Sean McVay has a suggestion for anyone still struggling to process what happened to the Rams in Australia.
asserted
what → have → Australia
Think “Men in Black.”
Specifically, the little device that wipes away memories with a flash of light.
asserted
that → think → light
“It’s almost like you try to do the ‘Men in Black’ thing where you say, ‘All right, hey, I don’t remember what happened.
asserted
what → ’ → thing
If ever a football trip deserved to disappear into some inaccessible corner of the brain, the Rams’ journey to Melbourne qualifies.
asserted
journey → deserve → Melbourne
They traveled halfway around the world, got pushed around by a division rival and returned home with questions that followed them through customs.
asserted
that → travel → customs
Then came the news about Myles Garrett’s knee surgery and impending stay on injured reserve.
asserted
news → come → reserve
Unfortunately, no flash of light can erase Garrett’s absence.
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flash → erase → absence
And no fast-forward button can get Aaron Donald ready for Monday night, with the Rams still deciding whether his comeback will begin against the Giants.
asserted
comeback → get → Giants
And with the suddenly potent G-Men arriving at SoFi Stadium for “Monday Night Football,” the Rams have reached the point where putting Australia behind them requires something more substantial than saying they have.
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they → arrive → something
They have to play their way out of it.
asserted
They → have → it
That is the challenge facing a team whose championship ambitions survived the flight home, even if some of the assumptions supporting them took a beating.
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some → face → beating
The Rams are talented.
asserted
Rams → talente → ?
Their coach and quarterback have navigated enough difficult stretches to understand the danger of allowing one bad performance to contaminate the next week.
asserted
performance → navigate → week
But experience also should tell them that moving on means taking the lessons with you.
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moving → tell → you
The scoreboard can stay in Melbourne.
asserted
scoreboard → stay → Melbourne
The corrections need to make it onto the practice field.
asserted
corrections → need → field
“The bottom line is, I like the way that I feel of our preparation,” McVay said.
asserted
McVay → like → preparation
“Eyes moving forward, chest out, chin up, eyes forward, and let’s go be about it, and let’s go prepare the right way.
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’s → move → it
Let’s have great focus and concentration; let’s have great energy and an edge that we prepare and compete with.”
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we → let → that
Too often against the 49ers, the Rams were reacting to a game their opponent was controlling.
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opponent → react → game
San Francisco dictated the terms, sustained possessions and made the Rams look like a team waiting for its considerable talent to take over.
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talent → dictate → team
It never did.
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It → do → ?
That should linger longer than the debate about travel itineraries.
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That → linger → itineraries
Whatever anyone believes about the Rams’ decision to arrive later than the 49ers, there is no international flight to explain that performance.
asserted
anyone → believe → performance
They will be home, with ample time between games and every reason to understand the urgency.
asserted
They → understand → urgency
The Giants will arrive believing they can deepen the Rams’ problems.
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they → arrive → problems
The Rams need to give them a reason to reconsider.
asserted
Rams → need → reason
That starts with Matthew Stafford and an offense too accomplished to spend another evening searching for its rhythm.
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That → start → rhythm
With Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams available, the Rams have the personnel to control stretches of games and help a defense suddenly facing life without Garrett.
asserted
Rams → have → Garrett
They also have a quarterback who understands that an honest review carries more value than either panic or denial.
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review → have → panic
“You kind of get trained, whether it’s a game or a play, good, bad or indifferent, to just move on to the next one,” Stafford said.
asserted
Stafford → train → one
And ask yourself how can I be better?
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I → ask → yourself
Those last two questions matter most.
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questions → matter → ?
For a defense whose assignments do not become optional because one of its most important players is unavailable.
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one → become → players
Garrett’s absence changes the personnel.
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absence → change → personnel
It also increases the responsibility of everyone still standing.
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It → increase → everyone
The Rams acquired him for the moments when a defense needs someone to wreck a possession, force a hurried decision or prevent an opposing quarterback from settling in.
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defense → acquire → quarterback
Now they must find those plays elsewhere, while doing the ordinary things well enough to make them possible.
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them → find → things
Waiting for Garrett to return cannot become the defensive plan.
Nor can the offense treat his absence as somebody else’s problem.
asserted
offense → wait → problem
Sustained drives, points and fewer wasted opportunities would go a long way toward easing the burden.
asserted
drives → waste → burden
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
