McVay ready to evaluate progress
SEATTLE >> Sean McVay subscribes to the theory that an NFL coach should use the first quarter of the season to evaluate his team and the second quarter to fix whatever’s wrong.
But when does the first quarter of the season end now that schedules have expanded from an easily divisible 16 games to 17?
“First quarter plus one? I don’t know,” McVay, the Rams’ coach, said this week.
It will be a good time to size up the Rams, with 10 days between their game against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday and a Sunday game against the New York Giants in New Jersey.
Based on the Rams’ 3-1 start (this was written before Thursday’s game was decided), some issues seem likely to be ongoing:
• Dividing the pie: A high-class problem. With wide receiver DeSean Jackson’s arrival expanding quarterback Matthew Stafford’s list of targets, someone is bound to be under-used for a game or two here and there.
Recently it was Robert Woods, who was targeted only twice in the first half of the loss to the Arizona Cardinals before catching a touchdown pass late in the game.
“I think the biggest thing for me is I try to go through my progression (looking for an open receiver) and throw the ball where the ball should go,” Stafford said Tuesday. “I think we do a decent job of that around here, spreading the ball around. Can we be better? I’m sure. But I try to get everybody involved as much as I can, and that’s just through playing the game.”
• Defending the defense: Through four games, the Rams allowed the 18th most points (24.8 a game) and 27th most yards (396.8) in the NFL. The defense lost safety John Johnson, cornerback Troy Hill and lineman Michael Brockers in the offseason. Even if it improves, it will suffer in comparison to last year’s league-leading unit.
One change could come in the secondary, where Hill replacement David Long has struggled. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said he isn’t giving up on Long, but fourthround draft pick Robert Rochell started Thursday’s game in Long’s nickel cornerback role.