The Los Angeles Rams were undisciplined on Sunday, committing eight penalties that totaled 100 yards. In an uncharacteristic outing, head coach Sean McVay spoke about what happened, saying the constant flags bothered him because they misrepresent his team.
It was a bizarre day in Philadelphia where the offense and special teams were both sloppy, but the Rams endured. Things got so bad that quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after he was caught standing in the sideline referee's running lane during a play. The ref collided with Ragone, and thus, a 23-yard run by Kyren Williams was shortened to an 8-yard gain after the 15-yard penalty.
McVay said it's a good thing the team won the game, as Ragone would've never
lived down that error.
"When it rains, it pours," McVay said. "We’re getting penalties on our staff now too. Thank God we won that one. ‘Rags’ would have never lived that one down. He felt bad about that one. He took great accountability. We'll get everybody the hell out of the way. I need to get the hell out of the way as well.”
McVay was also frustrated by the procedural and pre-snap penalties committed by the Rams.
“The things that really chapped me that I think are a reflection of an undisciplined team are the pre-snap, the procedural things," he said. "Those are the things that we can control with focus and concentration. They'll happen from time to time, but we have to minimize those situationally whether that's jumping offsides offensively, things like that, even making decisions where there's no discrepancy on, is that a block in the back? Some of those type of things. That's where I expect to see it. I want us to play with our hair on fire through the echo of the whistle with great fundamentals. There are certain things where a strike zone changes. You're playing with good technique and an official sees it a certain way. Those are the things that, OK, let's keep coaching the fundamentals. The enemy has a say, but it's the procedural things and the things that take no talent, but just great focus, concentration, and situational awareness. We have to do a better job on that."
Ragone wasn't the only one to make a mistake, but as the saying goes, winning cures everything. The Rams hope their operation will be cleaner when they take on the Buffalo Bills at home this week.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay 'really chapped' about Rams' constant penalties
