On Sunday, it got bad enough as the Los Angeles Rams were completely cooked. As they’d been eliminated a week earlier by their bitter rivals the Philadelphia Eagles, their locker-room was understandably somber. The loss would be the Rams only loss of the season as they finished 2-1. On the other side, the Eagles continued their dream run, going 3-0. Head coach Sean McVay is still hopeful in the wake of the loss that his squad will be able to rebound.
The Rams were highly confident and in control, leading 26-7 just a little over two minutes into the third quarter. Just like that, momentum turned on a dime as they ran into trouble in the game’s closing minutes. Two critical field goal attempts were blocked during their last possessions, including a potential game-winner with only three seconds remaining. The loss was a harsh reminder of the difficulty of achieving success in the NFL.
Kyren Williams, a running back for the Rams and a contributor to past playoff teams, reflected on the game’s intensity. He realizes how heavy this loss looms and the overall effect it would have on team morale. Wide receiver Davante Adams summed up the mood of the locker room as, “disappointing.” Even still, he is optimistic about the team’s tenacity, conceding that at the time it felt “a bit demoralizing.”
Though that was a blow, McVay focused on using adversity as an impetus for improvement. He stated, “I think when you’ve been a part of going through adversity and using it as a strengthening mechanism where real growth demands discomfort, you can draw on those experiences positively to say, ‘I’ve been here before. I’ve navigated this.’”
The Rams have faced adversity before. The past couple of years, they’ve started out with records of 3-6 and 1-4. Despite that, they came together and battled their way into the post-season. Following that defeat, McVay was vocal about where things stood. He concluded by sharing, “The truth is, you can only ever do what’s right now. We would’ve been thrilled to have come out victorious in that game yesterday… but that game is done with. We’re a 2-1 football team.“
Quarterback Matthew Stafford echoed McVay’s sentiment, asserting that he has “no questions or concerns about how we’ll respond.” He acknowledged the team’s commitment to look ahead and learn from the experience.
Looking ahead, the Rams will again have to overcome a tough opponent on Sunday. McVay believes the team’s maturity and toughness will come through as they head into their preparation for their next opponent. He remarked, “I think there’s a vibe, there’s a maturity, there’s a mental and physical toughness that I believe this group has that we’ll see illustrated as we move forward.”
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