Sean McVay's face conveyed it all, even before he stepped up to the microphone after the game last Sunday. These 0-2 waters are unchartered territory for him. There's a certain silence that lingers after a loss like the one they endured last Sunday to the Arizona Cardinals on the road.
You felt it in the Rams locker room, heard it in the way cleats scuffed the floor inside the locker room, in the low murmur of voices trying to make sense of something that felt senseless. You saw it on the players' faces as they walked to the team bus after leaving the locker room.
"We just couldn't tackle him," McVay said referring to Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray just danced around the Rams defense like a kid on a playground, slipping repeatedly through their grasp.
There were moments where they had him, three, sometimes four guys around him, but somehow, like trying to catch smoke, he'd escape. He'd run and throw off-schedule, and the Rams would be left watching as the scoreboard lit up, their hopes dimming with every play.
But it wasn't just Murray. The whole day felt like a fevered nightmare. Nothing worked. The offense never found its rhythm, the defense was overmatched and Matthew Stafford, tough as nails, got hit continuously. The hits came fast, hard and relentlessly. "We got a lot of guys in different spots," McVay said, trying to piece it together, "but it wasn't good enough."
It wasn't just the score. It was the way the Cardinals strutted around after the game. One of their linemen took a jab, bragging about Aaron Donald's retirement, "I was so happy when I got the notification that he (Aaron Donald) retired," he shouted as if Donald's absence was the key to unlocking their dominance. And maybe it was. Maybe without Donald's anchor, the Rams' defense feels less assured and more vulnerable. But McVay wouldn't say that. He won't lean on that crutch. No, this game was about more than one player.
In the gut-wrenching aftermath, McVay didn't dwell on the scoreboard. "I'm not worried about 0-2," he said, his voice steady. "I'm worried about how we play better football." It's a mindset born from years in the coaching trenches, knowing that some losses aren't just about the points but about what you do next. There's no time to wallow, no space for self-pity, no room for excuses.
This isn't just one loss. The injuries, the lack of continuity, the shifting lineups, and the constant battle to get anything to click appeared to be taking a toll on the Rams last Sunday. The Rams aren't strangers to adversity, but this defeat feels a little different. "This is what we signed up for," McVay said.
These words sound tough but are full of truth. Sports is more than easy and praise-filled moments; it's more than fans' adoration and the dollar amounts on game checks. Sports amounts to handling and responding to gut punches and reeling days. "We got a lot of mentally tough people in that room," McVay said.
This is the NFL. There's no pause button, no mercy, no easy way out. You show up, get knocked down and figure out how to get back up. That's the mindset McVay preaches. He isn't one to sulk. "I'm not going to pout about this," McVay said. He'll be back in the film room, pouring over every mistake, every missed tackle, every blown assignment.
But as the stadium emptied and the silence settled in, the Rams must get ready for San Francisco next Sunday at SoFi Stadium at 1:25 p.m. The 49ers are also a wounded team looking to bounce back from their loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday.
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