Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford discuss building on increased health ahead of a tough divisional matchup and environment in Seattle
The return of wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua sparked the Rams’ offense in their 30-20 victory over the Vikings on Thursday Night Football, and now the team aims to build on that momentum. Los Angeles is just a half-game behind the NFC West leaders and will be facing the first-place Seahawks on Sunday.
On Wednesday, head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford addressed the media, discussing how they can capitalize on their recent win as they prepare for the challenging environment in Seattle after enjoying a mini bye over the weekend.
Below are the key quotes and highlights from their press conferences, which can be viewed in the links provided.
“I think like any good coach, (Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald) is trying to figure out what his guys do best. It’s a personnel-driven league. What do you have? Who can do what? And then you go try to build that scheme around it. Are there some similarities (to his defense in Baltimore)? Yes. Is it the exact same? No. Just like you would expect, I think they’ve got talented players at all three levels again and, obviously, I’m familiar with some of their guys.” – Stafford
Stafford is well-acquainted with veteran Seahawks defenders like cornerback Tariq Woolen from previous matchups, as well as with recently acquired linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who was traded by the Rams to the Titans during the preseason.
Stafford expressed that he knows Jones well as a player and respects him both personally and professionally, stating that his presence on the opposing side won’t create any “disadvantage or advantage.” However, he noted that the Seahawks’ defensive scheme under new coordinator Clint Hurtt differs from former head coach Pete Carroll’s approach and features many young players and new additions.
Lumen Field is recognized as one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, with its fanbase famously dubbed the “12th man,” making communication challenging in that setting. In this crucial divisional matchup that could determine the NFC West lead, Stafford anticipates no change in the noise level on Sunday.
He acknowledged that communication has been a focus for the team, emphasizing that they have been preparing for this aspect for quite some time.
In terms of getting his top two weapons back, Stafford said the more reps the team can get with them, the better. He addeed that it’s “still a difficult game,” but having those guys back makes things better.
“Any time that you can get those guys (Kupp and Nacua) back, it’s a big deal… It enables other guys to be at their best in their roles that they’re playing where maybe you’re not being asked to play 60 snaps… Those guys, they’re tremendous players so they make us better, they take a lot of stress off of me.” – McVay
McVay said that Nacua’s yards after the catch set the offense up well against Minnesota and Kupp showcased how much trust he has from Stafford that “everyone was elevated” by their return to action. Stafford threw for four touchdowns on Thursday after totaling just three through the first six games of the season.
The Rams will be going against Jones for the first time since trading him to Tennessee (who then traded him to Seattle). McVay said “it would be hard to deny the production that he’s had,” in Tennessee and then in his Seahawks debut last week when he tallied 15 tackles. He added that Jones is “mentally (and) physically tough” and is always around the football.
It will be strange for McVay to go against a Seahawks team that isn’t coached by Caroll, saying he “looked up to” him for a number of years. The Rams have tried to “mimic and emulate” his culture and beliefs under McVay, he said. Still, he has “a ton of respect” for Macdonald as a fellow young head coach who has imprinted his identity on the team already.
