Rams 30, Seahawks 13
SEAN McVAY: Great team win. I love the resilience. A lot of respect for Coach Carroll and that outfit. That's a good football team. We all know that. They've done it at a high level for a long period of time. Really just happy for these guys, for the work that they've put in, for that to be on display today. I think one of my favorite parts about it was things didn't always go perfect in the first steady. They were even keeled. They just continue to pick one another up and I loved the way we handled the ebbs and flows of the game which is exactly what occurs in football.
A lot of guys stepped up and made big-time plays. I could go through a plethora of people but I'm so proud of this team. I'm so proud of this group. It was awesome to be able to see a lot of the work that they put in come to fruition. But it's one game, and they know that.
We've got to continue to keep it rolling. We'll enjoy this and then we'll move forward towards a phenomenal football team next week.
Q. Several long drives and also the way that you guys were running the ball, what does that say about kind of the vibe --
SEAN McVAY: Well, I thought there was some positive things and then there was some challenging moments where we kind of shot ourselves in the foot. But what I did love was we were able to just recover. Especially on the 18-play drive to start out the game. It wasn't perfect by any stretch. I made a terrible play call that puts us in a bad situation where Van gets a block, but that's on me, and we were able to overcome it.
What a play on 2nd and 17 by Matthew and Pooka to be able to get it down to the 1-yard line and for us to go tempo and have Kyron punch that thing in -- I thought the defense did a good job in the first half. Credit Seattle for being able to sustain drives. They were just getting little chunks at a time, and then eventually we ended up getting stops. They weren't making all those plays in the second half because I think our guys forced those stops.
Offensively we were able to sustain drives. I thought really Tutu Atwell came to life in the second half in a big way. Puka Nacua, what a grown man he was today. Kyron Williams, Cam Akers, Higbee made his plays. Matthew was outstanding, and I thought the offensive line protected really well.
There's some things that we can certainly clean up, some situations that I can do a better job of putting our guys in better spots, but overall there was a grittiness, there was a toughness, there was a resilience on display from this team, and I loved it.
Q. You started the day five for five on 3rd down. On that opening drive I think you were 65 percent. You've got to be super efficient on 3rd down --
SEAN McVAY: You want to be efficient on all downs. I think it's a real credit to Matthew's execution. I thought the protection and the way he was able to recognize and read coverages, progress through things. Even on that first drive as you mentioned, I thought Van Jefferson's 3rd and 10 catch on the end break was a huge freaking huge play, to be able to extend that drive.
But I don't know exactly what we finished at the end, overall stats-wise towards the latter part when you get into some of the four-minute, but I thought Matthew was excellent. You could really see -- you give him a click and he's able to survey it. What a throw to Puka on the right sideline, and he sat in there and deliver it. There was a rush bearing down on him, and he's our guy, and he played like the guy that we all know and love, and I'm sure happy to be able to see him out there competing the way he is with his teammates.
He elevates everybody.
Q. Was there a specific moment in the game when you said Matthew (indiscernible)?
SEAN McVAY: I think it was throughout. I thought he was sharp throughout the game. There was a couple plays that -- you show me a great quarterback, I'll show you a guy that's always going to want a couple plays back, and I thought he was best in those biggest moments.
Also thought there was a couple that I got in late, even the touchdown run where Kyron scored from seven yards out when we ended up take will lead, that first coming out of the second half, I thought that was excellent. I got that one in a little late. He recognized it, ended up making a check and got that play off right in time.
But his overall command, his communication, just everything that you want your quarterback to represent, this guy is checking all the boxes, and really happy for Matthew.
Q. I know this might be something hard to evaluate in real time, but what did you like about the offensive line?
SEAN McVAY: I think what I liked is the way that they were able to strain. I liked the way they were able to finish towards the latter part of the game. I felt like we had clean pockets for the most part because we weren't in some great situations. I felt like I was -- we were operating off of some of our 2nd down and longer calls a lot of the day, and that's not usually a good situation that you want to be able to live in, but credit to those guys, and especially handling the noise. This is a great atmosphere and environment. You're absent, your verbal cadence when you get into the shotgun and even underneath the center and some of those tighter areas to the red zone and even if you're backed up. I thought they were really good overall.
There was some movement, and you give them credit. Owusu and some of their guys are really good players on the front. Bobby made some plays in the run game as well as Jordyn Brooks. I thought Kobe Bryant made his presence felt.
They did a good job, and then it was a credit for the guys to be able to execute because sometimes if they're committing to one thing or the other, you've got to be able to make them pay. But there will always be things that we can clean up, but I just love the grit, I love the toughness, I loved the way they stayed together and stayed connected. That's exactly what we want.
