I love an aggressive offensive minded head coach.

[Ramstien]

However, McVay was channeling his inner Martz using those time outs when the Panthers had the ball with time running out in the first half which led to them getting points. Just be happy going into the half with a 13 point lead. On a positive note he made some very good in game adjustment which led to the win.

 

[Jacobarch]

Nah that's the right call every time. Hes trying put away the game. Any good coach would do the same. Hindsight is 2020

 

[rams1fan]

However, McVay was channeling his inner Martz using those time outs when the Panthers had the ball with time running out in the first half which led to them getting points. Just be happy going into the half with a 13 point lead. On a positive note he made some very good in game adjustment which led to the win.

Yeah. I did think he should not have called TO in last drive of first half. My bigger concern was playing DH in last drive.

 

[Ramstien]

Yeah. I did think he should not have called TO in last drive of first half. My bigger concern was playing DH in last drive.

Yeah, I didn't understand that either. When they put him in I just prayed that he would not mess up in that critical part of the game.

 

[OldSchool]

It was a gamble well worth the risk. He had trust in his players and the game plan. Would rather he does that every time instead of being afraid to trust his team.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

I wasn't happy with those timeouts either. We were going into the half with a 13 point lead, and we were getting the ball after kickoff. McVay gifted them 3 points there.

 

[OldSchool]

If it works and go into the half up 16 instead people around here are calling him a genius

 

[FarNorth]

If it works and go into the half up 16 instead people around here are calling him a genius

It had no chance of working when McVay called a second time out with (I believe) 36 seconds left after a Carolina first down. It was a strategy that could only work for Carolina at that point.

Even before, it was a really poor choice which presumptuously assumed that we would both stop Carolina (who had moved the ball as well as we did to that point, but turned it over) AND instead score ourselves with less than a minute left in the half. The more likely result, which happened, is that we enabled Carolina to score when they otherwise would not have had enough time. That score was the beginning of letting them back in the game.

IMO this was just a terrible strategy against a tough opponent on the road. McVay is too in love with aggressive offense, not enough with defensive strategies (such as passing on first down instead of giving the ball to Gurley to run down the clock and win the game with 5:45 left in the second half). Fortunately we won anyway. I hope McVay never does this again.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

i would hope mcvay does that every time there's an opportunity for the rams to get the ball back before the half.

and he didn't call it on first down. he called it on 2nd and very long then 3rd and 5. he's backing his defense and i'm sure the players appreciate it. next time they might back him up and force a punt.

.

 

[Rainram]

The first of those two timeouts I was fine with.

The second one not so much.

But it’s a lot easier from my couch.

 

[lordbannon]

It had no chance of working when McVay called a second time out with (I believe) 36 seconds left after a Carolina first down. It was a strategy that could only work for Carolina at that point.

Even before, it was a really poor choice which presumptuously assumed that we would both stop Carolina (who had moved the ball as well as we did to that point, but turned it over) AND instead score ourselves with less than a minute left in the half. The more likely result, which happened, is that we enabled Carolina to score when they otherwise would not have had enough time. That score was the beginning of letting them back in the game.

IMO this was just a terrible strategy against a tough opponent on the road. McVay is too in love with aggressive offense, not enough with defensive strategies (such as passing on first down instead of giving the ball to Gurley to run down the clock and win the game with 5:45 left in the second half). Fortunately we won anyway. I hope McVay never does this again.

Carolina called the timeout after the first down. The second one McVay called was after they got it to 3rd and 5 or so from 2nd and a lot. I agreed with the first timeout wholeheartedly, since it was right after a sack, and there was time to potentially score again. The second when the down and distance was manageable I didn't love. But I don't think it was a bad call.

 

[FrantikRam]

It had no chance of working when McVay called a second time out with (I believe) 36 seconds left after a Carolina first down. It was a strategy that could only work for Carolina at that point.

Even before, it was a really poor choice which presumptuously assumed that we would both stop Carolina (who had moved the ball as well as we did to that point, but turned it over) AND instead score ourselves with less than a minute left in the half. The more likely result, which happened, is that we enabled Carolina to score when they otherwise would not have had enough time. That score was the beginning of letting them back in the game.

IMO this was just a terrible strategy against a tough opponent on the road. McVay is too in love with aggressive offense, not enough with defensive strategies (such as passing on first down instead of giving the ball to Gurley to run down the clock and win the game with 5:45 left in the second half). Fortunately we won anyway. I hope McVay never does this again.

When we got a sack on first down, calling timeout was absolutely the correct call.

When McCaffrey got the big run to put them in 3rd and manageable, the correct call probably would have been to NOT call a timeout.

But he's supremely confident in our defense, and even though it backfired on that play, overall that shows the players that he has that confidence in them which will be beneficial moving forward.

 

[jrry32]

I agreed with the first timeout after the sack. I disagreed with the second timeout leading up to 3rd and 5.

 

[dieterbrock]

I liked the aggressiveness, just wish it was consistent
When given the opportunity to put the game away with the 4th and 1, opting for the FG was bogus.

 

[Ramstien]

Yes, this was another call that had me cussing at the TV.

 

[fearsomefour]

The first time out made sense.
The second after a large gain did not.
However Carolina would have likely used one if McVay didn’t.

 

[LARams_1963]

I wasn't happy with those timeouts either. We were going into the half with a 13 point lead, and we were getting the ball after kickoff. McVay gifted them 3 points there.

In the grand scheme of things and hindsight being what it is, I prefer the Jugular approach McVay used compared to the alternative. Which would be the conservative Fisherball approach.

 

[FarNorth]

Carolina called the timeout after the first down. The second one McVay called was after they got it to 3rd and 5 or so from 2nd and a lot. I agreed with the first timeout wholeheartedly, since it was right after a sack, and there was time to potentially score again. The second when the down and distance was manageable I didn't love. But I don't think it was a bad call.

You are correct sir about the timing. My mistake for posting late at night without checking the replay. The Panthers took the timeout at 37 seconds after the first down conversion.

I didn't like the first timeout, and still don't, but I agree with several comments that it was defensible with the Panthers backed up to the 17 after a sack on first down. The second timeout is a different story.

The second Rams TO gave the Panthers a 3d and five with 42 seconds left and time to think about a play. If they made the first down, they were within 25 yards or so of field goal range with two timeouts. Their kicker apparently has a strong leg though he missed an earlier 53 yarder. If we had gotten the ball back, it would have been deep in our own territory with farther to go, less time, and only 1 timeout.

I stand by my view that this was a terrible strategy against a tough opponent on the road. We underestimated the Panthers. We didn't maximize our defense by forcing them either to hurry or to run out the clock. We in effect used our timeouts to enable their two minute offense while saving their own. We assumed that the Panthers couldn't make a five yard play but that we could instead score on a long field requiring likely several passing completions.

Even if this had not predictably backfired it was the wrong call. As it happened it gave the Panthers life going into halftime and helped them push us into a close game in the second half.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Hindsight is 2020

Can we still say that next year?

 

[yrba1]

I have no issue with calling time outs towards the end of the first half. Defense just didn't execute well enough to stop the drive