching things.

As for being screwed by the refs, sure that's happened, but I'll provide the answer McVay does. We're not maximizing our opportunities in the 59 minutes before those critical wrong calls. None of our games should have come down to the moment where a ref can hurt us.

But as fans from afar we don't know the minute details of the plan and game film.

Like the Davis Allen handoff on 4th down - that looked like a horrible play call, but do we really know why it didn't work? Was it blocked incorrectly - did someone miss their assignment?

We don't analyze film nor do any of us really have the advanced knowledge of football strategy that goes into all of it.

So saying we are "mostly" failing to coaching - that could be the case, but to be real as fans that are not at practice or in the film room every day we don't know the absolute reasons for any of it.

When you say "Arizona knew everything we were doing" - how do you know they did? It looked like we were not prepared for their blitz and it took us too long to figure it out - BUT I do not know that for certain - it very well may have been the Rams were expecting that and they failed to execute the plan against it.

Also saying you maximize the opportunity so that the Refs cant decide things - that's kind of a cliche that's out there in all sports.
There is some truth to that but NFL games are like 8-9 points in differential - you are going to have a lot of close games no matter what. There is no way of always blowing out every opponent so that the refs have no effect - that's just not reality.

 

[RamBall]

The biggest problems this year are execution and tackling. When the O executes we all think McVay is the greatest coach ever, when the D tackles we all think Shula is doing a good job. I would be willing to bet the coaches arent coaching tackling any different than they have since McVay got here and on O we have seen the O execute well one week and shit the bed the next. One thing I have come to realize as I get older and wiser is that the difference between really good teams and the not so good teams in the NFL is a very fine line. Then you do have the jets, dolphins and until this season browns who just seem to never get it right whether its coaches, players or GMs they just keep picking the wrong ones. The Rams have a top GM, scouting dept and HC, when is the last time before McVay came along, we could say that about this franchise. I can think of a few coaches I thought were good coaches since 1977. Honestly I didnt even pay attention to the GM until maybe the 90s and I cant remember 1 good GM from that time until Snead came along. Good players have come and gone, but they seem to come along more often and in larger numbers the last 10 years. Its been since what the late 70 early 80 that the Rams were legit contenders for the post season with any regularity. Between the Robinson years and the McVay era we had 1 amazing year under Vermeil and a few good years with Martz. Maybe 5 good seasons close to 30 years, McVay has blown that out of the water.

 

[DragonOfBlood]

Those of you that bitch about McVay.........are really going to miss him when he is gone. And sadly, I don't think it is that far off.

Or maybe the next guy will win four Super Bowls. There's no way to definitively predict such things.

My bet is the post-McVay era will begin in 2027.

 

[sloramfan]

no way to predict such things???

for fucks sake, get a damn clue...

80% of the nfl franchises would gladly give their left nut to get mcvay...

i have a hard time getting through some of these loser mcvay posts guys are typing...

have we ever had it this good before?

do any of you remember the shitty year after winning the SB, and the very next "rebuild" year where we almost made it back??

believe me guys, that ain't luck... that's quality leadership...

no ones perfect, and in the NFL anything can derail a perfect plan...

i know i'm gonna be on the edge of my seat, rooting like hell for this new kicker, just like i was when the kid (and i do mean kid) hit his first field goal last sunday... the injury was a total air out of the balloon moment... so sad

and as far as the new kicker?

i guarantee nearly everyone on this site will be rooting like hell for him along with me..

those who don't... good luck with the i told you so's... and yeah, i'll fight my way through reading that bullshit...

winning is the cure-all... just win baby, cuz the debbie downers are gonna down,,, they just can't help it...

and when it comes to the rams, i am critical at times, but i will always be the glass half full fan...

just win baby

let's start this week

go gams

slo

 

[sloramfan]

the OP said "i'm not gonna lie"...

his frustration was apparent...

