Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay was criticized for one big decision in his team’s loss to the Detroit Lions.
The Detroit Lions won their first playoff game in more than three decades on Sunday as they defeated the Los Angeles Rams to secure a 24–23 victory. Things could’ve been so much different had Sean McVay made a different call.
With seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Rams got the ball back deep inside their own territory as they only needed a field goal to take the lead. Matthew Stafford and company were able to get the ball past midfield and right to the edge of field goal range but then the drive would stall due to a holding penalty.
On fourth-and-14, with 4:15 left to play, Los Angeles decided to punt. That was a bad decision.
Having already used two of his three timeouts, coach Sean McVay had only one timeout in his pocket and the two-minute warning left to stop the clock. The Lions did what they needed to do to bleed the clock.
The Rams would never see the ball again.
Fans blasted him for this cowardly move:
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McVay admitted that looking back on the moment, the decision to punt was a mistake.
“Still having a timeout and four minutes, the way our defense was playing, we were hoping to get a stop,” McVay told reporters after the game. “Hindsight is 20/20. Certainly regret that decision now.”
The late clock management wasn’t the worst part as the Rams’ defense only allowed the Lions to score 3 points in the second half, but the offense could only settle for three field goals despite being in the red zone all three times.
With the win, the Lions will host a second playoff game against the winner of Monday night’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the meantime, McVay and the Rams will look toward next season.
