WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – After a heartbreaking loss, it doesn't help dwell on it. Head coach Sean McVay was clear about that when he spoke to reporters just moments after a blocked field goal sent L.A. home from Philadelphia with a loss.
Ahead of Week 4's matchup with the Colts, McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford spoke about how they can learn from their mistakes and use it to prepare for their next challenge. Here are the most significant quotes and talking points from those press conferences:
"There's 161 total plays in that game when you combine offense, defense, and special teams, and it comes down to that 161st play, whether or not you win or lose the game. Well, if you pause the game before that last play and you say, 'What are you saying about it?' Even though the narrative is you're either 2-1 or 3-0, you have to be honest and acknowledge those things. And there's a lot of good stuff." - McVay
"When you care much, you feel much," McVay said, and they certainly do, but not at the expense of the game's nuances. The Rams played a lot of good football in Philadelphia on Sunday, especially in the first half, and the things that weren't so good, they'll learn from and correct as they always have. The Rams "turned the page" on the Eagles loss on Monday and are on to the Colts.
The Colts, who are 3-0 despite relatively low external expectations in the preseason, present a "great challenge," McVay said. They are a "complete" team that's well-coached and have executed well in all three phases so far this season. "There's no weaknesses. That's why they're the best offense in the league through three weeks."
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones has only taken two sacks through three games and Indianapolis has only punted once. McVay praised that efficiency in both the run and the pass game, saying "they play 11 as one," which is something he preaches to his own team. Running back Jonathan Taylor, who has more rushing yards on his own than 17 NFL teams, is "a slash runner" and "a home run hitter." Similar to last week, L.A. will have to make sure they aren't giving him any vertical seams, McVay said.
"I got a lot of respect for (Colts defensive coordinator) Lou (Anarumo). I think he does a hell of a job, been up against him a few times and he gives you a lot to look at at the quarterback position. I think they've got talented players at all three levels." - Stafford
After last week's loss, Stafford said he was disappointed in some of his throws. But there was "no reset," for him, just a continuation of his weekly preparation process because a veteran like him knows "those days are gonna happen." That doesn't mean it's not frustrating, but he feels good about his passes on the final two-minute drive and his weekly process. "(It) happens, I'm not too worried about it," Stafford said with a smile.
Stafford knows "the kind of character" that they have in the Rams' locker room, so he's not worried about how the team as a whole will respond. Echoing McVay, he said "the work that we're putting in is paying off when you look at the tape."
In terms of the more even running back rotation the Rams have employed the last two weeks, Stafford said he trusts both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum to run whatever play is called. It's not something he's conscious of. Williams "was an unbelievable tone-setter," for L.A. on Sunday, and Stafford said his play without the ball was even more impressive than what he did with it, "which is tough to say because the guy ran the ball great." His physicality and effort on each and every play was "top notch," Stafford said.
