Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is prioritizing rest as the team prepares for the playoffs. With the Rams in a good position heading into Week 18 of last season, Matthew Stafford and the rest of the Rams starters were unavailable in preparation for the postseason.
But McVay is changing that this year. Although the Rams are out of contention for the NFC West title, McVay said the Rams’ starters will play against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18, according to ESPN.
“Oh, we’re playing,” McVay said after the Rams lost 27-24 to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. “Yeah, they’re playing.”
McVay didn’t elaborate on why he’s approaching the final week of the regular season differently this time around. When asked if that was because the Rams were losing in consecutive weeks, McVay said the plan was always to get his starters on the field in Week 18, adding, “We need to play better football.”
“No, they’re going to play anyway,” McVay said. “We need to play. We need to play better. So I don’t know what the consequences are of these different types of things, but we have to play better.”
Following a tough overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16, the Rams lost to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. Stafford entered the game as the MVP favorite but struggled mightily in this game, throwing three interceptions in the 27-24 loss.
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The only question facing the Rams in Week 18 is playoff standings. Entering the final week of the regular season, the Rams are currently the sixth seed in the NFC. With conference play no longer in progress, teams can advance as high as the fifth seed. While that’s better, it doesn’t drastically improve their chances of hosting a playoff game before the Super Bowl. If the Rams want to win another championship, they’re going to have to win multiple games on the road.
Last year wasn’t the only time McVay chose to rest starters before the playoffs. The coach also used this approach during the 2017 season, when Sean Mannion replaced Jared Goff as the starter in Week 17. The move backfired, and the Rams lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the following wild-card round.
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Although the Rams are in a similar situation this time around, McVay will have his starters available in Week 18. It’s unclear how much of a role, if any, Stafford’s MVP contention played in the coach’s decision. After a poor performance in Week 17, Stafford needs a big game in Week 18 to re-establish himself as the MVP favorite.
While McVay may have taken this into consideration, it’s more likely that he truly believes his team needs to do more work before the playoffs. The Rams have looked like the best team in the NFL at times this season. After a sluggish two weeks, McVay may want to give the team another chance to get back into shape before the playoffs begin.