The Los Angeles Rams came into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the NFL but were humbled by last year’s NFC champs, the Atlanta Falcons. The early exit was highlighted by the team’s offense showing its youth, along with head coach Sean McVay, who was outcoached by Dan Quinn and Co.
Despite the one-and-done finish in the postseason, the Rams shouldn’t hang their heads. After all, this is a team that went from worst to first from 2016-17 in terms of scoring, and the pieces are in place for extended success.
This is a sentiment McVay shares, and he expressed hope for a brighter future after the game, saying the team’s “trajectory is pointing upward,” per the Rams website.
McVay was asked by some in the press conference if the big stage was a bit too much for his young team. Predictably, he wasn’t willing to say it was, taking a different approach instead.
“You have a lot of respect for experience,” McVay said. “Certainly this is an example we can learn from. I don’t think this game was too big for our players. We’re a young football team. We just didn’t make enough plays to get it done.”
It could be said that inexperience — both from McVay and his players — was the biggest reason the Rams lost, 26-13. One of the things that seemed to plague the Rams is that the offense was completely stagnant for much of the game, which could have had a lot to do with the starters getting Week 17 off. That’s an experience McVay will certainly learn from.
Given how far this young team and its young coach was able to go in just their first year together, fans should be excited about the future.