A look at McVay's first three seasons as HC

[FrantikRam]

Year 1:

Wins: Colts, @Niners, @Cowboys, @Jaguars, Cardinals (London), @Giants, Texans, Saints, @Cardinals, @Seahawks, @Titans
Losses: Redskins, Seahawks, @vikings, Eagles, Niners*, Falcons

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 5-3; record against 8-8 teams: 2-0; record against final 4 teams: 1-2

Year 2:

Wins: @Raiders, Cardinals, Chargers, Vikings, @Seahawks, @Broncos, @Niners, Packers, Seahawks, Chiefs, @Lions, @Cardinals, Niners, Cowboys, Saints
Losses: @Saints, @Bears, Eagles, Patriots (SB)

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 5-3 (7-4 counting playoffs); record against final 4 teams: 2-2 (counting playoffs)

Year 3:

Wins: @Panthers, Saints, @Browns, @Falcons, Bengals (London), Bears, Cardinals, Seahawks, @Cardinals
Losses: Bucs, @Seahawks, Niners, @Steelers, Ravens, @Cowboys, @Niners

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 2-4 ; record against 8-8 teams: 1-2; record against final 4 teams: 0-2



Looking at these three years, it feels like a missed opportunity in 2019: we only played 6 games against teams with a winning record, and 2 of those were Seattle, which should have been 2 wins. We only played the Niners as a final four team. Overall we went 3-6 against teams that were .500 or better and 6-1 against teams 7-9 or worse - the loss being to the Bucs.

Overall against teams with a losing record McVay is a sparkling 20-3, with one of those losses coming to the Niners in week 17 of 2017 when we rested our starters. The others were the aforementioned Bucs game and then McVay's 2nd career game as a HC against the Redskins. All in all McVay can say he's never lost to a team worse than 7-9 when playing starters.

The bigger problem comes against the "good" teams - but digging deeper, it's actually just good defensive teams. McVay destroyed the Chargers and Vikings in 2018, but both early in the season before their defenses started to play better - I mention this because if you look at their final rankings it looks like a feather in McVay's cap. But the reality is, those defenses weren't playing well at the time of those games. I don't believe the Saints and Seahawks have very good defenses, although the Saints are probably McVay's best accomplishment(s).

Overall the record against winning teams is respectable for McVay: 12-10 in the regular season and it goes to 14-12 if you count the playoffs. But 7 of those 14 wins come against the Saints and Seahawks - overall McVay is a combined 7-3 against those two teams. If we remove that his overall record against winning teams drops to 7-9. The wins against the Chargers and Vikings I outlined above - so I'll remove those two for now as well because their defenses weren't playing well at the time of that game. The Chiefs had a very bad defense last year, so we'll remove that game too.

This leaves us with a record of 4-9 against winning teams. Let's take another look now that we've sorted it some:

Wins:

2017 - @Cowboys, @Jaguars, @Titans
2018: Cowboys

Losses:

2017: @vikings, Eagles, Falcons
2018: Eagles, Patriots (SB)
2019: Niners, Ravens, @Niners



This paints a different picture - the teams across all three season that we lost to share one characteristic: they dominated our offensive line.

So why do all this? I wanted to see what the common issue was between all of these games - to tell us something we already know, right? WRONG.

Most people seem to want to have their cake and eat it too - not going to happen. We hitched our wagon to Goff, so now we need an elite offensive line - with the knowledge that the OL has NOT YET BEEN GOOD ENOUGH under McVay - not in any season, because as you can see above, our OL was the undoing in all three seasons. We won games without Kupp and with Gurley hobbled - but I haven't seen a game yet where our OL got dominated and we won. So trade anything and everything - from Kupp to Woods, any player on defense save for Donald - to make this OL the best in the NFL. Getting it back to what it was is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

 

[TomMack]

Year 1:

Wins: Colts, @Niners, @Cowboys, @Jaguars, Cardinals (London), @Giants, Texans, Saints, @Cardinals, @Seahawks, @Titans
Losses: Redskins, Seahawks, @vikings, Eagles, Niners*, Falcons

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 5-3; record against 8-8 teams: 2-0; record against final 4 teams: 1-2

Year 2:

Wins: @Raiders, Cardinals, Chargers, Vikings, @Seahawks, @Broncos, @Niners, Packers, Seahawks, Chiefs, @Lions, @Cardinals, Niners, Cowboys, Saints
Losses: @Saints, @Bears, Eagles, Patriots (SB)

