CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Rams came into Week 13 on a six-game win streak, but it was snapped by the Panthers, who won 31-28 in Carolina. Three turnovers by quarterback Matthew Stafford cost them down the stretch in what ended up being a shootout on a rainy day in Charlotte.
After the game, Rams head coach Sean McVay and Stafford spoke with the media about the team's costly mistakes. Here are the most significant quotes and talking points from those press conferences.
"We're not going to win a whole lot of games when I turn it over three times and it hasn't been an issue and I don't expect it to be moving forward." - Stafford
Stafford said his first interception is one he would have played the "exact same," as it got batted up at the line before being picked off. The second, he said he left too far inside, and cornerback Mike Jackson took advantage by taking it to the house for a pick-six. On his fourth-quarter fumble that gave Carolina the opportunity to seal the victory, Stafford said he didn't see defensive tackle Derrick Brown chasing him from behind, but "felt him" and tried to move out of the pocket to get away.
"I can't take that (delay of game). That's on nobody but me. I just gotta get that thing off. I thought I had enough time and I thought I was gonna be snapping it kind of right at one/zero (seconds on the play clock), and I gotta go look at it, but I thought I did a good enough job, but I did not." - Stafford
The delay of game penalty turned what would have been a 3rd-and-5 into a 3rd-and-10, which resulted in the strip-sack by Brown that ultimately cost L.A. the game. Stafford took full responsibility for that mistake. Despite the loss, Stafford said the locker room will respond. "You earn momentum in this league," Stafford said, through work during the week and play on the field, and that's what they intend to do.
"It just felt like they were getting some good surges (in the run game). We were getting screwed out of our gaps on a couple different things where we liked some of the front mechanics and different calls that we were in, and we'll go back and we'll see. But, you give them credit. They executed well." - McVay
The Rams allowed 164 rushing yards against Carolina on Sunday, as they ran the ball 40 times compared to 22 dropbacks. McVay added that their backs were falling forward behind an offensive line that got good push up front, and they committed to the run game even in some late-down situations where they had only a few yards to go to the marker.
Their efficiency on early downs meant that the Rams' front didn't have much opportunity to truly rush the passer, McVay said, and Carolina converted seven of their 14 third down tries (not counting the game-ending kneel-down) as a result. "We felt like they were probably going to do that," McVay said. "That wasn't something that was a secret. We thought they would commit to being able to run the football." But still, it was difficult to stop.
"They didn't think we took this group lightly. I don't believe that for a second. This is the NFL. This is too difficult. They did a great job making plays, and they made plays." - McVay
The notion that this was a "trap game" for the Rams couldn't have been further from the truth. McVay said they prepared hard and just came up short as turnovers and a few costly mistakes cost them down the stretch. On Stafford's pick-six, McVay said he wished he had given his quarterback a better call.
McVay said the delay of game penalty on the final offensive drive for L.A. "felt like a quick whistle," but they will move on and learn from the mistakes made in the loss. While the rain certainly affected them throughout the game, McVay said "they had to play in it too, so it's not an excuse."
