Will LA Rams HC Sean McVay manage 2020 better than 2018?

Optics, or optical illusion?

And yet, there is that small matter of a disappointing finish in 2019. Disappointing yes, a former Super Bowl team unable to make the playoffs is disappointing when you judge the record. But dive into the details of the season and you discover a different story.  It’s a story of a team beaten up and forced to promote unfamiliar players to start on both the offense and defense in midseason.  In the end, the Rams managed to salvage the season.

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Rewind back to December 2019, when QB Jared Goff threw for 11 touchdowns to finish out the season’s final five games. He accomplished that feat after failing to throw a touchdown in his previous three straight games. Tight end Tyler Higbee emerged as one of the hottest NFL offensive weapons of the season that month.  He managed to record 522 receiving yards in the final five games of the season.

Defense too

It was not just the offense that suddenly found a way to cobble together victories. The defensive backfield ranked very highly at season’s end, surprisingly improving after the Rams traded away both starting cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. It remained stout even when Jalen Ramsey fell to injury.

McVay proved he has the ability to improve a team beyond its talent level. A 3-2 finish despite how many starters on injured reserve? The team finished the season on a high note despite completely reworking its offensive line and the defensive backfield. But that was then.  In the “Not For Long” NFL, it continues to be about what have you done for me lately?