Sean McVay Shares Thoughts On Playing Playoff Game on Monday

Having done so during his Super Bowl winning season, Sean McVay talks about the benefit of having an extra day of rest

Dec 1, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks on against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

When the NFL adopted their current seven-team Wild Card format, the league's decision to then add a Monday night playoff game caused a bit of a stir around the league as concerns over fatigue and player safety were raised.

With the new format kicking off during the 2022 playoffs, the Rams were the first team to host a Monday playoff game since 1988 and would be subjected to a shorter week if they won their ballgame.

The Rams quieted all doubters of the Monday night playoff game when they not only smashed their division rival 34-11 in their playoff opener, they also went to Tampa Bay the following week, knocking off Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. The Rams would win Super Bowl LVI that season.

Sean McVay and his staff knows the process way too well to concern themselves with things out of their control. In a modern world of football where everyone seems to be complaining about everything, McVay embraces what he can not change, saying very positive things on Monday regarding the prospect of facing Minnesota on Monday night.

McVay stated “I think it's good. It allows us to have a good week of preparation and maybe some opportunities to do some things while keeping guys fresh that maybe you wouldn't have in previous experiences. Being as fresh and as healthy as possible going into this tournament is really important to us, especially for some of the guys that have accumulated a bunch of experience or a bunch of wear and tear on their bodies when you did have a week six bye.

"All of that is beneficial. That's the situation that we're in and we're certainly going to maximize it. I did think yesterday was an outstanding opportunity to see some guys compete in a real game against an excellent football team where you could see what they're about. There has been a lot of hard work that has been put in behind the scenes for some of those guys that I thought they should be proud of themselves. Even though we came up a little bit short, the way that they competed and the things that they can draw from that experience with a handful of different players in all three phases is encouraging. Here we go now into the playoffs.”

After resting his players in week 18, Monday night will be 16 days since his team played a full game with their starters. A massive benefit as they take on one of the more aggressive teams in the playoffs.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @MNSToday and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE