Sean McVay 'numbed' after experiencing this first of his NFL career

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is not just one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history; he is also one of the most successful head coaches. In nine NFL seasons leading Los Angeles as the head coach, he has earned a trip to the NFL playoffs in seven of nine seasons. Coincidentally, he just appeared in his third NFC Championship Game.

He had won both previous appearances.

You may know it as the power of positive thinking or as a self-fulfilling prophecy. But head coach Sean McVay was completely focused on winning the NFC Championship Game that he left no room for considering a scenario in which Los Angeles might lose.

Well, LA lost.

Both Fox Sports reporter Henry McKenna and The Athletic shared McVay's post-game comments. McVay was 'numbed' by the loss. The very verbose head coach was at a loss for words. He truly believed in his team to the point where he had a blind spot to their chances of a loss. And in a game in which the

Sean McVay just missed setting a long-time NFL record

Where there is a will, there is a way. Well, there certainly was a will in the game. But McVay's faith in his team fell short of manifesting a win. Perhaps it was the team's mismanagement after taking the lead with time running out in the first half. Perhaps it was the anti-Rams bias rearing its ugly head once more.

Whatever the cause, the results are the same. Sean McVay failed in his bid to become the fourth NFL head coach to win his first three conference championship games. As it turns out, he is now just 2-1 in NFC Championship Games.

Los Angeles continues to make progress. In 2023, this team made the playoffs. In 2024, the team advanced to Round 2 of the postseason. This year, the team advanced all the way to the NFC Championship Game. The trend suggests that Super Bowl LXI will feature LA .

But this was a magical season for many contributors. And the Rams roster remained relatively healthy all season long. Layer Matthew Stafford's MVP-worthy performance, and it seems difficult for the team to match this season's success.

Perhaps Coach McVay's faith in his team today is due to the uncertainties facing him next season. Matthew Stafford is already unwilling to comment on returning to play next season. The team will immediately begin the painful process of determining who will and will not be offered contract extensions.

Like it or not, the 2025 chapter of the LA Rams is now history. The next chapter is unwritten. In the end, it's easy to suspect many fans are in the same place as Sean McVay.

Speechless.

As always, thanks for reading.