Getty Sean McVay speaks with Brycen Hopkins on November 27, 2022 in Kansas City.
The Los Angeles Rams nearly added another member to the injury report on Sunday, November 27 in Kansas City.
But this time it didn’t involve a key player. It involved…their head coach Sean McVay during the 26-10 loss to the Chiefs.
What Happened, Plus What Was McVay’s Response to Hit
During the game, the Super Bowl winning head coach was blindsided by one of his own players Roger Carter — who delivered a shoulder blow to McVay on accident while sprinting onto the Arrowhead Stadium field.
The hit from the rookie tight end was so powerful that it knocked the headset off McVay, plus got him to feel the left side of his cheek where he sustained the hit.
Oof, Rams HC Sean McVay was hit in the head by one of his player’s helmets on accident while on the sideline.
The comments trickled in afterwards — with some saying they felt hurt just by watching the hit unfold.
“Scary moment here with Rams HC Sean McVay. This hurts just watching,” posted Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus.
Kansas City based company Guy’s Snacks also tried to share their humor regarding the accidental hit.
Sean McVay gets no snacks.
Partially because it looks like he won’t be able to chew them.
Kansas City based sports anchor Harold R. Kuntz of the Fox K.C. affiliate also noticed how McVay’s hit was replayed more than the number of completions starting quarterback Bryce Perkins had.
But what was McVay’s response to the hit? It was the first question asked by the media following the road loss.
“It’s good. I took a good shot. Roger ran right into me,” McVay said first, while feeling the side of his face where he was hit. “It was a good shot, but I’m OK.”
The questions continued from there.
“I was thinking I had a little awareness around me. Oh my Gosh. But it’s one of those deals where I’m not trying to make a big deal out of it,” McVay said. “It probably looks worse when you keep replaying it. But it was a good shot. I don’t think I broke my jaw. I’ll be fine.”
So Ram fans can breathe…their head coach won’t need to go on IR after sustaining the shoulder to head hit. And it’s doubtful Carter will be fined by the league’s office for the head blow.
McVay Reacts to Effort Against K.C.
McVay toughed it out after the rare blindside moment. His team aimed to show grit despite being short-handed due to the constant injury pileup in 2022.
The diluted Rams mustered just 198 total yards of offense, including just 100 through the air with Perkins at the controls behind center. But, the Rams were 3-for-3 in fourth down conversions which includes a 6-yard punt pass to Jacob Harris. The Rams on defense also bottled the Chiefs’ ground attack to average just 3.9 yards per game while also scoring just once inside the red zone on six K.C. attempts.
Unfortunately, the effort wasn’t enough to snap out of the current losing streak. But still, McVay was pleased with the tenacity of the Rams given the circumstances.
“I’m proud of the way our guys competed,” McVay said after the game. “I thought the defense did an amazing job with some of the red area stops towards the latter part of the game. [And they] continued to just keep competing and keep making them snap it one more time. There were so many good things there.”
On offense, McVay cited the mobility of Perkins as a big factor in keeping drives alive and how the depleted offensive line helped finish drives especially facing fourth down. He also praised the running ability of Cam Akers and Kyren Williams who helped get the Rams to average 4.1 yards per carry as a team.
“But it’s not quite enough. But it’s things we can really be able to learn from,” McVay said. “I am proud of the way those guys competed snap in and snap out. And we’re going to try to build on this one.”