Sean McVay interview with The Athletic

[Angry Ram]

Now my only question is how many expensive shits did Aaron Donald have during his tenure here?

 

[So Ram]

ya look at him now.... terrible as an HC for us, but as a DC? 4 rings (1 Giants / 3 Chiefs). and counting...

IMO - he wasn’t as bad as it ended up.There were some things that went against him. Wasn’t it a strike year in there ?

 

[WestCoastRam]

This guy is simply incredible. I've never listened to an interview where the interviewer and interviewee were so in tune. Great questions. Answers that could only have come from McVay. What an outstanding communicator.
I believe we are in an era that will be looked back on as one of the brightest in NFL history.
Go ahead and enshrine him now.

Robert Mays is a must listen for me, his and Nate Tice (Nate jumped to Yahoo) was the best football podcast out there the last 2-3 years followed only by Charles Robinson on Yahoo (dude would break like every story in the NFL a week or two early, no clue why he doesn't have a bigger profile).

I highly recommend listening to Charles too if he's doing camp reports this year, he's always reporting on something that ends up being a big deal in the season. Yahoo's podcast library is a mess though and they keep shuffling hosts to new shows so not sure what his schedule is anymore.

 

[Snaz]

IMO - he wasn’t as bad as it ended up.There were some things that went against him. Wasn’t it a strike year in there ?

Kevin Demoff Tweet Spagnolo

To help expand why:
1) Hired in January 2009 and team was put up for sale in spring 2009
2) Inherited team that went 3-13 in 2007 and 2-14 in 2008
3) Inherited salary cap mess in final salary cap year of CBA with restrictive rules and aging roster
4) We outperformed expectations in 2010 only to have a lockout in 2011 and have no offseason to build upon that success
5) Hired a terrific OC in Josh McDaniels in 2011 who didnt meet players or install offense until training camp. That hampered Sam Bradford tremendously
6) New ownership was approved in August 2010 in final weeks of preseason and then had lockout preventing improvements in 2011
7) Injuries plagued team in 2011 and 23 players from that team never played another down in NFLMaybe, just maybe he deserves a real shot

I was hired after Spags was hired and our owner became the controlling owner 20 months after he was hired so this isn’t the own you think it is.He inherited an awful situation & did the best he could to make it better. We became a better organization with him as our head coach

 

[So Ram]

Kevin Demoff Tweet Spagnolo

To help expand why:
1) Hired in January 2009 and team was put up for sale in spring 2009
2) Inherited team that went 3-13 in 2007 and 2-14 in 2008
3) Inherited salary cap mess in final salary cap year of CBA with restrictive rules and aging roster
4) We outperformed expectations in 2010 only to have a lockout in 2011 and have no offseason to build upon that success
5) Hired a terrific OC in Josh McDaniels in 2011 who didnt meet players or install offense until training camp. That hampered Sam Bradford tremendously
6) New ownership was approved in August 2010 in final weeks of preseason and then had lockout preventing improvements in 2011
7) Injuries plagued team in 2011 and 23 players from that team never played another down in NFLMaybe, just maybe he deserves a real shot

I was hired after Spags was hired and our owner became the controlling owner 20 months after he was hired so this isn’t the own you think it is.He inherited an awful situation & did the best he could to make it better. We became a better organization with him as our head coach

I didn’t like Shutmer,but he did alright. I yelled at him after the game coming across the field at Candlestick.Bradfords first season & he lost it for them.3rd & 1 should have just run a quick QB sneak of Saffold.Basic football.
—Still Spags tried to. Hangs the culture,but Mcvay pound for pound is a lot better all around coach & there’s not even a debate about it.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

ya look at him now.... terrible as an HC for us, but as a DC? 4 rings (1 Giants / 3 Chiefs). and counting...

Spagnoulo is definitely a better DC than he was a HC

Robert Mays is a must listen for me, his and Nate Tice (Nate jumped to Yahoo) was the best football podcast out there the last 2-3 years followed only by Charles Robinson on Yahoo (dude would break like every story in the NFL a week or two early, no clue why he doesn't have a bigger profile).

