Getty Sean McVay looks on during the first half of the Rams' 37-20 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday, October 3.
Sean McVay was placed in a situation he’s never been in before with the Los Angeles Rams following Sunday’s game: Experiencing his first loss — and in one-sided fashion — to the Arizona Cardinals.
Eight straight wins against their division rival? Gone.
The NFL power ranking praise that placed them at No. 1 overall? Edited for this week with a new No. 1 and top five by the outlets that do rankings.
And the early Super Bowl hype during the fast three-game start? Called to a cease courtesy of the Cards.
McVay again has never tasted defeat from the NFL version of the “red sea.” And he took the blame for the 37-20 loss.
“I’ve got to be way better for our football team,” McVay told the L.A. media. “Make no excuses about it. I didn’t do a good enough job to get our guys ready to go. But fortunately for us, we’ve got a chance on a short week to be able to respond the way that we expect to, the way that we want to. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do moving forward.”
Speaking of moving forward, past history says McVay and the Rams know how to do that together following taking the first “L” in the loss column. Here’s a dive into that.
McVay & the Rams in the Game After a Loss
Good news for Ram fans: When McVay and the Rams take a punch, they counterpunch.
The Rams are 3-1 in games after absorbing the first defeat. Here’s how it unfolded:
- 2017: After losing to McVay’s previous NFL employer Washington 27-20 in week 2, the Rams bounced back four days later on Thursday Night Football with one of the more exhilarating games of that season — a 41-39 shootout win over the San Francisco 49ers where ex-Ram Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and Todd Gurley and Sammy Watkins scored twice apiece.
- 2018: Once the New Orleans Saints ended the Rams’ 8-0 start with a 45-35 win at the Superdome on November 4, L.A. and McVay responded with another high-scoring affair with the Seattle Seahawks the following week, but one that ended 36-31 in favor of L.A.
- 2019: This time, Seattle reversed the outcome of this situation on a Thursday night. After the Rams took a stunning 55-40 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that saw ex-Bucs QB Jameis Winston throw four TD passes, Seattle handed L.A. its second straight defeat by edging the Rams 30-29 with Russell Wilson hitting Chris Carson for the final TD (a 5-yard connection) with 2:28 left.
- 2020: The Rams avoided back-to-back defeats especially against Empire State teams. After losing to Buffalo 35-32 to end their 2-0 start, the Rams defeated the New York Giants 17-9. Of course, viewers probably remember what happened between Jalen Ramsey and Golden Tate after the game.
The Rams have shown they’re quick to respond to the “L.” And they’re 1-1 on TNF after taking their first defeat. But that’s not all.
The Rams’ Overall Record After Loss No. 1
While the Rams have won three of four games following their first defeat, they’ve been equally successfully responsive after getting back into the win column. Here’s a look:
- After the first loss of the McVay era in 2017, the Rams went 10-5 overall the rest of the way which included winning the NFC West title.
- Following the Saints loss, the Rams won their next three games and went 7-3 the rest of the way — which includes securing the NFC title.
- L.A. went .500 after sustaining its first loss of the 2019 season, going 6-6. The Bucs game also started a three-game losing streak, the longest of the McVay era.
- Last season, the Rams went 9-6 after enduring loss No. 1.
Long story short, the Rams are 32-20 under McVay after tasting their first defeat.
McVay has shown to bounce back with his team. He’s optimistic they’ll respond quickly to this 17-point embarrassment in short timing.
“Our guys are wired the right way,” McVay said. “And those opportunities to be able to show your mental toughness, the resilience that I know exists in that locker room. And we’re going to get ourselves up, ready to roll, and be ready to compete on Thursday.”