Los Angeles Rams HC Sean McVay
(On if there was adversity getting back from Baltimore that the team had to get through at practice)
“Yeah, we don’t get enough opportunities to get out here and practice and we’ve got to maximize every single one. Today is going to be a good chance for us to look back at this tape and find a way to get better. But I think all the guys would agree, we’ve got to have better urgency from the start. That’s just the bottom line. We can say what we want about when we got back, but however you want to cut it, we’ve got to be better than that.”
(On if that was the message he told them at the end of practice)
“Yeah, we just kind of talked about some different things and heard from some veteran players. So, it was just – we’re just all kind of communicating clearly, open and honest with each other about it.”
(On if the fatigue is part of not being as accurate at practice)
“I think you could say that. But again like we talked about, we’ve got to find a way to push through it. We’ve got to make sure that we’re maximizing these opportunities, taking advantage of the practice time that we do have. There’s a lot of good tape for us to be able to go back and look at and make some corrections and guys will receive it well. We hope to have some more juice coming out here tomorrow.”
(On if he isn’t thrilled with how practice went)
“I would say I was pleased with the way that it finished up. I think just from the start, we just need to be a little bit more crisp. A lot of different situations – putting guys through some challenging stuff and really forcing them to think – especially when you get tired, that’s when you really got to have great focus and concentration. It’s something we could all utilize to get better from and these experiences are really valuable for us, when it’s the unscripted and a lot of different situations where they have to react just like in a game.”
(On not doing too many drills at practice that put the first-team defense against the first-team offense)
“It’s been a decent balance. One of the things is just making sure that our defense is getting some of the looks – almost kind of you have some of those second and third guys service the first defense or vice versa. There is an element of, we need to compete and get some good-on-good work where guys are really ramping it up, knowing how to practice smart and today was all that as far as just from a competitive standpoint.”
(On implementing the fundamentals at practice)
“That’s something that we emphasize. We always start out with a good amount of 20 to 25 minutes of individuals where we’re focused on the fundamentals, the techniques within the framework of each position and that’s a valuable part of what we’re trying to do, especially when things get tired. So, guys are doing a nice job. I think the coaches have done an excellent job implementing specific type drills day in and day out that are relevant for having success within the framework of their own individual positions. That’s definitely a huge part of what successful teams do is they play fundamentally sound.”
(On any new updates on TE Gerald Everett)
“There’s nothing new. He’s just got his shoulder deal where we’re being smart with it as far as, he’s going to be out for another week or so at least. Unfortunately, (CB) Kevin Peterson tore his ACL in the game the other night so he’s going to go on IR (Injured Reserve). Really hate that for him because he’s a guy that’s continued to progress. He’s one of those guys that seems like he’s actively always getting his hands on the ball in practice and then he has those couple picks in the game last year against San Fran. So, it’s a shame. We feel bad for him, but he had good spirits. He’ll get his surgery and he’ll be back.”
(On if that ACL injury cements his thinking on why he might hold players out of preseason games)
“I think it’s a fine line because you certainly don’t want to be afraid of it. You do need to evaluate these guys. The thing that gets tricky is how do you handle a certain situation – like we talked about – with guys that have been playing for 12 and 13 years. You want to be smart with their bodies and then because if you let some of these guy rest then how does that affect the others. So, you see some injuries around the league, but at the end of the day, we’re always going to do what we think is best for our guys. Having a great group that we can kind of discuss it, make a decision and move forward is what we’ll do. As far as how we’re going to approach that Oakland game, that’s something that we expect to finalize here in the next day.”
(On if QB Luis Perez will have a chance to play against the Raiders)
“He might. Like I said, we’re going to sit down and we’re going to sit down and talk about our approach as far as a staff in how we want to approach this game with regards to second preseason game. But, also being mindful that this is the team we open with. So, I think we’ll definitely try to get him in there later on. Hopefully, that will be the case this week.”
(On what he’s seen from LB Micah Kiser)
“(LB) Micah’s (Kiser) done a nice job. I think he’s young player. Very instinctual. Good read and recognition, made a good amount of plays and was involved in a lot of tackles the other night. Really been impressed with him as a person. I think (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach) Joe Barry has done a great job with him.”
(On any description he’d like to give on the DT Aaron Donald situation)
“Same ball park, zip code – that’s good. We talked about that. There’s been – let’s put it this way, there’s increased dialogue. There’s more – we feel positive about the direction that these things are going. I think there’s a level of urgency that’s being displayed from us. I know that they know how much we value him and appreciate (DT) Aaron (Donald). Hopefully, we’ll see some things change on that front sooner than later, but it’s still kind of in the same boat. But, I know there’s a huge level of urgency from our side in terms of how important he is, wanting to be proactive about trying to find a solution, get this thing done. We’ll see if we can get that situation handled.”
(On if he can imagine a day where the media isn’t asking him questions about Donald)
“You know what, you feel really fortunate for the way that the guys are out here working, doing a great job. Would love to have (DT) Aaron (Donald) here, but I don’t really know anything else (laughs).”