7 solid reasons why LA Rams win NFC West next season

Reason 3 –  2019 grabbed head coach Sean McVay’s attention

LA Rams head coach Sean McVay had an NFL’s midas touch for several years. Whatever he tried seem to succeed. Historically, his spread offense scored points by the dozens. On a similar note, his risks to gamble on a rookie QB Jared Goff seemed to be the steal of the century.  The Rams were hot and determined to go all-in to get over the hump with a 2019 playoff run to win Super Bowl 54.

But the team ended the season at 9-7 and never made it to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. A  harsh lesson to learn in the NFL is that the window of opportunity does not stay open for very long. That seems to have shaken Coach McVay to his feet, if just a little.

The disappointing season has certainly triggered changes with LA.  The team parted ways with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and running back coach Skip Peete. Beyond that, the team did not put up much of a fight when the Dallas Cowboys recruited special teams coordinator John Fassel right out from under their noses.

McVay ascending to true head coach

Subsequently, McVay’s role as head coach for the LA Rams is growing significantly, as it should. Aspects of the team he relied upon others to deliver, so now he is getting more involved.  To reflect that growing ownership of all aspects of the team, he has hired both an offensive and defensive coordinators who align very closely with his philosophy.

There will likely be a rise in intensity for the Rams this off-season as a result of 2019’s results.  While it was not a devastating season by any means, it fell far short of a team which had publicly gone “all-in” to get into the 2019 playoffs.  Lessons were learned, and the team will have the entire 2020 season to prove last year was an anomaly.