Before Sean McVay established himself as one of the greatest head coaches of his generation, he was a long-time assistant in Washington, rising through the ranks to become their offensive coordinator. The Los Angeles Rams
are making the trip to the nation's capital for the second time since McVay became head coach, but for McVay, this will be the first time he'll witness Washington's fanbase in full force.The last time the Rams faced the Commanders on the road, it was during the COVID season and the stadium was virtually empty. With McVay set to see such a historic fan base once again rise to life, he was asked this week about his time with the franchise and how it's shaped his life's work.
“I look back and it was seven years of a bunch of great
experiences," said McVay. "Getting the chance to get there and work under Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen, and really all the coaches that have gone on to do a bunch of great things that are some of my closest friends where you're just learning and you're positively pushing one another. We had some challenging experiences to navigate. Then a few years later, Jay Gruden comes in and gives me an opportunity. I'm forever grateful."
McVay joked that he was a "pain in the butt" as an offensive coordinator, now looking at it through a different lens as a head coach himself.
"I look back and think of what a pain in the butt I was as an OC, now being in this chair, and how patient he was with me and how protected I really felt," he said. "So many great experiences, so many great people there that mean a lot. There are not many players that I was working with, but there are a couple of staff members. Tress Way is still there. I think he might be the only one [from] when I was there, still doing his thing. Chad Englehart, one of my good friends who's a great strength coach, has been there for a handful of years.
"That place means a lot to me because of the people. That's what it's all about. It was instrumental in shaping a lot of really unique experiences that give you a chance to navigate this challenge the right way. What you realize is it's all about getting the right people on board and surrounding yourself with people that are better than you.”
McVay clearly took those lessons and made them pillars for what his team has looked like for the last decade. It's sure to be a nice trip back east for the head man, but winning remains the priority. A victory would give the Rams their first winning record of the season, while Washington attempts to climb back into the race for the NFC East.
In the 2020 matchup, the Rams won 30-10, but a side note was that Alex Smith made his return from a catastrophic leg injury, on his way to winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Smith's work helped Washington win the NFC East for the first and only time since McVay's departure.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay reflects on his time in Washington ahead of Sunday's return
