WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Rams head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford had to throw out the game plan in the middle of Sunday Night Football against the Lions. On Wednesday, they spoke with the media about the process of scrapping the approach and adapting on the fly in a hostile, primetime environment at Ford Field.
On Thursday, Cooper Kupp, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and defensive coordinator Chris Shula addressed the media as well. They all discussed their upcoming matchup with the Cardinals in the press conferences, which can be viewed below.
Here were some of the most significant quotes from Stafford, McVay, Kupp, Shula and LaFleur:
"The game the other day was such an outlier, for how we had to play, how we had to adjust, I've never been a part of circumstances quite like that. But... that's probably as proud as I've been of a group's ability to adjust... And I think that's a credit to our players to give ourselves a chance down 14 points." - McVay
McVay has seen a lot in his time with Los Angeles, but a season opener that featured first-half injuries to three key starters, while multiple players were already out, was a new one for him. Despite that, the Rams found a way to claw their way back in the second half and were a few plays away from closing the game out in the fourth quarter.
While "there are no moral victories," McVay said, he gained valuable insight from that game both from a schematic and personnel perspective. He added that he "sure hopes" the team can stay healthier moving forward, as the team prepares for a divisional matchup in Arizona on Sunday.
McVay said Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is "a nightmare to prepare for," because of his ability to beat teams in and out of the pocket. The Rams will have to do things to try and "make him uncomfortable" on Sunday, McVay added.
"(Tyler Johnson) did a great job of making plays the other night on Sunday, so (I've) got a lot of trust in him, another guy that I can have really good dialogue with... I'm asking him questions (like), 'What did it look like on the backside? What happened here, there or the other?' And he's got really good information. He's a physical player, like Puka (Nacua), like Cooper." - Stafford
With star wide receiver Puka Nacua sidelined for at least four weeks, Stafford and company need others to step up in his place, and Johnson did so on Sunday night. He caught five balls for 79 yards, including a two-yard drag that Johnson turned into a 63-yard gain, the longest of his career. Stafford also commended Johnson's run blocking, which is something that both Nacua and Kupp take a lot of pride in.
Stafford said that Johnson is "a guy that we value," given his skill set and familiarity with the offense. Johnson played 51 snaps in the season opener, and without Nacua, he'll certainly be relied on more, starting this weekend in Arizona.
"It's just kind of how the game fell a little bit (that led to Blake Corum not getting opportunities)... With some of the stuff that was happening from a personnel standpoint and then just kind of some of the schematic adjustments we had to make from it being Week 1, it just kind of fell that way... But it's not going to be like that every week." - LaFleur
The highly anticipated professional debut of former Michigan running back Blake Corum didn't go as many expected it to. The rookie didn't receive a single snap in Week 1, but that wasn't the plan going in. Early injuries caused McVay and LaFleur to abandon the initial strategy, and LaFleur said it's "hard to explain" how that all unfolded, but they are now focused on deciding the running back rotation for Week 2.
LaFleur also hit on the "next man up" mentality across the board on offense, saying that each room has sufficient leadership and trust in one another to make that mentality work. Of Nacua, he said they "don't have to worry" about his devotion to getting healthy because of his genuine love for the game and his teammates.
He also talked about how Kupp has always been a high-IQ player, and his leadership skills will help that receiver room to hopefully not miss a beat in Nacua's absence.
"They can run it a bunch of different ways. They can get 11 (personnel), kind of spread you out and run it, or they can get bigger personnel and with a lot of tight ends and run it that way. So it's going to be a great challenge." - Shula
The Cardinals present a unique challenge for the Rams because they feature a true dual-threat quarterback in Kyler Murray, and the Rams go up against them twice a year. The Cardinals have varied personnel groups, and can run the ball well out of all of them. Shula said he'll be relying on the pass rush to create pressure within their assignments, while linebacker Christian Rozeboom's speed will help close the space if Murray gets loose.
Murray ran for 57 yards in the season opener, and running back James Conner also performed well, tallying 83 total yards and a touchdown. That backfield duo will be one to watch as the Rams enter State Farm Stadium for their second-straight road game to begin the season.
"I was told how much yards I had (run during the game), it was substantial. It was part of what ended up happening just with the game plan and how things played out... I've said over and over again, whatever the job is, I just want to be able to go out and execute and handle it." - Kupp
Kupp ran 436 yards in motion on Sunday on 42 such snaps, the most in a game over the past seven years. The only time a player ran for more than 436 yards was when Kupp himself did it last year in Week 14 of last year. Kupp said he enjoys that aspect of the offense, and it helps him collect tips and tells on the defense, saying "it's fun, and it's exhausting, but it's more fun than it is exhausting."
Kupp also praised wide receivers coach Eric Yarber for his genuine care and attention to technique. Without Nacua, Kupp and Yarber have been helping everyone in the room prepare to execute their respective assignments on game day.
