WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — Following the Week 1 loss to the 49ers, the Rams have an extended week to prepare for a Monday Night Football clash with the Giants.
Looking to turn the page to Week 2, head coach Sean McVay talked about how the Rams are looking to "move forward" and prepare for the Giants. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Davante Adams both talked about New York's defense and the challenges it will present.
Both offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and defensive coordinator Chris Shula talked about preparing their respective sides for the Giants, and defensive end Aaron Donald talked about preparing to return this week.
"I just want to see us be present right now and move forward. ... Chest out, chin up, eyes forward and let's go. Let's go be about it and let's go prepare the right way. Let's have great focus and concentration. Let's have a great energy and an edge in which we prepare and compete with. Then let's go be ready to go against a really good football team." - McVay
McVay equated his "move forward" mentality to that of "the Men in Black thing, where you say, 'All right, hey, I don't remember what happened?'" With Australia in the rear view mirror, the Rams are preparing to face a Giants defensive front that combines youth and experience that proved its value in Week 1 with a 28-20 win over the Cowboys.
"I saw a defense that played with their hair on fire, played with a great energy, a great effort," McVay said.
"You flip the tape on, you watch the Giants, they jump off the screen at you, especially on the defensive side of the ball." - Stafford
When asked about how he views McVay's "move forward" mindset, Stafford credits the fact that "I got a new opponent to look at, a new team to look at."
One of the biggest challenges for the Rams will be to stay on the field for longer, Stafford noting that Los Angeles had "not enough plays to really get into that rhythm" in Week 1. Even with a new team to look at and the game against the 49ers in the past, Stafford and the offense are "trying to make sure that I play at a better level, everybody on our team plays at a better level, so we can go get the results that we want."
"As a competitor, it's hard to have to sit and wait, not have an opportunity to go out and rectify the situation. So that more eats up (at you than) you not having the ability to get to it right now." - Adams
Similar to Stafford and McVay, Adams isn't ignoring the fact that the Rams have to get better at "executing, just figuring out how to how to click, and obviously putting ourselves in advantageous moments and not hurting ourselves." But Adams knows that Monday against the Giants will be a chance to return to the form they know they can be. "We didn't put together the greatest showing out there, but at the end of the day, you're a fool if you think that that's what it's going to look like every single week," Adams said.
Adams was asked about the Giants' secondary, and made sure to recognize that it's their defensive unit as a whole that presents a challenge for the Rams. "It's less of specifically the secondary, not to minimize what they do, but just a solid defense all around," Adams said. "I think that's more important sometimes than having a great secondary, is having guys up front that can get pressure."
"The goal even coming back and even getting work in practice this week is trying to find ways to establish that rhythm. How that happens: great energy, great execution across the board. It takes all 11." - Scheelhaase
Similar to what Stafford said, Scheelhaase felt like the Rams offense didn't get into a rhythm in Week 1. Scheelhaase, as much as Stafford and others inside the Rams facility have noted, recognizes how imperative it is to "establish the run game, helps to be able to get completions early on in the game, and I think anytime you can do that, it's obviously going to help you open up the rest of the day."
"I see, first thing, is (a) really physical group. It starts with the offensive line, and then you got some elite players. You have the quarterback that obviously presents a lot of problems with his mobility, whether it's QB design runs or whether him scrambling around back there. And you got some elite players, we know what (wide receiver) Malik Nabers can do as well as tight end) Isaiah Likely, (running back Cam) Skattebo." - Shula
Shula described the Giants' offense as a "complete group." Last week, the Giants had no issues driving the ball against the Cowboys, scoring two touchdowns on eight-plus minute drives in the second half that led to their 28-20 win over Dallas.
The effectiveness to have two long, sustained drives shows how "all those guys (are) functioning together," as quarterback Jaxson Dart "had command of the offense, knew exactly where to go with the ball, and he played decisive," Shula said.
"I feel like I was just here last year. So time flies by so fast, man. I kind of forget that I didn't play football for two years. So kind of just feel like I'm just back to my normal self, and like I was playing last year, even though I wasn't. But I'm just gonna take it all in, enjoy it, and try to give the fans something to cheer for and enjoy the game." - Donald
After Donald announced his return in August, he and the Rams elected not to have him play in Week 1 against the 49ers in Australia. Now, Donald is stacking days and said "that's the plan" when asked if he would play in Monday Night Football against the Giants.
Heading into Week 2, Donald said this week he's "feeling good" and emphasized how "it feels like I was just here last year."
