LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean McVay acknowledged he couldn't find any flow as a play-caller for long stretches in Chicago.
Matthew Stafford said he never really had a rhythm while completing less than 50% of his throws with no touchdown passes in perhaps his worst postseason game in a Los Angeles Rams uniform.
The Rams (14-5) still came out of Soldier Field with a clutch 20-17 overtime victory and a trip to the NFC championship game in Seattle.
But the coach
and his quarterback agree that the league's most productive offense during the regular season is not in top form heading into a shot at another Super Bowl.
That's not great news for the championship chances of the Rams, the only team in the NFL's final four that didn't get there relying mostly on a dominant defense.
“It was mental mistakes that prevented us from doing what we’re capable of doing,” McVay said Monday. “There were a lot of instances (where) I first look at myself and say, ‘All right, how can we provide clarity?’ You give Chicago credit, because they did a great job, but it was stuff that we expect to be able to execute.”
McVay invariably blames himself first for his team's failures, but his acknowledgement of execution mistakes indicates he saw obvious areas for improvement in his players, whether it's an offensive line that had one of its poorest games of the season or a quarterback who hasn't been in MVP form in either playoff game.
It's not great to be in that situation in January, but McVay also has an unfailing belief in his ability to fix whatever goes wrong with his team.
“Really just overall mental mistakes that we’re not accustomed to having,” McVay added. “A lot of different people took their hand in it, but when that stuff exists with the types of players that we have, as a coaching staff we’re not doing a good enough job with the clarity.”
That clarity comes down to coaching, and McVay is a teacher at heart. The fifth-seeded Rams are still in the NFC title game for the first time in four years and the third time under McVay, who won both of his previous trips.
But he has plenty of work to do this week — with his 40th birthday looming Saturday, no less.
The Rams had 340 total yards in Chicago — but only a season-low 174 in the first three quarters, and a mere 279 in regulation. Ethan Evans was forced to punt eight times, a career high for Los Angeles' punter for the past three seasons.
The Rams usually moved the ball effectively when they kept it on the ground: Kyren Williams had 87 yards on 21 carries and scored his first two postseason rushing touchdowns.
But McVay repeatedly went away from that steady running game, throwing 42 passes in the frigid conditions with play selection that had Rams fans pulling out their collective hair at home, and likely inspiring McVay's comment that he couldn't get in a flow.
Stafford went 20 of 42 with far more off-target throws than usual, and he didn't have a TD pass after throwing for multiple scores in each of his first seven postseason games with the Rams.
Yet for everything that went wrong, the Rams are on to Seattle knowing they have a chance: The NFC West rivals' first two meetings this season came down to the final snap.
If not for Caleb Williams' miraculous TD heave in the final seconds of regulation, the Rams' defense would have held Chicago to 10 points with two interceptions and two turnovers on downs. Los Angeles saw resilience and improvement from a unit that had faltered since Thanksgiving.
The Rams moved away from the three-tight end sets that have increasingly dominated their offensive game plan since midseason. The decision was likely because of personnel matchups, but it was a jarring change to see Tyler Higbee getting only eight snaps and Davis Allen getting just nine. Colby Parkinson and rookie Terrance Ferguson combined for four catches for 75 yards — albeit on 12 targets.
Safety Kam Curl had the biggest game of his NFL career in Chicago, leading the Rams with 13 tackles before making the diving overtime interception that led to the winning points. The hard-hitting Curl — a pending unrestricted free agent — has been a stalwart at the back of LA's defense for two seasons.
Stafford and his receivers likely feel they owe a big game to their teammates at this point. Puka Nacua had five catches for 56 yards on 10 targets, while Davante Adams had just two catches on six targets. Los Angeles' season-long lack of a trusted No. 3 wideout remains glaring.
LB Byron Young has knee soreness that might keep the Rams' sacks leader out of practice this week, while CB Emmanuel Forbes injured his shoulder. Both are expected to play in Seattle, McVay said.
12 — The Rams' total trips to the NFC championship game after Sunday. After losing six of their first seven, the Rams have advanced to the Super Bowl in four straight — two for the “Greatest Show on Turf" in St. Louis, and two more under McVay.
The Seahawks are favored behind their dominant defense and raucous home crowd. Yet the Rams scored 37 points against that defense a month ago, and they've already won two road playoff games in January — just the third time in franchise history that's happened.
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