i'm not gonna lie either... i was yelling DONT JUST RUN UP THE MIDDLE WITH KYREN... do something they dont expect!!!!

sigh...

here's the reality...

had it worked we'd all be patting ouselves on the back for understanding why the coach called that play...

instead because of the fail... we want to vent what WE WOULD HAVE DONE....

now the reason that's funny is cuz i'm as guilty as anyone... when he was stopped, i blew a gasket..

pissed doesn't describe my thoughts..

so tell me, how do you think mcvay felt watching that stop?

i'm gonna go ahead and say it...

i think sean's about to become mister unpredictable again..

he's paid millions, and to think he doesn't see what we see... havin' a hard time believing that...

ok rant and a half over...

let's win a game... one at a time

go rams

slo

 

[TexasRam]

Only an idiot would want Mcvay gone.

2 Ref blunders and a blocked FG away for being 5-1 vs 3 of the top teams.

His coaching and player decisions have been really really bad. The special teams and DC hiring are losing games. The draft was egotistical.

Now the injuries piling on after your defensive superstars are sidelined.

Mcvay didn’t cause the Garret or Mcduffie injuries or the Higbee Fumble, but he has Stuff he has to get right.

 

[DragonOfBlood]

no way to predict such things???

for fucks sake, get a damn clue...

No, there isn't. If there was, I wouldn't have to work for a living.

 

[RamFan58years]

Some of the blame has to go to Snead for two consecutive unproductive drafts. If those could have resulted in any effective ST players who had SPEED, things may be different. Speed is apparently something the Rams don't value for some inexplicable reason. This team will get ZERO cheap TDs stemming from long kick returns or long pass plays; don't get me started on how many TDs in the running game were lost the last few years due to our backs being caught due to having no breakaway speed. They have to live with 8-12 play drives, only now add in the penalties that occur and make these long drives stall. Which leads to a punt. Which leads to good field position for the opponent. And on and on. Is McVay at fault? Not directly. But who has the most sway on draft day? Has he ever pounded the table demanding a player or type of player? If not, maybe he should. Will we ever know the truth why he was so pissed off on day 1?

 

[XXXIVwin]

McVay is the best coach in Rams history and it's not even close. I for one would be thrilled if he remained the Rams HC for a couple more decades. And yes, I think talk of firing him is beyond foolish.

Having said that... something feels "off" this year, and I'm not sure what it is.

My take:

From 2017-2021, McVay coached like a man possessed. Ultimate obsession with winning. Any loss was utterly devastating.

2022: This miserable season (with the OL injuries and the losing record) brought McVay close to a breakdown and a serious consideration of retirement from coaching. In the offseason he reorganized his priorities, did some good work with a therapist, and came back re-energized and with a newly discovered way of being an HC long-term without burning out.

2023-2025: McVay learned to prioritize "process" over "outcome". He remained super-competitive... but was no longer utterly destroyed by losses. Rams had 3 terrific successful seasons. Rams may have been "the second best team in the NFL" in both 2024 and 2025.

2026 season: plenty is left to be written of course. But from my point of view, McVay is in danger of mellowing too much. Special teams coaching is a disaster, yet again. Multiple players are making stupid and costly mental errors which are uncharacteristic of a McVay team. Worst of all... in my view, the team is lacking in both camaraderie and competitive fire. McVay seemed content with the effort vs the Cardinals. I disagree. In my view, there is a vibe to this team that doesn't match the level of previous years. On the recent McVay Show, Sean regurgitated a number of coaching platitudes like he usually does.

Are McVay and the Rams capable of turning things around? Yes. But in my opinion, the Cards game was a prime opportunity to "get right" against a clearly inferior team. And instead the Rams played like crap, without fire, and while making stupid errors AGAIN.

I love McVay and would love for him to remain HC for a very, very long time. But he's human. And this year, something doesn't quite feel right, and I don't know if he'll be able to recognize what he's doing wrong.