(East Los Angeles, CA) [From The Editor’s Desk]: The Rams’ practice week continued at its uptempo pace, providing a timely opportunity to hear from Coach McVay, QB Matt Stafford, and Wide Receiver Davante Adams during the team’s regularly scheduled media sessions. The team has clearly moved past the 49ers game as they gear up for the upcoming Monday Night Football (MNF) matchup against the New York Giants.

In this session, Coach McVay addresses a wide range of topics, including players’ injury status, Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett, impressions of the Giants, his reaction to Arizona Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur winning his first game, and the team getting over the 49ers’ loss. In line with his style, he gave very insightful answers to the media.

Matt Stafford was asked about the team’s loss, his performance, his preference for playing on Sundays versus Mondays, and the Giants’ defense, among other topics. Meanwhile, Davante Adams discussed how long flights affect him, his opinion of the Giants’ secondary, and his thoughts on the team’s current rhythm and chemistry. You can gain many more insights from this exceptional group of Rams by reading the full transcripts.

Rams Transcripts – Head Coach Sean McVay, QB Matthew Stafford, WR Davante Adams – 9/17/26, Thursday

[Head Coach Sean McVay]

(Opening Statement)…
“As far as the injuries for today, guys that will be limited in practice will be [S] Kam Curl with his ankle, [ILB] Omar Speights with his hip, [ILB] Nate Landman with his shoulder, [S] ‘Kam’ [Kamren] Kinchens with his hamstring will be a DNP, and then [WR] Davante [Adams] will have his normal rest day and that’s where we’re at.”

(On whether DE Aaron Donald will practice today)
“He will practice.”

(On whether Donald is playing on Monday Night)
“We’ll see how this week goes.”

(On OLB Myles Garrett’s knee surgery)
“It went well. He’s feeling good. You already see he had crutches yesterday and then he was walking without crutches today. He’s like Wolverine, healing fast.”

(On whether he was given a timeline for Garrett’s recovery)
“I’m reluctant to put a timeline on it. We’ve talked about it. We know that he’s going to miss those four weeks at a minimum and we’re not going to rush him back. We want to make sure that he’s feeling good, he’s able to get out on the practice field, do all the things that are necessary for him to perform at a level that he’s been accustomed to. That will be something that I’ll keep you guys posted as we have updates as we go.”

(On challenges of facing the New York Giants’ defense)
“They have great players across the board. They do a great job schematically. But then you look at it, whether you’re talking about [Giants’ OLB Kayvon] Thibodeaux, obviously, [Giants’ OLB Brian] Burns and [Giants’ OLB] Abdul Carter, you feel their presence. Then [Giants ILB Arvell] Reese was an excellent player in college and you see why he was picked where he was, doing a good job as an inside backer. I saw a defense that played with their hair on fire, played with a great energy, a great effort. There was a style of play. I think that’s the biggest thing defensively that you could really see. They were connected and it was impressive. They have really good players on all three levels of the defense and that was on display on Sunday night.”

(On the benchmarks he is looking for with Donald to decide when he is going to play)
“It’s more along the lines of, how does he feel? He’s obviously chomping at the bit but I think for him, getting those reps in 11-on-11 settings. There haven’t been a whole lot of opportunities for different reasons that you guys know based on the schedule that we’ve had. But what we are hopeful [for] is that he’ll have some good work today, tomorrow, and then hopefully he’s feeling good enough. And if he says he’s ready to go, then we’ll be excited to see him rock.”

(On how he can tell the team has processed the loss)
“I want to see us be present right now and move forward. That game is so far… it’s almost like you try to do the ‘Men in Black’ thing where you say, ‘Hey, I don’t remember what happened. That was so long ago.’ We’re not playing in Australia ever again, I hope. Not because it wasn’t a great atmosphere, that’ll get taken out of context. Bottom line is, I like the way that I feel of our preparation, eyes moving forward, chest out, chin up, eyes forward, and let’s go be about it. Let’s go prepare the right way. Let’s have great focus and concentration. Let’s have a great energy and an edge in which we prepare and compete with and then let’s go be ready to go against a really damn good football team. What they looked like in Week 1, we got a great challenge ahead. That’s what every week is. We’re excited to compete. All we can do is really have a great day of preparation today, which is Thursday, but it’s a Wednesday in our mind.”