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 5-3 (7-4 counting playoffs); record against final 4 teams: 2-2 (counting playoffs)

Year 3:

Wins: @Panthers, Saints, @Browns, @Falcons, Bengals (London), Bears, Cardinals, Seahawks, @Cardinals
Losses: Bucs, @Seahawks, Niners, @Steelers, Ravens, @Cowboys, @Niners

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 2-4 ; record against 8-8 teams: 1-2; record against final 4 teams: 0-2



Looking at these three years, it feels like a missed opportunity in 2019: we only played 6 games against teams with a winning record, and 2 of those were Seattle, which should have been 2 wins. We only played the Niners as a final four team. Overall we went 3-6 against teams that were .500 or better and 6-1 against teams 7-9 or worse - the loss being to the Bucs.

Overall against teams with a losing record McVay is a sparkling 20-3, with one of those losses coming to the Niners in week 17 of 2017 when we rested our starters. The others were the aforementioned Bucs game and then McVay's 2nd career game as a HC against the Redskins. All in all McVay can say he's never lost to a team worse than 7-9 when playing starters.

The bigger problem comes against the "good" teams - but digging deeper, it's actually just good defensive teams. McVay destroyed the Chargers and Vikings in 2018, but both early in the season before their defenses started to play better - I mention this because if you look at their final rankings it looks like a feather in McVay's cap. But the reality is, those defenses weren't playing well at the time of those games. I don't believe the Saints and Seahawks have very good defenses, although the Saints are probably McVay's best accomplishment(s).

Overall the record against winning teams is respectable for McVay: 12-10 in the regular season and it goes to 14-12 if you count the playoffs. But 7 of those 14 wins come against the Saints and Seahawks - overall McVay is a combined 7-3 against those two teams. If we remove that his overall record against winning teams drops to 7-9. The wins against the Chargers and Vikings I outlined above - so I'll remove those two for now as well because their defenses weren't playing well at the time of that game. The Chiefs had a very bad defense last year, so we'll remove that game too.

This leaves us with a record of 4-9 against winning teams. Let's take another look now that we've sorted it some:

Wins:

2017 - @Cowboys, @Jaguars, @Titans
2018: Cowboys

Losses:

2017: @vikings, Eagles, Falcons
2018: Eagles, Patriots (SB)
2019: Niners, Ravens, @Niners



This paints a different picture - the teams across all three season that we lost to share one characteristic: they dominated our offensive line.

So why do all this? I wanted to see what the common issue was between all of these games - to tell us something we already know, right? WRONG.

Most people seem to want to have their cake and eat it too - not going to happen. We hitched our wagon to Goff, so now we need an elite offensive line - with the knowledge that the OL has NOT YET BEEN GOOD ENOUGH under McVay - not in any season, because as you can see above, our OL was the undoing in all three seasons. We won games without Kupp and with Gurley hobbled - but I haven't seen a game yet where our OL got dominated and we won. So trade anything and everything - from Kupp to Woods, any player on defense save for Donald - to make this OL the best in the NFL. Getting it back to what it was is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Maybe they should bring back Jeff Fisher.

 

[Tano]

Maybe they should bring back Jeff Fisher.

Where is the blue font dude?

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

Maybe they should bring back Jeff Fisher.

Jeff Fisher is in favor of expanding the playoffs to 16 teams.
That way there will be way more 7-9 teams in the playoffs every year.

 

[Tano]

McVay is 11-4, 13-3 and 9-7 in his first 3 years (I am not going to include the last game in 2017 - that one doesn't count).

As much as we want it, we are not going undefeated.

First year was a growth year and had some losses that we could have won. Seattle - pass to Kupp that was just inches away from being caught for a winning touchdown. Eagles - a game I felt we should have won.

Second year - we only lost 3 games and if not for two bad calls - we could have beaten NO and Philadelphia

Third Year - just rotten overall luck and crappy play by our defense against Baltimore Dallas and Tampa Bay

We should have beaten Pittsburgh Seattle and San Francisco (second game to them)

 

[FrantikRam]

Maybe they should bring back Jeff Fisher.

What? Lol

I'm not ragging on McVay - just pointing out that this OL has never been good enough to win it all, and that they're more important than who we line up at WR and RB.

Most people have been focusing on this year, but the reality is the OL has struggled against elite defensive fronts for McVay's entire tenure - for us to get over the hump, we need to fix that.

