McVay expects the Rams to respond

(News4UsOnline) – Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is not worried about the path his team might have to take to reach Super Bowl LX. With two games remaining in the 2025 regular season, the Rams currently sit at the No. 5 spot for a postseason berth.

 If this scenario holds, McVay and the Rams will have to hit the road. The Rams find themselves in this position after falling 38-37 to Seattle in overtime during a recent Thursday Night Football game. 

Before their second encounter of the season against their NFC West rivals, it was the Rams that held the No. 1 spot.

Now that position has changed, the Rams will need a little help from other teams if they are ready to regain the NFC’s top spot. If the Rams were to get that No. 1 position again, they would retain homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, which would be favorable for LA. 

For McVay, that’s all a moot point. It doesn’t matter if the Rams go on the road for the playoffs or play at home for the postseason. Despite absorbing a tough defeat at the hands of the Seahawks, McVay believes his team is ready for the challenge the postseason brings either way.

“I love it,” McVay remarked during a Zoom call conference. “I love exactly where we’re at. I’m going to tell you this. Just like every other situation that’s come up this year, we’re going to come back swinging. This is going to be a setback that’s going to be a setup for a phenomenal comeback for us. I don’t look at it at all like that.” 

The group of players that McVay has at his disposal has responded each time they have suffered a defeat during the season. So, it would not be a surprise if the Rams come back with statement games in their closeout contests against the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. 

After a Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams claimed a win against the Indianapolis Colts. And then, a loss of the San Francisco 49ers resulted in a win against the Baltimore Ravens. 

The Rams went on the road and fell to the Carolina Panthers. The following week, the Rams beat down the Cardinals with a thundering 45-17 victory. So, there’s no doubt that the Rams are going to be fired up and ready to get after it. 

“This is a phenomenal, beautiful opportunity for us to respond,” McVay said. “I’m grateful that our season isn’t over and that we have an opportunity to lean in and try to finish this thing strong. Whether we’re at home or away, I couldn’t care less. I’m ready to roll and I can’t wait to do it with this group.”

The Rams will be a tough out in the postseason whether they play at home or on the road. The Rams have a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who’s been there and done that. Stafford has the experience of going through a playoff run and guiding a team to a Super Bowl win. 

The Rams will go where Stafford takes them. Stafford almost single-handily put the Rams in position to win against Seattle. For the game, Stafford passed for 457 yards and three touchdowns, including a 41-yard touchdown strike to Puka Nacua in overtime to give LA a brief lead in the extra period. 

The value of Stafford cannot be underestimated. On the season, Stafford has thrown for 40 touchdowns against just five interceptions. More importantly, his leadership sets the tone for the entire team.  

That would partially explain McVay’s confidence in his ballclub to be able to engage with any team at any location. The other part of that equation is the Rams players have total buy-in into what McVay and his staff and the mission they are trying to accomplish. 

The defeat to the Seahawks does not deter from that. 

“I have not lost faith in this group. I’m so excited about the opportunity that we have to still be able to play football because in some instances, you play games like that and that represents the finale of your season,” McVay said. “What I’ve seen from this group gives me confidence that, hey, does it make it more difficult for home [games] and all these other things? I’m not worried about that because I can’t control that. I can’t go backwards. It’s okay to feel a little bit of disappointment, but how we channel that energy, that focus, that concentration towards the things that move us in the direction that we want is what’s most important.”     

Cover Art/Photo. Los Angeles Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson (18) caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown in a 38-37 overtime defeat to the Seattle Seahawks. Ferguson scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. Photo credit: Los Angeles Rams