(On ‘if it helps that the Giants got everyone’s attention with their win in Week 1′)
“I don’t know. I think I have such respect for everybody in this league because of experiences. Humility is a day away and we’ve talked about that a lot. But no, the film speaks for itself. When you put the silent tape on, those guys did a great job. They’ve playmakers all over the place on both sides of the football and they did an excellent job in the kicking game as well.”

(On his film review and if he felt like players ‘weren’t on the same page’)
“I think there are a lot of reasons that I’ll never really know the answers on some of the stuff in terms of what didn’t go down the way that we wanted. What I am focused on is our operation, our clarity that we’re providing as coaches, the consistency at which we’re giving our players a chance to be able to bring it to life. You earn that confidence from your preparation. That’s what we want to be able to see and that’s where my full focus and concentration is.”

(On whether he watched the Arizona Cardinals game and what his reaction was)
“I did. I wasn’t surprised. I was really happy for [Former Rams’ OC/Cardinals’ HC] Mike [LaFleur]. He’s obviously one of my closest friends and I love Mike. He’s meant a lot to me and my family, his family has. I thought it was an awesome day for the Cardinals. I thought they looked really good in all three phases. I got a chance to watch that whole game. It’s unique because they’re in the division, but it overrides because it’s like family. Being able to see mom and dad and how nervous they were in the stands… Mom was excited to see it, even when they were in four-minute mode and had control when they showed them on the TV, and seeing Lauren and the kids. It was cool. They looked awesome.”

(On whether Arizona Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur learned to run down the sidelines from him)
“I didn’t see that. I don’t know. You’d have to ask him that. I don’t know about that. Hopefully he doesn’t tear his plantar fascia like I did last year in week two.”

(On seeing former colleagues have success)
“It’s awesome. The thing that’s really cool is there are so many of your close friends in a very small, competitive league when there are 32 teams. When you see some of your best friends…it was unique watching the Vikings and Packers game because two of your closest friends coaching against one another, but it’s a blessing. I’m happy for my buddy that he did a great job and they look damn good.”

(On what he saw from RB Kyren Williams and RB Blake Corum in Week 1)
“I thought they did a good job. I thought we created some good space, good movement. I think the standards that they have, they’d both tell you, ‘Man, we got some more yards to be able to get versus some of the space that our guys were able to create up front.’ That game, we never got any continuity, any sort of rhythm to even be able to sequence some of the drives and stuff like that. There are a lot of factors for it, but we never allowed ourselves to get into any sort of rhythm that’s been consistent with what we’ve had a chance to be when we’ve been decent on offense here before. The other day, I thought those guys did a nice job with what they could control, but the minimum amount of plays… credit the Niners. They did a good job possessing the football. But what’s wild is you have so few plays in the first half, then you come out and they end up doing a good drive. You go all the way down the field and then you don’t score. Then really you’re in a totally different game after that when you only have one possession into the second half. Don’t want to make excuses, but we never allowed ourselves to get into any sort of rhythm for it to almost be evaluated, if you will.”

(On the continuity of the interior offensive line)
“If you say, ‘Alright, what are some of the things that we can build on?’ There were some really good stuff from Coleman [Shelton] and from Steve [Avila] and from ‘K-Dot’ [Kevin Dotson]. I thought both Alaric [Jackson] and Warren [McClendon Jr.] on some of the inside combinations and the tight ends there was some good space that they created on some specific runs, but consistency is the truest measurement of performance. We’re looking for consistency as an offense. How do we string good positive plays both in the run and the pass together? And that’s what good offenses do and that’s what we’re striving to do.”

(On whether he noticed anything uncharacteristic for QB Matthew Stafford on film in Week 1)
“I think that game was so unique. I think it’s one of those deals that you can look into it, but you’re really wasting your emotional energy on stuff. Let’s move forward. There’s nobody that I believe in more than him in terms of leading and playing the quarterback position. He’ll be the first to tell you, as would I, that everybody is looking inward on, alright, where can we be better to help for the collective in what we’re trying to hunt up? And that’s where our sole focus and concentration is. I don’t care if you’re Matthew Stafford or you’re any great in any sport or any arena, there are going to be some days that you have off. But how you handle the adversity is usually what the separator is between successful people and people that don’t have success. That’s why he’s been successful because he can handle some of those tough moments. That wasn’t a day that really any of us liked, but hey, it’s not final and we’re looking forward to moving forward.”

