WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – After a humbling loss to an injury-riddled Panthers team snapped the Rams' six-game winning streak last Sunday, players and coaches are using that as a learning opportunity. They will have the opportunity to showcase their growth in a Week 14 road game against the Cardinals.

Ahead of the matchup, head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Puka Nacua, outside linebacker Jared Verse, defensive coordinator Chris Shula and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur spoke to local media about flushing their first loss since Week 5 and preparing for Arizona. Here are the most significant quotes and talking points from those press conferences.

"I don't think about those things (playoff seeding and home-field advantage). And last week served as a phenomenal reminder of, man, you get all ahead of yourself, you won't even be in the playoffs if we're not careful. And so that's where none of that matters to me at all. My sole focus and concentration is the amount of respect that we have for the Cardinals, trying to make sure that our players feel as clear and as confident (as they can) going into this game." - McVay

After the Rams lost possession of the No. 1 seed in the NFC with their loss to Carolina on Sunday, McVay was asked repeatedly about his thoughts on playoff seeding. His response was consistent: He doesn't have any. Right now, he's focused solely on the Cardinals, a team that dealt them a "humbling" loss in Week 2 of last season.

McVay praised Arizona for being competitive in nearly every game this season, saying "I think if you look at the record, you're kidding yourself." He then commended quarterback Jacoby Brissett's mobility, progressions and coverage recognition. "He's got great overall command," McVay said, "really impressed with his body of work."

This team has dealt with adversity before and come back stronger for it, specifically at the start of the last two seasons. To do that, they've had to step back and channel their frustration into positive change. "Part of being mentally tough is acknowledging, 'I don't like where I'm at, and I have the awareness to be able to address it and then act accordingly.' That's why we're talking about all the time, we want to respond not react."

Not activating wide receiver Tutu Atwell off Injured Reserve last week, after indicating he would be able to play, was due to "a unique set of circumstances," McVay said, and came down to numbers on defense and special teams.

"I've played in a lot of games now, so (moving on from bad performances) just feels like it comes easy to me. It doesn't mean that I don't care about each and every single one of them and do everything I can to try and help us win each and every one of them. But I do know that, unless it's the last game of the year, there's another one coming, and you better be ready for it" - Stafford

Stafford said there were "a couple plays here and there" that needed to be cleaned up against Carolina, but ultimately the offense moved the ball well (they actually had their second-best offensive success rate of the season, according to Next Gen Stats). Knowing that, they go back to the process that's elevated them to one of the league's top records and find ways to avoid those mistakes in future.

When asked about the advantages of having home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, Stafford laughed and said, "I've never had it, so I couldn't tell you." Similar to McVay, he said that's "the last thing" on his mind right now, and also emphasized that every regular season game, and the process that goes into preparing for them, is equally important. "If we attack that with the same kind of mindset and energy and enthusiasm that we always have, we can live with the result," he said.

McVay often says "don't let a team beat you twice," with reference to moving on after losses, and Stafford agreed with that sentiment: "I've got a bunch of plays I've got to learn. I've got to make sure everybody's in the right spots at the right places and doing all that. So I do move on pretty quick, so I feel good about that, and I think the guys in our locker room do as well."

"(We can sharpen) technique, execution, some of the calls and we can put them in better spots (against the run). Some of the times, guys are trying to do too much or not playing within the scheme, so I think it's a combination of a lot of different things." - Shula

After the Panthers ran for 164 yards on Sunday, Shula acknowledged some of the things he could do to help prevent that kind of performance in the future. He said that "anticipating the flow of the game" and what the opposing offense likes to do in certain situations will help him put players in better spots moving forward.

The difference between the Cardinals' quarterback last season, Kyler Murray, and Brissett is "pretty obvious," Shula said. He described Brissett as more of "a true dropback guy" that doesn't present the designed rushing threat that Murray does, although he can still move in and out of the pocket. When asked about the notion of this being a "trap game" against a team that's already eliminated from the playoffs, Shula said that's not how they think about it, referencing last year's matchups, which featured many of the same players they will face on Sunday.

"I think (running back Kyren Williams) does look fresher (than last year), naturally... I mean, the work load was the highest in the league in terms of percentage of playing time for running backs, so just being able to supplement that with a guy that's, as you guys are seeing, (running back) Blake (Corum, who) is just getting more and more comfortable out there." - LaFleur

The Rams' backfield duo ran for 153 yards and averaged a season-high 7.7 yards per carry last week. They "worked well off of each other," LaFleur said, and everyone from the offensive line to the wide receivers blocked well. Corum's increased volume has given him opportunities to shine this year, but LaFleur isn't surprised. Being from Michigan, where Corum helped the Wolverines win a national championship, LaFleur said he gets asked more about Corum than anyone else when he returns home.

LaFleur isn't underestimating the Cardinals, similar to McVay and Shula. "Anytime you play a division opponent, you're going to get their best shot," he said.

"(My hamstring's) feeling good, feeling much better than what I anticipated and honestly just wanted to be smart about it." - Adams

Adams missed practice Wednesday, but was back on the field feeling good on Thursday as he prepared for Arizona, officially listed as a limited participant in Thursday's practice. That franchise was the home of one of his biggest mentors, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The bond between grew "organically" through mutual admiration, and Fitzgerald at one point even sent out a "very expensive" doctor to help Adams with a turf toe injury in 2019. He said having a "legend" of the game take him under his wing like that meant a lot.

Now, he tries to be a mentor for young receivers, such as Travis Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. in Jacksonville, who are both coached by his first NFL wide receivers coach in Green Bay, Edgar Bennett. Adams talks to "really anybody" who wants to connect with him to learn about the receiver position, but doesn't go around giving unsolicited advice. At 32 years old, he is in the same position that Fitzgerald was when they connected years ago, and he's four touchdown catches away from tying his mentor for sixth all-time in receiving touchdowns.

"There's nothing like scoring a deep bomb and catching one and hearing the crowd go silent right when you catch the ball, but there's also no better feeling than watching, I think, a J-Whitt (wide receiver Jordan Whittington), when he has a crack block, he has the opportunity to flatten somebody and is transitioning up the field to block somebody, and you see that pure excitement." - Nacua

Nacua was describing a block made by Whittington in the secondary when Corum sprung loose for a career-high 34-yard gain against Carolina. The whole time, Nacua was excited about a block he made on the back side, which was overshadowed by the demolition by Whittington closer to the ball. That excitement for blocking really captures the essence of the Rams' wide receivers' complete contributions.

During last year's road loss in Arizona, Nacua was hurt and felt helpless watching from his couch and couldn't move his lower body much. But this week of practice featured "good intensity," Nacua said, and the message around keeping consistent with their process has been a positive after a tough loss.

"I don't believe in trap games for real. I mean, this is the NFL. Every game, you can lose to a team with a way better record than you or a way worse record than you." - Verse

Verse hasn't forgotten last year's 41-10 loss in Arizona in Week 2, when they got their "a** whooped," Verse said. "I hate running quarterbacks," Verse said. "I don't want you running around all day." He said he should have had around three sacks, but Murray evaded those with his speed. This time, it will be Brissett throwing the football, who is more of a pocket passer, although Verse acknowledged he's still able to move around effectively.

Verse said that the Panthers' high-volume rushing attack took them by surprise last week, knowing that other teams shied away from it because of the Rams' strength up front. Verse is often a tone-setter for the defense, especially up front, but he tries not to think of it like that because it puts him on a different plane than others, when all he's trying to do is his one of 11.