In just his second season, Sean McVay led the Los Angeles Rams to Super Bowl LIII. He was the youngest head coach ever to reach the Super Bowl, going up against the great Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in that game.
As brilliant and impressive as McVay was, he was still just 33 years old and in his second season as a head coach. And it showed. The Rams’ high-flying offense was grounded by Belichick’s defense, getting held to the fewest points ever by a team in the Super Bowl and losing 13-3.
McVay has spoken about how humbling that game was for him, and on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast this week, he blamed himself for the loss. He admits the game was “too big” for him and that he feels he “cost a lot of people” with his poor coaching job against New England.
“And then we lose the Super Bowl,” he said. “You go to the Super Bowl our second year, February of ’19, but it was the ‘18 season, and man, that was a humbling night. And it was too big for me. I’m not afraid to admit that. I didn’t see the game, I didn’t adjust, and I feel like I cost a lot of people. I feel like I was a significant reason that we didn’t come away on top in that game. And that’s made me better, but as a result of how I felt in those moments, the lies I told myself were, ‘I won’t be happy until we win a Super Bowl now.’ So then you’re this maniac going into the ’19 season.”
In that loss to the Patriots, the Rams had just 260 total yards, with only 35 of those coming from Todd Gurley on the ground. Jared Goff struggled to diagnose the coverages New England deployed, leading to a 50% completion rate and one interception with four sacks taken.
The Rams bounced back with a decent 2019 season but they missed the playoffs despite winning nine games. In 2020, they got back to the postseason but lost in the divisional round.
McVay and the Rams got over the hump in 2021 by winning the Super Bowl after acquiring Matthew Stafford, accomplishing the ultimate goal for the young head coach. That loss to the Patriots humbled McVay in a way that no other loss has, which eventually helped him win that coveted ring a few years later.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay blames himself for Super Bowl LIII loss: ‘It was too big for me’
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
