Rams-Colts: Sean McVay praises Matthew Stafford in Week 2 win

The Los Angeles Rams were able to open the 2021 season 2-0, with a 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Here’s what head coach Sean McVay and the Rams had to say after the game.

McVay on Darrell Henderson and Justin Lawler injuries

Sean McVay: “Darrell got his ribs, I’m not sure how far and Justin Lawler broke his hand.”

The Rams may have taken the victory over the Indianapolis Colts, but they did not come out unscathed. We must now wait patiently for further updates on Henderson and Lawler, as LA will need so many healthy bodies available for their game next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

McVay on Kenny Young Ejected

McVay: “A lot of teams would fold under these circumstances, but there was so much going on. Shawn Smith did a great job of clarifying. Kenny contacted the official. We will learn from this. I know Kenny will learn from it, but we can’t have it.

Young was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after inadvertently coming into contact with an official’s hat. While the Rams played excellent defense in the red zone, this is something that cannot happen in the future. The Colts finally scored a possession touchdown.

Matthew Stafford at his best in critical time

McVay: “There was a look in his (eyes), I mean there wasn’t (flinch). You say nobody flinches. He just stayed the course. He relishes those moments and he was at his best when it came to doing his best. It’s the epitome of competitive greatness displayed by him and a lot of our guys today.

Stafford and the Rams’ offense weathered tough times and seized the opportunity in the fourth quarter. After suffering two straight three-and-outs and a special teams error that scored a touchdown on the board for the Colts, the Rams scored 10 unanswered points to seal the victory.

Sony Michel on the intervention following Henderson’s injury

“Whenever the coach just tells me to come in I’m always right behind him. Once he tells me to come in, I go over there and try to do my job the best I can, and that’s all I can really do.

Michel came in to close the match after Henderson injured his ribs. He finished the game with 46 yards on 10 carries.

Michel on Stafford’s leadership that stands out from the Colts

“His leadership. Like any great quarterback, their leadership shines when times get tough. When adversity arrives, it is there. He encourages the guys. He makes sure they’re still locked up… It’s something he did well tonight.

The former University of Georgia Bulldog praised his former colleagues, recognizing Stafford as a great leader. The team captain led the Rams on five scoring drives, including two touchdowns to new BFF, Cooper Kupp.

Troy Reeder on his first interception

“First choice of the NFL. It was cool, it happened at a pretty important point in the game. Everyone’s covered all the options pretty well, the ball kind of crept in there, I got my hands on it.

Reeder made the play to keep the Colts out of the end zone, with the Rams back to the wall. He didn’t give himself enough credit, as he read the play and reacted quickly, rushing for the early interception on Indy’s third practice of the game. He later added that it was a scouting look and the defense was prepared for it.

Reeder on Jalen Ramsey closing the match

“It was great. Especially when he’s arguably your best player, plays a huge role in a huge game on the road, in a hostile environment and you need guys like that to step up. It seems that with us you always see these guys playing big in big times.

Ramsey virtually sealed the win with an interception on backup quarterback Jacob Eason. While Ramsey hasn’t filled the stats box like he did against the Chicago Bears, an interception to end the Colts’ best chance of winning the game will do just fine.

Stafford expects more efficiency from the offensive

Matthew Stafford: “We were explosive today on offense, we just weren’t as efficient as I think we can and want to be. Start with me. There were opportunities to hit some guys, I didn’t hit them, we didn’t connect on a few games that I think would have changed the game a bit.

Thank the Colts for doing some parts. This was the second week the Colts played against that offensive system, so they were pretty well prepared. It’s good that Stafford knew there were still games on the pitch that could and should have blown this game up.

Stafford on Michel helping to close the game

Stafford: “It was great. There is no sag in this guy. He is obviously new to our team. He did nothing but work hard and try to absorb this offense as best he can. He’s a guy who has played in a lot of great football games. He understands what it is. He understands how to be a pro.

Stafford returned Michel’s praise earlier, adding that the Rams “didn’t miss a beat” after Henderson left the game with an injury.

Kupp is confident Rams can score fourth quarter wins

Cooper Kupp: “It’s not something (when) we’re in caucus, it’s not something we really think about… It’s more his behavior (Stafford), how he has control of the offense and really just the understanding and belief we have in each other.

With Stafford having 38 career-winning records (39 if today meets specific statistic criteria), the Rams should be confident that any game is up for grabs if it’s tight in the fourth quarter, especially with McVay now. 38-0 after leading at half-time.

Ramsey admits defense needs to improve between the 20-yard lines

Jalen Ramsey: “We played well in the red zone today. I’m self-critical, but we need to step up our efforts so that maybe we don’t let them go into the red zone and put us in these difficult situations, which we will. “

I couldn’t agree more. While it’s nice that the Rams have been solid in the red zone, the fact that teams are going there so regularly to open the 2021 campaign is of great concern, especially with Brady coming to town next week.

Ramsey on the Rams confidently playing both sides of the ball

Ramsey: “We never let our confidence weaken. We have always supported each other and, as I said earlier, we also had every confidence in the offense. “

I’m not sure most Rams defensive players could have honestly said they had confidence in the offense last year, as Ramsey openly said DeShaun Watson would end up in Los Angeles while Jared Goff was still out. on the list. If the Rams are able to beat the Bucs next week, the team’s confidence will soar.