How ‘Humbling Experiences’ Against Eagles Fueled Rams Restart
PHILADELPHIA - It was arguably the lowest point of the season for the Los Angeles Rams, a 37-20 drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in which Saquon Barkley ran for 255 yards, a franchise record for the Eagles and an NFL high for any player this season.
The Rams talented young front was bullied into submission by the powerful Philadelphia offensive line.
Since then the Rams have not lost absent a Week 18 setback to Seattle in which Sean McVay was resting his key contributors in advance of what turned into a 27-9 blowout of a 14-win Minnesota team to cap off Wild Card Weekend.
By winning the Rams earned the opportunity to right the wrongs inflicted on them by the talented Eagles.
"I think when you have humbling experiences with the right kinds of people, those are where the real growth 'ops' exist,” McVay said earlier this week when asked about the Week 12 game against Philadelphia. “I think we had a lot of guys that really, as a team, you can look inward and you can say, 'Is this really what we want to be about?’”
The answer to that rhetorical question will come Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in mid-30s weather against the same offensive line that put the Rams’ undersized front on skates back in late November.
And eight weeks in a weight room isn’t making Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, and Kobie Turner as powerful as Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, and Mekhi Becton.
“‘Where are the things that we can adjust and adapt from a coaching perspective? Where's the sense of urgency that's going to be required for coaches and players to be able to execute the way that we want and what kind of work needs to be put in throughout the course of the week?
What do we need to do? How do we want to act, interact, and respond accordingly with how we move forward?'” McKay wondered.
Learning something from being humbled is one thing and not necessarily a precursor of being able to do something about it.
“That humbling night, when you have the right people…it's just like I've told you guys. I think a lot of the scars that we've had as a team have been what led us to the point that we're at. I know the greatest growth opportunities that I have ever taken part, with myself in particular, are when it's the most challenging times,” McVay said.
McVay thinks he has the right people to do something about the bully that broke his team and to prove it the Rams will have to walk into the lion’s den as a significant underdog and find a path to perseverance.
“The response was in alignment with what we want, but I also think there is a respect and an understanding of what's going to be required if we want to continue to earn some more time,” said McVay.
“What a great challenge. We love it."
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