[QB Matthew Stafford]

(On correcting the ‘lack of rhythm’ in the Week 1 loss)
“I think just execute a little bit better. Obviously, I have to stay on the field more. Not enough plays to really get into that rhythm. We just have to be a little bit better on third down. I think early down pass game as well, just be a little bit more efficient. Had a couple explosives, but [we need to] be able to be a little bit more efficient in that, keep the ball moving forward. [That] just helps everybody out. It helps the play caller get into a rhythm, helps me get into a rhythm and everybody up front as well. Just not enough plays for us, didn’t play well enough really from the start.”

(On whether he believes that reps in the preseason could have reduced their mistakes in Week 1)
“No, I think we’re pretty comfortable doing it the way we’ve been doing it for a long time. That didn’t enter my mind when I looked back at it.”

(On how he processes not being on the same page)
“It’s easy for me. I got a new opponent to look at, a new team to look at. Obviously, all while trying to make sure that I play at a better level, everybody on our team plays at a better level so we can go get the results that we want. But you flip the tape on, you watch the Giants, they jump off the screen at you, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They got a bunch of really good, young talent mixed with some great veterans that have played a lot of football at a high level as well so it’ll be a big challenge for us. Ultra talented, obviously great guys up front. Really all levels of the defense, they got playmakers so that’ll get your attention, get you ready to move forward and look at somebody new.”

(On OLB Myles Garrett being placed on injured reserve)
“I just feel for him. Obviously, the guy has done a lot of great things in this league. We brought him over here just to be a piece of what we’re doing, not to be anything other than who he is and injuries are part of this game. It’s really a difficult part of it. Everybody thinks it’s the physical part of it, but really it’s more so the emotional part. He’s on a new team with a bunch of guys. He’s trying to ingratiate himself and let guys know what he’s all about and then you have to go sit there and get cleaned up a little bit. I feel bad for him, but I know that he’ll have a great attitude, attack his rehab, and when we do get him back, it’ll be great.”

(On what makes the Giants defense good)
“Obviously, they have a good scheme and those guys attack. When you watch them play, even the first play of the game against the Cowboys, [Outside Linebacker] Abdul Carter just blowing up the back sift or whatever that was. You look at those plays and you go, ‘Man, these guys, they play with their hair on fire. They really get after it.’ So we have to match that or exceed that energy and that edge. As far as playmakers go, they got them, like I said, at every spot. This is the NFL. We got good players on our team, they got good players on their team, and we’re gonna go out there and execute and play at a high level.”

(On whether it took time throughout his career to be able to ‘put a bad game behind him’ and immediately look ahead to the next game)
“Maybe, but I feel like I played this position for a long time. You get trained, whether it’s a game or a play. Good, bad, and different, move on to the next. Don’t think too much about it. Don’t harp too much about it. Just be honest with yourself, play in and play out, game in and game out. How can I be better? Where can I be better? Try to do that and that’s served me well.”

(On if there’s a difference between playing on a Monday night compared to a Sunday)
“I love playing on Monday nights. Obviously, the schedule part of it is a little bit unique and a little bit difficult. You cut into your next week. You obviously get that extra day on the front end but cut into your recovery for the next week. But Monday Night Football has always meant something in this league. I grew up watching it and it’s fun to be on it.”

(On utilizing different arm angles and how that helps him succeed as a quarterback)
“I think for me, it’s probably on a lot of the throws that don’t get a second look. Sometimes it’s just getting it to a running back or getting it to a tight end on a screen or a check down that you think is going to be like this and then has to get maneuvered over because you feel a defensive lineman jump and those kinds of things. Not to say it always happens, but those are the little throws where the average fan probably watches and just goes, ‘There’s a check down for four yards to the running back.’ But maybe that ball gets batted or you don’t even get the chance to throw it with that defensive lineman in your face or something like that. That’s where I feel like they come. It’s not the launches down the field where I’m like, ‘I got a great clean pocket, let me just drop it down for no reason.’ It’s just instinctual plays.”

(On whether there are signs that he’s looked for from his teammates throughout his career that signal confidence)
“Every team’s unique and different and every game, and whatever you’re trying to either continue to do well on or work on or work through, all those situations are fluid and different. I know for a fact we have the right kind of guys. Obviously, it starts at the top with Sean and our coaching staff, but the guys in our locker room have the right mindset and attitude to go out there and attack this week the way we should and we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

(On the severity of the effects of the travel to and from Australia)
“Not too bad, not too bad. Obviously, the travel was what it was, but no. I feel ready to rock and roll.”

(On the flight home from Australia)
“I don’t know how long it was. However long it was, it was a long one. When we landed here, I was glad to be back.”

