(East Los Angeles, CA) [From The Editor’s Desk]: Yes, the anxious waiting is now over for Head Coach Sean McVay and his lovely wife, Veronika, as they are now the new and proud parents of their son, Jordan John McVay. He arrived in this world with a very healthy disposition and a very good set of lungs as we can all imagine.

Read much more in this very special transcript as Coach McVay handles his daily team business as usual and without missing a step, right along with his parental emotions as he speaks very eloquently about his experience as Dad.

Rams Transcripts – Head Coach Sean McVay & QB Matthew Stafford – 10/25/23

[Head Coach Sean McVay]

(Opening remarks)…“Okay guys, today as far as limited participation wise, (DT) Larrell Murchison will be limited. (LB) Ernest Jones will be limited. (OLB) Byron Young will be limited. (DB) Russ Yeast and (WR) Ben Skowronek, they’ll be limited. Don’t expect that to affect their game status. Larrell is somebody that’s been out the last couple weeks with his knee, so we’ll see. Then also, what a blessing, had our little boy yesterday, Jordan John McVay. Mom and baby are doing good and ready to get back at it and she gets to take care of all the fun stuff right now. What a blessing. What a cool thing. But we’re excited about getting ready for the Cowboys.”

(On how he’s doing personally)…“Yeah, I’m doing really well. Everybody kind of tells you what to expect and it couldn’t even be as good as everybody says. They certainly talked about what a special moment it was and just amazing how well my wife handled it and what a stud she was throughout that whole process. Even yesterday, the people were amazing in terms of the nurses and the doctors and their help. He’s here, he’s healthy, he’s feeling good and what a blessing it is. It was cool to be able to see. My parents are in town so they were able to meet him and my cousin Emma came over yesterday. I look forward to reconvening with them later today after we handle our stuff.”

(On if he has gotten any sleep)…“No. It’s a good adrenaline, but at some point, it’s going to hit me and I’d like to think I can push through, but I don’t have the stamina that I used to.”

(On sleeping on the flight to Dallas)…“Yeah, exactly. I’ll be out right away”

(On what it was like to look into his son’s eyes for the first time)…“Man, I feel bad you look more like your dad than your mom (laughter). No, it’s wild. I don’t think you can even put words to it and you guys know that have kids, it’s a special thing. He’s really alert and going through that process. When you talk about even the changes in those couple hours. It’s amazing just how much goes on and I’m sure everybody feels that way, but it’s a real blessing.”

(On the new kicking situation)…“(K) Lucas (Havrisik) is a guy that we ended up signing. We’ll bring him in here and see how he does. Had a couple other guys that we worked out as possibilities. The other thing too is (I) want to thank (former kicker) Brett Maher for his contributions. I do think that it wouldn’t be accurate to honestly assess that he’s been a really good kicker for a long time, handled himself with pure class, did a good job. There were some tough situations that I put him in that doesn’t go lost on me. It’s not exclusively…anytime you just look at some of these things it’s gratitude, appreciation, recognition for the good things that he did. It wasn’t like easy spots that he was put in with some of these 50-yarders. Had as many field goals made going into week seven as anybody in the league with two other kickers. There were a lot of good things. It wasn’t a for sure decision, but it was something that we felt like was the best decision. Whether or not it ends up being the right one, you try to weigh the factors and you try to be as accurate with those assessments as possible. We’ll continue to monitor that and that’s a really important position for us because of the amount of points that go through those guys’ legs and how tight these games are, especially when you look at our first seven games. Every single point really matters and I’ve got to do a good job of making sure I’m putting our guys in the right spots to be successful and very grateful and appreciative of what Brett did do through the first seven games.”

(On how he weighs the economic limitations with his own decision-making when it comes to the kicker position)
“Yeah, it’s a good question because a lot of those things were things that I was very intentional, and you still are. And there were some situations the other day where… The one thing that you wish you’d maybe given yourself a chance is a little bit more efficiency, whether it’s making the play on the second and nine and then on third and nine, not feeling like you got to get it all back. They did a good job rushing, but maybe making a decision…Do you go for it on fourth down or you get it a little bit of an easier attempt from inside of 50? And so absolutely those are things that we weigh and going into it with the anticipation that we were having a rookie kicker, it was definitely something that’s on your mind. It didn’t go lost on me when we did get (K) Brett (Maher), but he did have one of those situations and circumstances where his range was a thing that benefits us. Each week entails a little bit different approach and I think when you get to those situations, alright, how do you call third down? What does that get you to where you’re deeming it, alright, this is where we’re going to go for it, or we feel like we’re going to kick it. And a lot of those things are predicated on the stadium that you’re at and SoFi (Stadium) entails an operation where it’s clean, it’s an indoor, if you will, basically because the weather doesn’t end up being a factor in regard to how the stadium is set up. Ultimately, all of that being said, there’s a lot of things that go into it and those are things that you want to consistently and intentionally be better about for our team and that’s an exact conversation that I’ve had with myself and with other members of the staff as we move forward.”