Q. Tyler and Bryson both had plays in the air, but it seemed like they were getting really involved in some of the dirty work, as well. What did they do today?
SEAN McVAY: I think in a lot of instances, those guys are an extension of the offensive line, especially when you're committing them to the blocking surface. I'm glad you bought Tyler Higbee, captain, guy that really is a glue guy for this football team. I thought that was a huge play that he played 30 yards down the sideline with a good player with Love in coverage on him, he and Matthew had a great rapport on that route. Bryson ended up making a big catch on the crossing route.
But I thought those two guys, and Nick Caley does such a good job with that group overall, Jordan, and Davis Allen even got a snap. Even though that was a bad play call I had on the 3rd down that led us to the 4th down where Cam punched it in. Really happy for those guys. They're going to continue to be big parts of what we do moving forward.
Q. Defensive preseason expectations for you guys, you said you were eager to get out there and have them shoot their shot. What do you think the message that was delivered?
SEAN McVAY: I thought they shot their shot. I think it was one game. Here's the reality. Those guys put in a lot of hard work and I was glad that it came to fruition today, but you've got 17 opportunities that are guaranteed, and so what I think is really important is that we understand what a great job with the work that was put in, what a great job accomplishing the goal that we had today, and now how do we enjoy but how do we understand what got you in those positions was the work you put in, was having that growth mindset, and I think this team embodies that. I couldn't care less what's said outside. There might be some change in narratives, and that doesn't affect any way that we'll go about our business right now because if you read it, you feed it, good or bad, and so I don't think that's something that I've ever gotten caught up in, and I don't get the sense that these guys have gotten caught up in other than going and playing as a team, loving one another and playing as hard as they possibly can to be able to do their job because they don't want to let the guy down next to them, and there's a great relationship they have with their coaches. It's a special group. I'm really enjoying it. I certainly love working with this team and want to keep this thing going.
Q. The defense held Seattle to 12 yards in the second half --
SEAN McVAY: Was it 12 yards?
Q. Nine on the last carry.
SEAN McVAY: So three total? Or are you saying 12 plus nine? Either way it's outstanding. That is freaking great. When you're able to get some rush opportunities, you're able to get some of the isolations that we got where Aaron can come to life and then it's not just about Aaron, either. He is a special one of one type of player but there's some guys around him that expected to come in and play well, and I thought they did that, and I can't wait to really dive into this tape and really see.
But such a credit to the defensive staff, Raheem's leadership, I thought the three defensive captains with Ernest Jones, with Aaron Donald and with Jordan Fuller, they did a great job, but it was about the whole group's effort today.
It felt like they were doing that, and it was why the offense was able to really get going because they felt like they were just getting the ball back, and then I thought it was imperative that offensively we were able to control possession. I want to say we almost had 40 minutes of possession. Anytime you're able to do that, that's usually critical and key for success.
Q. (Indiscernible).
SEAN McVAY: Normally I would have gone for a field goal? Is that what you're saying?
Q. In years past. What kind of decision did you feel that was?
SEAN McVAY: I thought it was confidence in the players' ability to execute that play, and they did it. It's always about those guys.
I think the two previous poor play calls set up the good one on 4th down, so I'd like to say we were setting that one up, but we were trying to score on 2nd and 3rd down, as well, and love the way that our guys ended up creating that surface on the edge, and it was great subtle ball handling by Matthew and good job by Cam being able to punch it in.
Q. You expressed confidence in your receivers stepping up, but (indiscernible) what stood out to you?
SEAN McVAY: Just the way they had played. We had gotten opportunities, even though you guys might not have seen it and you maybe had when you had been out to some of the practices, but I'm so proud of those guys but I'm not surprised. That's what Tutu Atwell had been doing going months back, and I thought he really started to play with a lot of confidence towards the latter part of last year when he got his opportunities that were earned. Puka Nacua has come in and he's as mature a rookie as I've ever been around, and he is a physical, tough, strong player. He's got a great way about himself, and both of those guys stepped up, and Van Jefferson is going to continue to be a big part of this, as well.
My favorite thing Van did, after we missed the one down the field, he came back on a 2nd down and ended up making a critical catch underneath, got vertical to get us into a 3rd down and manageable, and that's what I want to be able to see from our guys. Guys like Kyron Williams stepped up.
But these are the things that when you get a chance to see it come to life every single day, you feel confident that when the lights come on, it's not too big for these guys, and they can play well, and we've got to continue to do it.
I'm not surprised because of the confidence that I have in those guys based on the way they go to work every single day.
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