[WR Davante Adams]

(On the recovery after the flight back from Australia)
“It was fine. It was more of a mental recovery than anything, but yeah, it was all right.”

(On whether he was able to sleep on the flight back)
“Not great, but we were on the plane for 16 hours so I ended up sleeping at some point.”

(On how the offense can fix the lack of rhythm from Week 1’s performance)
“I think just better execution. You could talk about running certain things or whatever, but at the end of the day, with who we have on this team, we don’t need a premier call every single time we go up to the line to be able to execute and make it work. So just executing and figuring out how to click. Obviously, putting ourselves in advantageous moments and not hurting ourselves helps. We don’t want any setbacks, the game is hard enough so anytime we can get ahead of the sticks and get the ball in the playmaker’s hands, that always helps.”

(On the mental challenges of preparing for a game following a tough loss)
“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s difficult. It’s just more… as a competitor, it’s hard to have to sit and wait and not have an opportunity to go out and rectify the situation. So that more eats up at you, not having the ability to get to it right now. But we still need time to prepare, to get right, and obviously get our bodies back adjusted. All of that stuff that goes with traveling and playing a Monday night game after that. We’re eager, but we’ll be primed and ready at the right time.”

(On the differences in preparation this week following two 16-hour flights in a short span)
“Well, that’s all behind us at this point. I don’t think that the flights we had and any of that stuff… like I said to you before, we can sit here and try to make excuses and say it’s because of the flight all we want. But at the end of the day, I didn’t feel tired. I didn’t feel crazy fatigued in the game and I felt good enough to go out there and put what we’ve typically put on tape. We can make excuses all we want, but they played better than we did and that’s what I attribute that to more than the flight.”

(On how he feels now after the long flights)
“My body feels fine. I got a little under the weather throughout that trip, which obviously doesn’t help. But I’m getting back now, getting back adjusted and back into our rhythm so I feel fine.”

(On what’s different in the way that Stafford carries himself following a tough game)
“Nothing, and I say that from a sense that some people have to elevate, come in here and then you see a different look in their face and walking around like a different [person]. I’ve told you all probably 100,000 times. He’s the most cool, calm, collected person I’ve been around. Whether he throws a pick or throws a touchdown, you look at him on the sideline and you would never know if you weren’t watching the game before that. That’s the feeling I have now. I’m not walking around seeing him looking like he has to be extra intense or looking like he lost anything mentally. It’s just another game week for him and he’s locked in ready to go.”

(On whether mistakes can be better fixed in game reps as supposed to practice reps)
“Well, for sure. Anytime you get going into regular [season] ball, going from preseason to the regular season, it’s like going into the playoffs from the regular season. The intensity, there are different things that obviously you have to get in front of the team [for]. You can have a great week of practice and it doesn’t set you up necessarily. You’re not guaranteed a great week in the game because you’re going against different guys. It’s tackle football now. It’s live bullets so things change but at the end of the day, we practice at a certain speed and intensity to where we make it as game-like as possible. When you have the guys that have the right intentionality every time they touch the field, that obviously helps.”

(On whether he noticed the team get into a rhythm and gain chemistry in a specific week last season)
“We’re going off of not a great sample size this year. Everybody’s freaking out, which I understand. We didn’t put together the greatest showing out there. But you’re a fool if you think that that’s what it’s going to look like every single week. There were a few different variables that we shouldn’t have to deal with moving forward. One of them being the first week [of the season], which is part of it. And then obviously traveling and like I said, we’re not making an excuse, but that is a potential reason why we maybe weren’t as energetic. But at the end of the day, the execution is the execution. Once you get a man in front of you, I’m not falling asleep as he’s standing there in front of me so you still have to go and block them and go run good routes and get open. We’ve got our minds right to do the right thing. The way we practice, the way we get each other ready, it gives us the best shot at being ready on Sunday or Monday.”

(On what makes the Giants’ secondary so challenging to play against)
“I think it’s less of specifically the secondary, not to minimize what they do, but [they’re] just a solid defense all around. And I think that’s more important sometimes than having a great secondary, having guys up front that can get pressure. Sometimes in a situation like what we have, we have a lot of good interior guys and guys up front to where on the back end, those guys may not have to work quite as hard and quite as long. You look at who they have up front and that’s where it starts on every team. They have some guys that can get to the quarterback and put some pressure on you in the run game and all those facets. Then on the back end, they definitely have some good athletes and I’ve had a chance of playing against pretty much all of them so [there’s] a little bit of familiarity there, but I definitely have respect for those guys.”

–RAMS–