Sean McVay could have an encyclopedic reminiscence.
However recreation administration remains to be a bugaboo for the Tremendous Bowl-winning coach.
McVay made some questionable selections that didn’t work out within the Rams’ 24-23 highway loss to the Lions within the wild-card spherical of the NFL playoffs Sunday night time.
Opting to punt on fourth-and-14 on the Lions’ 44-yard line with a little bit greater than 4 minutes remaining within the fourth quarter backfired when the Rams by no means acquired the ball again.
“Nonetheless having a timeout and 4 minutes, the way in which our protection was enjoying, we had been hoping to get a cease,” McVay informed reporters after the sport of his choice to punt.
“Hindsight is 20/20. Actually remorse that call now.”
McVay is among the brightest offensive minds within the sport and did a implausible job to get the Rams to the playoffs, however his in-game technique has been questioned at instances throughout his tenure.
These little particulars particularly matter in shut video games late within the fourth quarter, and McVay didn’t assist himself through the use of two timeouts earlier within the half.
That left the Rams with one timeout after they drove to the Lions’ 34-yard line with lower than 5 minutes left within the recreation, earlier than a holding name backed them up 10 yards.
An incomplete go then put the Rams in a troublesome spot, having to decide on amongst: going for it on 4th-and-14, making an attempt a 62-yard discipline aim or punting and making an attempt to get a cease.
The give up index rated the punt as cowardly.
“LAR determined to punt to DET from the DET 44 on 4th & 14 with 4:15 remaining within the 4th whereas dropping 23 to 24,” the tweet from the Give up Index mentioned.
“With a Give up Index of 29.05, this punt ranks on the 99.2nd percentile of cowardly punts of the 2023 season, and the 98th percentile of all punts since 1999.”
McVay additionally didn’t name a timeout earlier than the two-minute warning, as a substitute utilizing it on the opposite facet of the two-minute warning, which prevented the Rams from getting the ball again.
The Rams, in principle, may have gotten the ball again with lower than 30 seconds and sure pinned deep in their very own finish, though the Lions then would have been extra aggressive with their play-calling popping out of the two-minute warning.