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Sean McVay’s Clock Mismanagement Leaves Rams Just Shy of Comeback Win vs. Lions

McVay was quite conservative with several of his in-game decisions, and the game ended with the ball in the Lions’ possession.

Tyler Lauletta

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The Detroit Lions won their first playoff game in more than three decades on Sunday, outlasting the Los Angeles Rams to secure a 24–23 victory.

After both offenses traded heavy blows in the first half, the defenses settled in as the game came to a close, leading to a thrilling finish.

With seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Rams got the ball back deep inside their own territory, needing just a field goal to take the lead. Matthew Stafford and company were able to get the ball past midfield and right to the edge of field goal range, thanks in part to a historic night from rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua.

But a holding penalty pushed the Rams back to the 44-yard line, and on fourth-and-14, with 4:15 left to play, Los Angeles decided to punt.

The decision came back to bite the Rams. Having already used two of his three timeouts—one each in the first two minutes of the third and fourth quarters—coach Sean McVay had only one timeout in his pocket and the two-minute warning left to stop the clock. The Lions were able to gain the yardage necessary to let the clock run out, and the Rams never got the ball back.

Rams coach Sean McVay
McVay’s playoff record fell to 7–4 with Sunday’s loss :: Lon Horwedel/USA TODAY Sports

McVay came under criticism due to several compounding mistakes regarding his clock management late in the game. First, using his second-half timeouts early on offensive possessions left the Rams with two fewer chances to stop the clock late. The drives that used the timeouts ended in a punt and a field goal. Not a lot of bang for your buck there.

McVay also didn’t use his final timeout in front of the two-minute warning, which theoretically would have saved the Rams a few seconds of precious time, although given how the Lions’ final drive played out, it ultimately didn’t matter.

Finally, McVay decided to punt on fourth-and-14 on the Lions’ final possession. While going for a fourth down play that long might feel desperate, it was a low-risk, high-reward move given the situation that the Rams were in. The punt netted the Rams just 31 yards of field position, which in retrospect would have been a small price to pay for one more attempt with the ball in Stafford’s hands.

McVay admitted that looking back on the moment, the decision to punt was a mistake.

“Still having a timeout and four minutes, the way our defense was playing, we were hoping to get a stop,” McVay told reporters after the game. “Hindsight is 20/20. Certainly regret that decision now.”

Fans criticized McVay for the poor management of the clock.

The late clock management alone was not what lost the game for the Rams. Los Angeles settled for field goals in all three of their trips to the red zone, and also left potential points on the board when they decided to play conservatively to end the first half. Like McVay said, hindsight is 20/20.

With the win, the Lions will host a second playoff game against the winner of Monday night’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, McVay and the Rams will looks toward next season.

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Tyler Lauletta
TYLER LAULETTA

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