Sean McVay and the Rams set a new NFL record for most points in a half with 42-7 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The former UCLA offensive coordinator may be poised to take his team to Super Bowl LIII, but it’s worth questioning whether he is at least partially responsible for their success due to his ability as an improvisational genius on offense.
Sean McVay is the youngest head coach in NFL history. He has led the Rams to their first ever Super Bowl victory, and he did it with a game plan that was unlike anything that his predecessor had done.
In another tight Thursday Night Football game, the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks faced off in a matchup of strong NFC West clubs, this time with both teams pursuing the upstart Arizona Cardinals. The Rams beat the Seahawks to improve to 4-1 on the season, with their lone loss coming against the Cardinals, who are undefeated and have Kyler Murray playing at MVP level.
With rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford directing the attack, Sean McVay has the Rams playing fantastic football, and they seem to be on track for a playoff berth at the very least. The Seahawks’ Russell Wilson exited the game, but Cooper Kupp had another strong performance for the Rams.
However, despite a poor start to the season, Robert Woods, a Los Angeles native, had a breakout game with a game-high 150 yards receiving to lead the Rams.
Robert Woods has arrived on the scene.
The Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on October 7, 2021. | Getty Images/Steph Chambers
Murray’s right arm helped the Rams get out to a 3-1 start and only lose one game. After four weeks of Stafford and Kupp igniting the league, it was now Woods’ time to take center stage.
The former USC standout had 12 receptions for 150 yards on Thursday night, almost tripling his totals for the season. McVay insisted earlier in the week on giving Woods more chances, and that’s precisely what occurred in the Rams’ most recent win (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
So it’s a positive thing for the Rams offense when Robert is engaged. That’s something we’d want to see more of, but Robert is a leader, a captain, and he’s done an excellent job up to this point. We just need to provide him with more chances, which begins with me.”
Robert Woods, according to Sean McVay
Woods, who led the squad in targets with 14, seemed to be a key part of the gameplan. The Seahawks had no answer for Woods, and his performance might be just what he needed to get some momentum and thrive like everyone predicted when Stafford arrived in town.
The Rams offense is among the greatest in the NFL, as shown by their performance against a division foe.
When the Rams acquired Stafford in exchange for Jared Goff and draft choices, it was anticipated to be a big lift for the whole squad. Suddenly, the Rams are 4-1, with a deadly passing attack and new weapons on the field. Kupp and Woods were the apparent winners, but Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee benefited as well, as did veteran DeSean Jackson, who remains a potential deep threat.
With Stafford taking over for Goff, the Rams attack is now 6th in points per game, 7th in yards, and 2nd in time of possession, and they finally have a deadly throwing option.
The Rams could be undefeated and in exclusive control of the NFC West title if it weren’t for their recent loss to the Cardinals. For the time being, all indications point to a Cardinals-Rams fight for the NFC West title, with both clubs being early favorites to unseat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as champs.
The defense is doing its part as well.
There were some rumblings about the Rams defense taking a blow when Brandon Staley departed to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. However, this hasn’t always been the case.
Aaron Donald continues to terrify opposing offenses, putting the Rams in second place in the NFL in sacks. McVay’s squad is also fourth in interceptions, with Jalen Ramsey continuing to shine as one of the league’s top defensive backs.
Five players in LA have two or more sacks, including Donald and Leonard Floyd, who both have three in five games. The Rams are genuine Super Bowl candidates at this point, and they’re doing it all without starter running back Cam Akers, who tore his Achilles in the preseason, forcing the Rams to rely largely on Darrell Henderson and Sony Michel.
Don’t count out the Rams, who now have one of the greatest 1-2 punches at wide receiver thanks to the development of Woods.
Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
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