Sean McVay’s scathing self-assessment after Rams’ OT victory against Bears
After a dramatic overtime win over Chicago, McVay admits mistakes and critiques his own coaching while praising his players’ resilience.
The Los Angeles Rams will take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game after a dramatic overtime victory against the Chicago Bears. However, head coach Sean McVay was far from satisfied with the triumph, particularly his own performance.
McVay blamed himself for the Rams not building on a fast start, when the opening drive saw them march 85 yards for an early touchdown. Instead, the Bears stayed in a tight game and forced overtime thanks to an incredible Hail Mary from quarterback Caleb Williams, which set up a touchdown for D.J. Moore.
McVay: “I could have done a much better job”
The Los Angeles coach believes it all came down to his offensive approach and some questionable calls he made during the game.
“I could have done a much better job,” McVay said after the game. “And I did think once we were able to get some success, we settled into a little bit of a different approach - being able to lean on the run and then, when we were throwing it, picking up the tempo a little bit.”
He lamented his inability to pick up the “feel” of the game but praised his players for securing a victory despite the challenges.
“I think overall, what I would say is I did not like the feel for the flow of the game that I had outside of the first series, where our guys did a great job defensively and kept us in it, in spite of how poorly of a job I did for our group. But I’m really grateful for this group being able to find a way, stick with it, and be able to overcome some bad coaching by me tonight.”
Improvement needed in Seattle
The Rams will now face the Seahawks in the NFC Championship for a place in Super Bowl LX. McVay knows his team will have to improve to defeat the NFC’s top seed.
“We’ll have to be better if we’re going to expect to come away with the result we want against a special football team next week, but we’re excited to get a chance back at Lumen,” McVay told reporters.
Rams vs. Seahawks: Date and kickoff time
The Rams’ matchup against the Seahawks in Seattle is set for Sunday, January 25, with kickoff at 6:40 p.m. ET. The NFC Championship winner will face either the New England Patriots or the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara on Sunday, February 8.
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