(On if he’s apprehensive at all going with a kicker who has not kicked in a regular season NFL game) …“You got to start somewhere, right? You look at all of these guys had to be able to get their experience somewhere and so I don’t think that can make you gun shy. I think you want to be realistic about some of those spots similar to what was asked earlier there. So I think we’ll evaluate how the week goes. We’ll see how (K) Lucas (Havrisik) does. Got a couple other guys that you potentially look at via practice squad spots and then we’ll make the best decision as it relates to how we approach Dallas.”

(On how they identified Havrisik as someone they wanted to bring in) …“Really what it boils down to is there’s a lot of trust and confidence in (Special Teams Coordinator) Chase (Blackburn) and (Special Teams Assistant) Jeremy Springer. Those guys spend a lot of time studying the landscape of the league and having dialogue with the specialists. It’s a close-knit fraternity and so in a lot of those instances there’s a good dialogue, but a deference and a deferral to those guys based on their studies and their nuanced understanding of what the league looks like as it relates to the kicker position.”

(On the feedback he received on K Lucas Havrisik) …“Well, I think, a lot of the potential, a lot of the talent in terms of when you talk about as a quarterback, the ball jumping off of a guy’s hand and being able to throw consistent spiral change in trajectories. This is the same thing that you talk about. Consistent ball flight, immediate height, consistency with the approach, and a lot of the things that you liked when you go back to his career at Arizona. They had liked him in Cleveland. (Former Rams’ Kicker and current Colts’ Kickers) Matt Gay’s feedback was something that that weighed into it as well based on him being around him in Indianapolis. And so, all of those factors are things that go into it. I mean, when we got Matt Gay, that was because (Former Rams Long Snapper) Jake McQuaide ended up bringing him up to me and he and (Former Rams Punter) Johnny Hekker end up really and (Former Rams’ Kicker) (Greg) Zuerlein. They say we recognize this guy and the talent, the ability is there and give old Jake McQuaide a shout out for that and Matt’s doing a great job.”

(On ways he’s seen QB Matthew Stafford evolve since arriving to the Rams) …“I think the best are always evolving and no matter how long your experience is, just figuring out ways to be able to add to your arsenal and elevate those around you. And I think that’s what he’s done as well as anybody. He’s bringing guys with him. He’s helping pick up the acceleration in the learning process for some of these skill players that he’s playing with. One of my favorite plays the other day, I think you’re seeing him just find different ways to just compete at a really high level. He’s always been known as this great tough elite competitor and he certainly is that, but when you see a third down in seven and you’re up seven points towards the latter part of the third quarter and your quarterback on third and seven steps up in and out, we get a good pickup on a nickel blitz and he’s diving for a first down to get eight yards and you watch the emotion on the sideline. That was a turning point in the game where we had to be able to capitalize on those moments that he created to be able to finish that and come away with either a field goal or go up two scores in that situation. But either way, you’re up 10 or you’re up 14, and I think that changes the whole landscape of the game. I just think it’s the competitiveness, it’s the nuanced understanding as the landscape of the league changes coverage wise, it becomes cyclical. But he’s just getting better and better. Obviously, the ability is amazing but elevating people and then just the way that his play does the talking I think is as special as anything he’s doing.”

(On if he’s learned anything about offense at the NFL level from QB Matthew Stafford)…“I just think it is the way that he sees the game. It’s one thing to be on the sideline watching. It’s another thing to be accepting the snap, making all the calls, the communication, recognizing alright, do I need to be picked up? Am I picked up in this look? And alright, what am I working through as it relates to the progression? So, I think more than anything it’s just the consistent dialogue, being able to talk to him about, what does he see? The things that he’s able to see and communicate that he sees in real time… I’m not talking about when you get in on Monday after everybody’s watched the film or you’ve already seen it and you can have a convenient narrative for what ended up happening. I’m talking about in real time, he’s as good as I’ve ever seen in regard to the immediate feedback, what he saw, what he was thinking, and man does that make that fun to be able to work with. The amount of information that he’s able to absorb, whether it be pre-snap or post-snap is one of the things that makes him a really special player that’s done it as good as anybody in this game.”