 

[KJD_Ram]

I think Both Goff and McVay will get better....I mean, Goff's what 25? McVay 33 or 34? Your point about making the OL better stands, but I don't know about a wholesale sell off...

 

[Lunchbox]

Thanks @FrantikRam for taking the time to do this thread. Although I appreciate the effort and desire, I don't like it when stats are cherry picked to make a point.

If you want to throw out some games when opponents weren't playing well yet, then you would have to do the same for the Rams in games when they didn't play up to their ablity.

Just doesn't work that way. A win is a win and a loss is a loss.

All that said, I agree that making the oline better is #1 on the to-do list.

 

[Mojo Ram]

A look at McVay's first three seasons as HC

Avg win total per season from 2008-2016 under Linehan, Haslett, Spags & Fisher was 4

Last three seasons under McV ? 11

I'm all for getting better but yeah, i'm good.

 

[LesBaker]

We hitched our wagon to Goff, so now we need an elite offensive line - with the knowledge that the OL has NOT YET BEEN GOOD ENOUGH under McVay - not in any season, because as you can see above, our OL was the undoing in all three seasons.

Mkay wait I thought the issue was Zuerlein.

Second year - we only lost 3 games and if not for two bad calls - we could have beaten NO and Philadelphia

We beat NO on a bad call when it REALLY counted so there is that hahaha.

I'm not ragging on McVay - just pointing out that this OL has never been good enough to win it all, and that they're more important than who we line up at WR and RB.

Without debating positional importance the OL is NOT the reason the Rams lost the SB.

One of the Patriots LB's spilled the beans.

They knew if it was a run or pass based on what TE was on the field.

What lost the SB was the fact that McVay had a GIGANTIC tell that the Patriots uncovered.

It was NOT the OL.

It was the kicker.

 

[Ram65]

Most people seem to want to have their cake and eat it too - not going to happen. We hitched our wagon to Goff, so now we need an elite offensive line - with the knowledge that the OL has NOT YET BEEN GOOD ENOUGH under McVay - not in any season, because as you can see above, our OL was the undoing in all three seasons.

Many ways to win and lose games in the NFL. It's obvious the offensive line needs to improve. I don't believe it has to be an elite unit.

 

[sjm1582002]

I'm just as concerned with the front 7 on D.

That unit will has lost Suh from the SB squad, and if FA plays out like I think it will, Brockers, Littleton, and Fowler will be gone from last years unit.

That is three near pro bowl level players and one very solid DT.

McVay and Snead need a magic wand this coming draft and FA period.

 

[Tano]

We beat NO on a bad call when it REALLY counted so there is that hahaha.

That should be in blue font even with a hahaha

Goff got face mask on the very previous series.

But both those calls don't count because neither one is reviewable due to them being penalites. I see penalties happen all the time that don't get called. I will have to drop losing the Philadelphia game because that was due to a penalty.

I only count bad calls that are reviewable and the NO bad call and the Pittsburgh bad call were both reviewed and both of them were not overturned. Both were stupidly bad calls.

 

[LesBaker]

That should be in blue font even with a hahaha

Goff got face mask on the very previous series.

But both those calls don't count because neither one is reviewable due to them being penalites. I see penalties happen all the time that don't get called. I will have to drop losing the Philadelphia game because that was due to a penalty.

I only count bad calls that are reviewable and the NO bad call and the Pittsburgh bad call were both reviewed and both of them were not overturned. Both were stupidly bad calls.

I don't remember the NO PI call being reviewed.............

 

[Tano]

I don't remember the NO PI call being reviewed.............

That's why it doesn't count. It wasn't reviewable at that time.

I only count reviewable calls that are not overturned as affecting games.

The NO call that affected the rams that was reviewed was the Hekker first down where he clearly made it past the 1st down marker but the call was not overturned.

Still can't get why they didn't overturn that call.

 

[So Ram]

What? Lol

I'm not ragging on McVay - just pointing out that this OL has never been good enough to win it all, and that they're more important than who we line up at WR and RB.

Most people have been focusing on this year, but the reality is the OL has struggled against elite defensive fronts for McVay's entire tenure - for us to get over the hump, we need to fix that.

disagree in the fact The Rams O” has been struggled over a whole course of seasons.
Yes it has been a work in progress.
In think the growing pains The Rams have gone through will only make this unit better in the ling run. They were good enough to make it to the Super Bowl.