I highly recommend listening to Charles too if he's doing camp reports this year, he's always reporting on something that ends up being a big deal in the season. Yahoo's podcast library is a mess though and they keep shuffling hosts to new shows so not sure what his schedule is anymore.

I like the Yahoo college football podcast better than the NFL podcast. It’s more entertaining.

I like Robinson but Fitz is a fraud. He doesn’t know the entire league. If it’s your job to talk about the NFL then make it your job to know every team thoroughly. I could do that for 8 hours a day, or even 4-6.
That’s my hang up with the PFF guys too. They miss too many details and are too focused on big market teams, even though they seem to claim knowledge of every team. Recently, they said the Rams could easily upgrade at OLT from free agency right now, but didn’t name a single OLT they could get.


The Athletic was my favorite but the new Inside the NFL has taken its place.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Spagnoulo is definitely a better DC than he was a HC


I like the Yahoo college football podcast better than the NFL podcast. It’s more entertaining.

I like Robinson but Fitz is a fraud. He doesn’t know the entire league. If it’s your job to talk about the NFL then make it your job to know every team thoroughly. I could do that for 8 hours a day, or even 4-6.
That’s my hang up with the PFF guys too. They miss too many details and are too focused on big market teams, even though they seem to claim knowledge of every team. Recently, they said the Rams could easily upgrade at OLT from free agency right now, but didn’t name a single OLT they could get.


The Athletic was my favorite but the new Inside the NFL has taken its place.

Yeah, I can't stand Fitz. The old Yahoo pod with just Robinson, Jori, and McDonald was great. I assume they split them up to try to maximize revenue but it just made all the pods weaker... though Robinson has had some health issues and I think has moved into a more managerial role so less avail.

 

[JonRam99]

IMO - he wasn’t as bad as it ended up.There were some things that went against him. Wasn’t it a strike year in there ?

can't recall... ya hard to win games when your team owner is tanking...

 

[Merlin]

View attachment 66304

I was just organizing my pins.
This one caught me off-guard.

What!?

Jesus overtones.

 

[Merlin]

Now my only question is how many expensive shits did Aaron Donald have during his tenure here?

Always knew it was AD.
~ Fish

 

[Ramit]

McVay is such a deep thinking and authentically good person. It makes me happy to know that someone with his type of character is as good a coach as he is. Icing on the cake.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

McVay often says a lot without saying much. It's a strength of his to not give things away, but in this interview he does lay some shit out there.

What I found most interesting is him conceding that they had nothing in the run game in that title run. And the fact he openly recognizes he had a flawed offense that could not work in that ground phase was good to hear. I think that recognition is behind what he's done with the OL, and the change of emphasis with those big boys. It's a good thing. He's learning.

And I think it's great to have a coach who can put us in position to challenge late in the playoffs, but also learn as he goes and get better. It's part of what makes him as good as he is. He's not a know it all and that's why the game won't pass him by. It's why he'll remain on the cutting edge and keep us relevant.

I mean way I see it that SB loss to the Pats showed him that his team wasn't physical enough, and the boys got punched in the face to include McVay. Then he changes the QB and ends up back in an eerily similar looking game in another SB but got it done. I think Stafford and Kupp are what made the difference, but point is his OL was just as incapable of getting him ground yards and that finally put him over the top wrt how he structures the trenches. Because this year's team looks fundamentally different from those two SB teams.

This year's OL should be very physical, and physical is hard to gameplan away. When the dudes on the other side of that ball are physical and can beat you on most snaps 1 on 1 it's a different equation. We have definitely trended that way. Our OL looks like it should have that element at last this season. Our defense will benefit up front, and hopefully those boys start hitting on all cylinders before the playoffs.

It was definitely worth listening too. It confirmed what I’ve thought for a while now. If he quit, there isn’t anyone they could have hired that would be equally an improvement for this team.

 

[Wisconsinram]

What a great listen. So grateful that guy is our coach. Just wow!

