Imagine winning a high-stakes playoff game, only for your own coach to publicly declare he nearly sabotaged the whole thing! That's precisely what happened with the Los Angeles Rams' nail-biting 20-17 overtime victory against the Chicago Bears. Despite securing a spot in the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks, Rams head coach Sean McVay didn't hold back, admitting to "some bad coaching" on his part. But here's where it gets controversial...
While the Rams are celebrating their advancement, McVay's self-critique points to a deeper issue: the offense, typically a powerhouse, struggled mightily. During the regular season, the Rams’ offense was statistically the best in the league, leading in offensive DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), a metric that measures a team's efficiency. However, against the Bears, they just couldn't find their rhythm for most of the game. McVay openly acknowledged his shortcomings, stating, "Offensively, man, I did not do a very good job for our group tonight." He expressed gratitude that the players managed to overcome his mistakes, culminating in Harrison Mevis's game-winning 42-yard field goal.
After a promising start with a touchdown on their opening 14-play, 85-yard drive, the Rams' offense sputtered. By the end of the third quarter, they had amassed a mere 174 yards, their lowest total at that point in a game all season, according to ESPN Research. McVay lamented, "I did not like the feel for the flow of the game that I had outside of the first series." He credited the defense for keeping them in contention despite his own poor performance, emphasizing how fortunate he was that the team persevered and overcame his poor coaching decisions.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, usually a passing machine, also had an uncharacteristically tough night. Throughout the regular season, Stafford had thrown for a league-leading 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns. Against the Bears, he completed only 20 of 42 passes for 258 yards and, surprisingly, didn't throw a single touchdown pass. And this is the part most people miss... This marked only the second time in his entire playoff career that Stafford failed to throw a touchdown. Furthermore, it was his first playoff start as a Ram without multiple passing touchdowns.
Stafford himself admitted to struggling, saying, "I definitely didn’t get into a great rhythm today. There’s no question about that. I had some opportunities in the pass game, just some things that made it tough. Obviously, I could be better." However, he emphasized the ultimate goal: winning. He pointed out that a statistically impressive performance in a loss is ultimately meaningless. He was much happier with a less-than-stellar performance that resulted in a victory. On Sunday, Stafford registered 11 off-target throws, tied for his most as a member of the Rams (since 2021), according to ESPN Research.
Despite the offensive struggles, Stafford demonstrated his clutch ability. He engineered his 55th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, a remarkable feat that puts him 11 drives ahead of the next-closest player since he entered the NFL in 2009. Safety Kam Curl played a pivotal role, intercepting a pass from Bears quarterback Caleb Williams with just under seven minutes remaining in overtime. This interception set up the Rams' game-winning drive, a 10-play, 54-yard march culminating in Mevis's decisive field goal.
This victory propelled the fifth-seeded Rams to their first NFC Championship Game appearance since their Super Bowl LVI triumph in the 2021 season. They now face a formidable challenge against the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks, who dominated the San Francisco 49ers with a 41-6 victory. "[We’ve] got to be at our best," McVay said about the Seahawks. "You watched that game last night. They’re firing on all cylinders. They look really good, and I’m excited to be able to dive into this tape and figure out how we can improve."
The Rams and Seahawks had a split decision in their regular-season matchups. The Rams won at home 21-19 in Week 11, while the Seahawks emerged victorious in an overtime thriller in Seattle 38-37 in Week 16, a game where the Rams held a commanding 30-14 lead in the fourth quarter. This sets the stage for an intense and highly anticipated NFC Championship showdown.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who had five receptions for 56 yards against the Bears, expressed his excitement about returning to Seattle for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl. He believes it's a fitting narrative, stating, "I think there’s no way the football gods would rather have it be than for us to go back up there and see the All Father [Cooper Kupp] and get a chance to right our wrongs. So, it will be a great challenge for us, and we’re excited for it." This adds an extra layer of intrigue and motivation for the Rams as they head into this crucial game. Is McVay being too hard on himself? Did Stafford's performance actually help the Rams by forcing them to rely on other aspects of their game? How do you see the Rams’ chances against the Seahawks? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
