Allow me to set the stage: it's 3rd-and-5, with 1:54 left in the fourth quarter at the 19-yard line down up three. Matthew Stafford dropped back for the Los Angeles Rams versus a zero blitz, and a few seconds later, the game was extensively over: Stafford connected with Puka Nacua on a screen pass, and after securing the key block from Cooper Kupp, the BYU product ran in for the game-winning touchdown.
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How did the Rams decide to make such a risky call, with a half-dozen Buffalo Bills running him down? Well, Sirianni explained it after the game, noting that it was Stafford who checked into the call.
“It's the players. Stafford ended up checking into that. In that situation right there, it's kind of a ‘Got to have it.' They're not a big zero blitz team, but we thought that was a situation that they could activate that. They did it in the tight red area earlier in the game when we just missed on our ability to execute,” McVay told reporters.
“Matthew, like I mentioned, he was in total command. We had a couple different things that we could get to right there, but you're going to be short when you're in empty protection when they're bringing six and you only have five to be able to block. (OL) Rob Havenstein and (WR) Cooper Kupp at the point of attack did an unbelievable job. For Matthew to be able to negotiate that throw with (LB) Von Miller being free on that right side, that's incredible execution. The players did the damn thing today.”
Whoa, so Stafford actually checked into that playcall? Wow, while Stafford's impact on the Rams has been noticeable over the years, with the veteran signal-caller keeping the team in games when they were down bad from a personnel standpoint, he quite literally won this game for his team against a true AFC giant. If Stafford can play like that, they really might just be able to compete with any team they may face down the stretch.
Sean McVay breaks down the Rams' third-down strategy
So, even if Stafford audibled into his screen pass to Nacua, how do the Rams usually deal with money downs, which they had to deal with multiple times during the game? Well, McVay commented on that, too, noting that he doesn't make the call alone but instead works with his talent staff to craft the best calls during the game prep segment of the week.
“I give (Offensive Coordinator) Mike LaFleur and (Quarterbacks Coach) Dave (Ragone) a ton of credit. They put together a great plan, and then, ultimately, the players ended up coming to life. And our offensive staff as a whole, I thought they did a great job being able to have a vision for how this game should be played,” McVay told reporters. “They brought it to life throughout the course of the week. I think the players understood that, and then it's always about the players. They ended up doing a great job delivering. Mike [LaFleur} deserves a ton of credit. Because we were able to, for the most part, avoid some of those early down negatives where you're not in the third and longs as often, it ends up allowing you to be able to play accordingly. I think that's why we were as efficient as we were.”
With an ever-changing staff that seemingly finds new rising stars year in and year out, McVay deserves a ton of credit for keeping the Rams effective, no matter how many coaches get poached by other organizations. While his coaching gets a ton of credit, that level of resilience deserves praise, too.
MATTHEW STAFFORD 19 YARD SCREEN PASS TOUCHDOWN TO PUKA NACUA #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/gS3sAD7PLv
— Jack (@MidWestLAFan) December 9, 2024
