THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams head coach Sean McVay, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, offensive lineman Austin Blythe and quarterback Jared Goff each held video conferences with local media Wednesday to preview Sunday's Week 4 home game against the New York Giants. Here are some of the highlights and key takeaways from those virtual conversations:
"Those are things that we've talked about consistently." – McVay
- In light of the Titans experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in their organization this week, McVay reiterated that following and being mindful of risk-mitigation protocols is something they've regularly addressed with the team.
- McVay said that while "it's really unfortunate what's going on," their messaging surrounding COVID-19 has been consistent.
"We're not going to be using a new defense or the offseason as excuses there, we certainly wouldn't do that." – Staley
- Asked about the defense's performance on Sunday and the last two weeks, Staley doesn't view learning a new scheme as an excuse for its execution recently.
- While Staley attributed some of the miscues to instances of a missed tackle or miscommunication, he also took responsibility himself, saying "I personally need to do better for these guys."
"That's just kind of how our mentality is right now. I think everybody's confident coming off the ball, trusting in the technique and the fundamentals that we're coached, trusting in the plays that Sean calls and trusting the backs to hit the right holes." – Blythe
- Entering Week 4, the Rams are tied with the Browns for the No. 3 rushing offense in the NFL.
- According to Blythe, the run game's effectiveness is a reflection of the trust in each of the integral parts that make it successful.
"I think I've always done that well." – Goff
- McVay on Monday said Goff's performance against the Bills was his best of the season. One part of his skillset that contributed to that performance was the ability to move around in the pocket and make challenging throws.
- Goff said that was an emphasis of his offseason work, as well as being sturdy in the pocket.