(On if his son’s middle name is after his grandfather and what that means to him)…“It is. it’s kind of eerie how things work out. His original due date was when my grandfather passed a year ago on the 31st, which is pretty special. If you don’t believe in a higher power, there’s certain things that occur that you realize there’s something special going on. I come from a family of faith. I’m a man of faith. I thought that was really the influence that you guys know my grandfather had on me, but also our family. He had a special relationship with Veronika as well and I thought that was on only appropriate to be able to name his middle name after my grandfather. His legacy lives on and I know he’s looking down smiling with what occurred yesterday and a lot.”

(On preparing for Cowboys LB Micah Parsons and if that’s what other teams have to do with Aaron Donald)…“Yeah, it’s similar. They do a great job of being able to move him around, but they got other great players too. Micah’s an amazing player and the versatility and the ability to play on either edge or they’ll line him up sometimes at nose. He’s playing an off the ball backer, but he’s a special player. His twitch, his overall athleticism, his ability to close and be a finisher. That’s what the best players in the league are. They’re finishers and that’s what he is. I think (DE) DeMarcus Lawrence is a guy that I can even remember. He’s been doing it for a long time. My first year when we played there in week four, he really just started to hit his stride and you’re saying, ‘Who’s this guy out of Boise that’s a baller?’ The consistency…(Cowboys Defensive Line Coach) Aden Durde does such a great job with their d-line and Dan Quinn (Defensive Coordinator). But Micah, DeMarcus Lawrence, and (DE) Dante Fowler is still making his plays in a lot of these situations. They got interior depth and it’s a plethora of guys that they’re rotating in and out that do a great job of influencing a lot of problems for offenses. We’ll have to see. It’s something that we’re working through. As excited as I was yesterday, then once you really dive into the tape, you’re thinking, man, maybe I should’ve stayed at the hospital.”

[Quarterback Matthew Stafford]

(On how he’s feeling and if he’s dealing with any pain)…“Good. No, I feel pretty good.”

(On if he has any special feelings going home to Dallas) …“It’s always fun going back. I got a bunch of buddies in town that I know still living in the area. My family still lives in the area, so they’ll be at the game, which will be fun. It’s always fun going back there, but once the ball’s snapped and we’re playing ball, it’s go out there and try to beat the Cowboys and have fun playing in that environment.”

(On if he grew up a Cowboys fan)…“I did, yeah. We moved there when I was about three or four, so it was kind of right in the prime when they were ‘92 to ‘95 doing their thing and really for a while thereafter. But yeah, grew up a Cowboys fan going to games and loved being a part of that and watching it.”

(On if playing the Cowboys carries any different meaning at this point in his career) …“I don’t know. They’re all football games and enjoy playing in every single one of them. Every time I go there, I feel like it’s a really unique challenge. Obviously, a really good football team every time we’ve gone down there, no different. This season they’re playing at a high level both on offense and defense so it’ll be a big challenge for us. But, no, I don’t think so. I think just excited for the opportunity.”

(On if the players at Highland Park High School were Cowboys fans) …“Yeah, for the most part.”

(On if it was due to their success) …“I think so and it’s a football state. It’s a football town. It’s a football city. Texas, from high school on, they care about football and care about it a lot so it’s fun to be a part of it. As a kid, you’re growing up cheering for a team that obviously had a bunch of success and then I think the people around there really care about the sport which is fun.”

(On if home is Dallas or Detroit) …“Yeah, home is where my family is at the moment, to be honest with you. Wherever they are, that’s home to me. Yeah, I would say when people ask me where I’m from, I was born in Florida, but I tell them I’m from Dallas, Texas. So that’s just kind of where I grew up and that’s where my family still is. So that’s definitely where I grew up.”

(On if he has any memories from watching former Cowboys QB Troy Aikman) …“Yeah, Aikman, all those guys. (Former Cowboys RB) Quincy (Carter), (Former Cowboys QB) (Tony) Romo there for a while but yeah, definitely. Watching Aikman play, that was as good of a balanced offense as there was back in the day, big, powerful offensive line. I just think of (Former Broadcaster) John Madden and (Former Broadcaster) Pat Summerall calling those games. Madden circling (Former Cowboys OL) Nate Newton and then Nate Newton moving somebody in the run game or (Former Cowboys OL) Eric Williams jumping offsides or, I don’t know, something like that. And then (Former Cowboys WR) (Michael) Irvin, (Former Cowboys WR) Alvin Harper, (Former Cowboys TE) (Jay) Novacek. I was a huge fan growing up. Knew all those guys both offensively and defensively. It was fun to watch and go to those games.”