 

[WestCoastRam]

Kevin Demoff Tweet Spagnolo

To help expand why:
1) Hired in January 2009 and team was put up for sale in spring 2009
2) Inherited team that went 3-13 in 2007 and 2-14 in 2008
3) Inherited salary cap mess in final salary cap year of CBA with restrictive rules and aging roster
4) We outperformed expectations in 2010 only to have a lockout in 2011 and have no offseason to build upon that success
5) Hired a terrific OC in Josh McDaniels in 2011 who didnt meet players or install offense until training camp. That hampered Sam Bradford tremendously
6) New ownership was approved in August 2010 in final weeks of preseason and then had lockout preventing improvements in 2011
7) Injuries plagued team in 2011 and 23 players from that team never played another down in NFLMaybe, just maybe he deserves a real shot

I was hired after Spags was hired and our owner became the controlling owner 20 months after he was hired so this isn’t the own you think it is.He inherited an awful situation & did the best he could to make it better. We became a better organization with him as our head coach

What was the name of the receiver we brought over from the Ravens? He looked so good in preseason then tore his ACL or something the first game. We had no receivers except Amendola and a broken down Lloyd for Sam. Sam had injuries but he got screwed by the talent.

Think he was a QB who was ruined who could have been good.

 

[So Ram]

can't recall... ya hard to win games when your team owner is tanking...

It got bad,plus that field was HORRIBLE!!!! Reggie Bush had a law suit because it was that bad.

Truth is if they would have proposed what they did earlier it would have been a different story imo. Who knows ?

There was that magic date & then game on.Fisher had a hard time as well.IMO it was hard to get real good coaching.

I can’t tell or care to go back to that time.This is just how I remember it,which means it might not have even happened.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Fitz is a fraud

.

 

[Merlin]

Fitz isn't wrong on many of his points but what he underestimates is the McVay effect first and the Stafford effect second. No way this team should have done what they did last season and playoffs. They played over their heads largely due to those two I think.

Offensively the big question is Kupp. Since he came onboard in this offense he has been the grease that makes it great. He's the chain mover. He's the guy who keeps things rolling on key downs. So if he's not able to hold up we're not gonna do much in the playoffs. We need him to have a chance to run the table. Period. One SB we had him and did it, the other we didn't and didn't. Neither of those games did the offense have a run game, which puts even more pressure on Kupp being there.

So second question is how good is that run game going to be. Because this is the first time I've looked at the RB room at this time of year and thought to myself we are in a great spot. Well since before the wheels fell off Gurley. McVay has made chicken salad out of a lot of RB room chicken shit. Also he's had the Rams put up investment capital into that interior OL. And just like the lack of run game makes Kupp more important it is the same with Stafford in the sense that having a good run game will extend his window. There is precedent on that, just take a look at Elway who was on fuckin fumes at the end.

Goal with the offense should be ratcheting down the throw volume. Which gives the best chance for QB1 to be in good form for the duration of the season and playoffs without any arm BS. This is how I read the Rams moves too, and why I am very happy with what they have done.

Defensively it's a shitstorm of IFs. But I will say one thing about this offseason that I like, which is that we look more stout up front than we have in some time. Potentially. So another IF. Also I think our new DC is going to be very aggressive, but of course he's another IF no matter how you slice it. My guesstimate is we'll be solid to very good in the front seven. Secondary we'll see, comes down to the corners which there's just no telling.

I think the best way to sum up the defense is this... IF Shula is up to snuff the infusion of talent should show. I don't think it's realistic to expect him to top the league or anything. But if he is good then we're gonna have enough when paired with that offense to fuck people up.

So way I see it with Fitz is he's a typical talking head. Complete lack of vision in seeing anything other than what he saw last season. Him telling us SF is the team to beat does not require any real processing or vision. It's a default position. He may be right. Probably is. But the NFC West is going to be rough in 2024. Running the table in this division is going to be a ton harder than it has been. Throw in some injuries and maybe the Rams overperforming again and we're in this shit.