Did McVay go vannila after clinching playoff spot

[FrantikRam]

If you doubt it, go back and watch the highlights of the Vikings game.

That was one McVay wanted badly as we all remember getting embarrassed last year - plus, we didn't know the Vikings would be bad so that game had seeding implications.

I watched these highlights last night and the first thing I thought was....where has this team been??

 

[FrantikRam]

We had three losses, one was on the defence. The reason we lost to the Bears and Eagles was because we did not do a good job executing, not because of the play calling or designs....

My biggest fear is that McVey calls too many passes, we have some 3 and outs and then do not get the ball back for long periods. Once Goff and the O get in rhythm we look unbeatable, but last year that formula led to our demise

We should come out passing though. Dallas has a top run D, but only 13th against the pass while only playing two top offenses all year long (Saints and Colts). Eli just dropped 35 on them without OBJ.

 

[mikedlo23]

i thought about this as well after the lions and bears games but that thought went out my window after the eagles game....think about it....if he was running a vanilla offense but if we win that eagles game chances are we have home field advantage......i don think mcvay would cost us home field advantage over a mind game.....im just hoping we beat the cowboys and somehow the eagles win.....being in the philly area i want to get some revenge against them and what sweeter way then to knock them out of the playoffs

 

[RamBall]

I believe McVay didnt want to show all his cards against the bears and eagles as there was a chance we would see them again in the playoffs. The injury to Gurley may have played into lack of run plays called also, but I dont think McVay will be holding anything back for the next 3 games.

 

[OnceARam]

Definitely went vanilla. And why wouldn't we? It's a competitive league and the less tape they have on us the better.

Remember why the Patriots cheated and how they knew what we were running even though there was no "legal" tape of us having ever run those plays???

 

[Adi]

Unleash the Tight Ends !

Been saying it all year guys , there is alot in store for Higbee and Everett and Mcvay has been hiding it !

Also, I never got my long TD run from Gurley. I need a nice 60 plus yarder in the playoffs !

 

[Loyal]

It's hard to imagine Coach McVay doing anything half @$$. Even going vanilla after clinching and in preparation for the playoffs.

He's going to have some new stuff in store for the Cowboys. More plays branching off the same old looks. But I don't know that new plays mean he was going vanilla, seriously doubt that.

It is an attractive conspiracy theory to explain our losses because we were holding back. I don't buy it either because it was worth getting the #1 seed and not having to go back to the Super Dome. You play to win to put yourself in the best chance to win in the playoffs. I don't see how hobbling a game plan during the season does that.

 

[jrry32]

I’ve brought this up before to mixed responses. I think it’s not only possible but likely.

Same.

 

[badnews]

It is an attractive conspiracy theory to explain our losses because we were holding back. I don't buy it either because it was worth getting the #1 seed and not having to go back to the Super Dome. You play to win to put yourself in the best chance to win in the playoffs. I don't see how hobbling a game plan during the season does that.

Maybe McVay values "home field" a lot less than others?
Maybe he didnt think it was the difference between the Rams winning and losing but strategic superiority is?

I am just spitballing possibilities.

 

[shovelpass]

I don't buy it. Our plays are already on tape so going vanilla to hide/preserve something doesn't make sense. And if McVay was trying to hide new stuff he'd just use the older plays that have worked so well. I just think that the offense, o-line especially, hit a wall. Add in some tough defenses and injuries and there's your problem.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

I'll be contrarian. Remember back in the Fisher days when some speculated that our offense was intentionally vanilla in the preseason before realizing that the offense was just...vanilla lol. Before someone says that McVay isn't Fisher, my point is this: We are who we are. Outside of a few plays for the game plan, our base offense will remain the same. I don't expect us to roll out 20 new plays that have never been tested in game situations.

With that being said, I want more play- action screens to Gurley, but that's nothing that we haven't seen.

 

[TexasRam]

The Bears game was scaled down because freezing weather vs #1 defense on the road dictated it. That game revealed that Sullivan and Whitworth needed run game help to setup play action and slow down pass rush.

The Eagles game was a return to the jet sweeps, establishing the run and play action off the run game. Collinsworth noted we are now seeing the Rams back to normal Ram offense. Don’t forget, after the blown coverage and the Goff fumble thing due to being stepped on by Sullivan, the Rams were down 14 Pts. A missed third down Blitz pickup by Kelly after the Gurley injury also staled
a drive. So the Rams has to go to hurry mode.

The Arizona and Niners games Mcvay went ultra conservative with the clear intention of running the ball and winning games with defense vs very suspect QBs and offenses. We only through when the run was established.

I don’t think there was a clear Vanilla gameplan for playoff purposes, i think it was for the purpose of reestablishing our offense through reestablishing the run game.

Remember CJ lining up right behind the center with Goff in shotgun ? There was some testing going on as well i believe, to figure out how to help Sullivan in the middle in pass pro.

 

[8to12]

I think people are forgetting that even though the Rams beat the Lions, the Lions "D" made the Rams offense look pedestrian. They rushed 4, got pressure, and the back 7 played intermediate to deep zone coverage. The Rams bread & butter pass plays are intermediate to deep crossing routes. Instead of Goff throwing to an open receiver with a defender trailing, he was attempting to throw to a receiver heading into an area with a defender in waiting. This flustered Goff and McVay didn't have an answer for it. Then, the Bears did the same thing to a higher degree. By the time the Rams played the Eagles, the O-line was showing weakness in the interior and Whitworth was getting beat by Pro-Bowl caliber Ends. By the time we got to the Cardinals and 49ers, the usual play schemes worked because they didn't have the personnel to create the same pass rush with only 4 defenders.
As to the theory of not wanting to show other teams more plays that you might end up seeing again, I don't think is relevant. The first priority of every coach is to secure Home Field advantage during the playoffs. To me, it was more of a break down in blocking and McVay not able to adjust to the different defensive scheme he faced.

 

[Ramlock]

I really struggle to buy in to conspiracy theories...kinda feel like this is one.

With that said, the missing Gurley removes some options from the offense, so, it would seem vanilla.

 

[VARAM]

I think we are going to see mind blowing surprises against Dallas. One is, McVay mentioned in a radio interview on ESPNLA about a possible new formation. Blew my mind when he said it. Can't wait to see it. Go Rams.

 

[RhodyRams]

I think, therefore I am


but anyway, my opinion is that the plays were scaled back a bit with a few wrinkles thrown in just to polish them up. There were some plays and formations we hadnt seen all season that McVay whipped out over the last 4 games, and there were, without a doubt ,some Fisherball high school plays that everyone saw coming.


So I suppose my answer to the OP question is


who dafuq knows, except the team itself

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

I really struggle to buy in to conspiracy theories...kinda feel like this is one.

With that said, the missing Gurley removes some options from the offense, so, it would seem vanilla.

Ditto. Kupp being hurt impacted our play-calling as well. Kupp was the third jet sweep guy. Now we're seeing Woods in the slot, and Reynolds and Everett had to build chemistry with Goff.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I expect to see a few wrinkles Saturday.

 

[RhodyRams]

uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:

 

[SteezyEndo]

He may of went Vanilla...

But for good reason...