 

[So Ram]

Year 1:

Wins: Colts, @Niners, @Cowboys, @Jaguars, Cardinals (London), @Giants, Texans, Saints, @Cardinals, @Seahawks, @Titans
Losses: Redskins, Seahawks, @vikings, Eagles, Niners*, Falcons

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 5-3; record against 8-8 teams: 2-0; record against final 4 teams: 1-2

Year 2:

Wins: @Raiders, Cardinals, Chargers, Vikings, @Seahawks, @Broncos, @Niners, Packers, Seahawks, Chiefs, @Lions, @Cardinals, Niners, Cowboys, Saints
Losses: @Saints, @Bears, Eagles, Patriots (SB)

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 5-3 (7-4 counting playoffs); record against final 4 teams: 2-2 (counting playoffs)

Year 3:

Wins: @Panthers, Saints, @Browns, @Falcons, Bengals (London), Bears, Cardinals, Seahawks, @Cardinals
Losses: Bucs, @Seahawks, Niners, @Steelers, Ravens, @Cowboys, @Niners

W/L vs. teams with a winning record (final standings): 2-4 ; record against 8-8 teams: 1-2; record against final 4 teams: 0-2



Looking at these three years, it feels like a missed opportunity in 2019: we only played 6 games against teams with a winning record, and 2 of those were Seattle, which should have been 2 wins. We only played the Niners as a final four team. Overall we went 3-6 against teams that were .500 or better and 6-1 against teams 7-9 or worse - the loss being to the Bucs.

Overall against teams with a losing record McVay is a sparkling 20-3, with one of those losses coming to the Niners in week 17 of 2017 when we rested our starters. The others were the aforementioned Bucs game and then McVay's 2nd career game as a HC against the Redskins. All in all McVay can say he's never lost to a team worse than 7-9 when playing starters.

The bigger problem comes against the "good" teams - but digging deeper, it's actually just good defensive teams. McVay destroyed the Chargers and Vikings in 2018, but both early in the season before their defenses started to play better - I mention this because if you look at their final rankings it looks like a feather in McVay's cap. But the reality is, those defenses weren't playing well at the time of those games. I don't believe the Saints and Seahawks have very good defenses, although the Saints are probably McVay's best accomplishment(s).

Overall the record against winning teams is respectable for McVay: 12-10 in the regular season and it goes to 14-12 if you count the playoffs. But 7 of those 14 wins come against the Saints and Seahawks - overall McVay is a combined 7-3 against those two teams. If we remove that his overall record against winning teams drops to 7-9. The wins against the Chargers and Vikings I outlined above - so I'll remove those two for now as well because their defenses weren't playing well at the time of that game. The Chiefs had a very bad defense last year, so we'll remove that game too.

This leaves us with a record of 4-9 against winning teams. Let's take another look now that we've sorted it some:

Wins:

2017 - @Cowboys, @Jaguars, @Titans
2018: Cowboys

Losses:

2017: @vikings, Eagles, Falcons
2018: Eagles, Patriots (SB)
2019: Niners, Ravens, @Niners



This paints a different picture - the teams across all three season that we lost to share one characteristic: they dominated our offensive line.

So why do all this? I wanted to see what the common issue was between all of these games - to tell us something we already know, right? WRONG.

Most people seem to want to have their cake and eat it too - not going to happen. We hitched our wagon to Goff, so now we need an elite offensive line - with the knowledge that the OL has NOT YET BEEN GOOD ENOUGH under McVay - not in any season, because as you can see above, our OL was the undoing in all three seasons. We won games without Kupp and with Gurley hobbled - but I haven't seen a game yet where our OL got dominated and we won. So trade anything and everything - from Kupp to Woods, any player on defense save for Donald - to make this OL the best in the NFL. Getting it back to what it was is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

who won the Super Bowl in 2017 & why was Foles the QB ?? Barron & Ebukham.

whatever happened to CJ Anderson. Why all those rushing yards ??

Thought The Rams lost to Da Bears in 2018 ??

 

[den-the-coach]

Thought The Rams lost to Da Bears in 2018 ??

They did, but we sure did kick their ass in 2019.

 

[So Ram]

They did, but we sure did kick their ass in 2019.

Well was that because of the Offensive Line ?? Was it the fact Da Bears best D”player was hurt ?? Home field vs road ??

Just saying I’m not looking to far into it all.
It’s about moving forward & building a solid franchise year in and year out.
I hate lossing seasons vs winning seasons. I think Sean Mcvay is a WINNER!!