(On what it was like the first time he played in Dallas)…“Yeah, it was fun. It was definitely an exciting game for me. I think a lot of nerves at that point probably in my career. It was fun to be back home for the first time playing in front of people, really for the first time in a long time. I left when I was 17 and went to college and never really made it back to the state to play. I was in the league for a few years and was able to go back and play there.”

(On if he feels the team is flexible enough to make adjustments towards the end of games)…“Yeah, definitely. I definitely think we are. We’ve got as many plays in our back pocket that we’ve practiced, whether it’s this week or other weeks, as any place I’ve ever been around and the ability to get to them. We’ve got smart players and smart coaches. I’m not worried about that as far as having the ability to do that. Certain times games merit big adjustments and other times merit small adjustments. It just depends on the game plan. I think from what I’ve seen from defensive coordinators, I think they have a lot of respect for who our head coach is and who our core offensive minds are in this building. What you see on tape is not what you get on Sundays. I think we’ve had to adjust quite a bit, probably more so than some other teams, then you got to go out there and make the adjustments and go make the plays. And certain times we’ve done that from an execution standpoint as players better than others. We just keep challenging ourselves so when those opportunities do come to make the plays that change the game, we go out there and make those plays. We’ve had opportunities really in almost every game we’ve played in for the opportunity to go out there and make those plays. Sometimes we have won the games and sometimes we haven’t. Just want to do that at a more consistent level. I think that’s the biggest takeaway.”

(On learning how to overcome other teams making adjustments to stop the offense)…“Yeah, that’s part of playing in the NFL. I think everybody gets some version of that, probably every single week. I played with a guy in Detroit, they got a lot of different coverages too, so I used to watch tape and see a team that plays nothing but man and then we go play him and we have (WR) Calvin (Johnson) on the field and they don’t play any snaps of man in the whole game. You got to be able to adjust. Every team is ready for it in some capacity. It’s just go out there, figure out what they’re trying to do and go adjust and call the plays that we think are going to be successful and give us a chance to go execute and then we have to go out there and do it. It boils down to players and not plays really when you think about it. You look at Dallas’s team, they’ve got great players, got great players on defense that are disruptive, do a great job of affecting the pocket, both upfront (and) guys on the back end that can make plays on the ball. So it’s players, not plays a lot of times.”

(On if he’s always looking out for LB Micah Parsons)…“Yeah, I’m cognizant of where he is for sure most every play just because of the caliber player that he is, trying to get a beat on the defense. I like to think that I know where everybody is on every play, but sometimes you don’t. But yeah, I’m trying to find out where everybody’s at, go out there and attack, but he is definitely a hell of a player. They move him around. They do a great job of…One play he’s on the ball, he’s over the center. The next play he’s off the ball, he’s at a linebacker spot. The next play he’s over an offensive tackle playing defensive end. He’s good in coverage. I mean, he does all of it so they’ve got quite a few players with some pretty impressive skill sets.”

(On how his mental preparation has evolved over the years for individual games and the season as a whole)…“How long you got? I definitely have gained a lot more experience through my years, so understanding coordinators, players, schemes, guys that I’m playing with, all of that goes into it. But as far as preparation goes, my weekly rhythm, it’s similar. I’m sure there have been tweaks along the way just depending on what’s kind of needed of me and what I’m asked to do in different systems. I’ve played in a few, so my rhythm has probably changed a little bit at certain points but I feel really comfortable in my preparation and my ability to go out there and execute whatever’s given to me.”

(On if he has a lot of contact with new players or kickers coming in or if he lets them do their job)…“Yeah, I mean it’s more of the latter to be honest with you. I’ve been around all different kinds of kickers, guys that wanted to be in the mix, guys that wanted to be kind of on their own. I kind of feel those out as they go, and I got no problem with either one of those situations as long as they feel confident to go out there and do their job. Whatever makes them perform their best, I’m all for it.”

(On if he is still a Cowboys fan)…“No (laughs).”

(On when he stopped becoming fans of different teams)…“I don’t know. That’s a good question. Probably just when I got into the NFL. I was really only a fan of the team that I was playing on, and maybe if I had a buddy or something on another team, I was pulling for him as long as we weren’t playing them. But I don’t pull for them anymore. I still have family members that love watching the Cowboys play and all that kind of stuff which I totally understand, but kind of got my own thing going on, worried a little bit more about that.”

(On if his family members who love watching the Cowboys will root for him this weekend)…“They better (laughs).”

(On if he’s rooting for the Arizona Diamondbacks or the Texas Rangers)…“I’m pulling for the Rangers, all day.”

                                                                                                                   –RAMS–