Sean McVay Credits 'Uncharacteristic Mistakes' For Rams Losing to Bears

Jeremy Hanna | Sep 30, 2024

Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on the field during the second half of a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

After an incredible comeback against the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams came up short in a 24-18 loss to the Chicago Bears.

While there are always things to look at after a close loss, head coach Sean McVay felt like it came down to "uncharacteristic mistakes" made by the team throughout the game.

"How do we make sure the snap and hold where we're not giving them the laces?" McVay asked, per Wyatt Miller of TheRams.com. "How do we make sure that we're executing with the appropriate techniques on that protection where we gave up the sack fumble? And that's what you tell them. That's all I know I had to be able to do."

Specifically, McVay was referring to when holder Ethan Evans had the laces facing kicker Joshua Karty before a missed field goal and the lack of protection that led to quarterback Matthew Stafford getting strip-sacked in the second quarter.

While McVay said that the offense "moved the ball well," he acknowledged that they failed to finish drives, only earning six points in the first half over four drives. In the end, McVay believes that "everyone had a hand" in the loss.

In total, the Rams recorded one touchdown by running back Kyren Williams and four field goals kicked by Karty, two of which were deep in the Bears' territory.

Compare this to Chicago, who recorded seven touchdowns, two of which were rushing, and one field goal. Their ability to finish the drive put them on top despite quarterback Caleb Williams only going 17-23 for 157 yards.

Unfortunately, this has been a trend from the Rams all season. Los Angeles has recorded seven touchdowns in four games. Last year, they recorded 10.

"(In the red zone) the field gets smaller, windows get tighter, blocking assignments, all that kind of stuff, just everything kind of condenses down," Stafford said. "You just got to be, you know, that much better."

This is in large part to the absence of star wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, who have been key to the Rams' success in the past. Unfortunately, they're both out with an ankle and knee injury, respectively.

It's clear that the Rams need to figure out something new. Hopefully, they'll be able to do that before next week's game against the Green Bay Packers.

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