Sean McVay had seen enough.
asserted
McVay → see → enough
He had seen enough interceptions.
asserted
He → see → interceptions
He had seen enough of the Los Angeles Rams finding more and more creative ways to sabotage themselves on a rainy afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.
asserted
Rams → see → Field
So late in the third quarter, with the Rams trailing the Eagles 20-10 and their season seemingly circling the drain, McVay gathered the entire offense together around him on the sidelines and delivered an impromptu sermon that sparked a fourth quarter comeback that we could be talking about come January and February as the moment that changed the season.
uncertain
that → trail → season
Believe.
“It was just more of what was on my heart, to just say, ‘Guys, we’re capable.
asserted
we → believe → heart
You’ve got to believe.
asserted
You → get → ?
And we’ve got to just string good plays together,” McVay revealed after the game of what he told his team in that conversation.
asserted
he → get → conversation
Whatever was on McVay’s heart apparently traveled directly into the Rams’ bloodstream.
asserted
was → travel → bloodstream
Los Angeles scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, both on Kyren Williams runs, while its defense delivered the stops necessary to complete a stunning 24-20 comeback and snap a four-game losing streak against an Eagles franchise that has tortured McVay throughout his tenure as head coach.
asserted
that → score → coach
The Eagles have been a thorn in McVay’s side for the last 10 years and the city of Philadelphia has been a house of horrors for the youngest head coach to ever win a Super Bowl in NFL history.
asserted
city → win → history
McVay entered Sunday 1-6 against the Eagles, including the heartbreaking divisional-round playoff loss in the snow two seasons ago and last year’s special-teams catastrophe featuring two blocked fourth-quarter field goals.
asserted
McVay → enter → goals
For three quarters Sunday, the curse appeared alive and well.
asserted
curse → appear → quarters
The Rams couldn’t get out of their own way.
asserted
Rams → get → way
Even when Williams ripped off a big run, a Rams quarterbacks coach collided with an official and helped wipe it away.
asserted
coach → rip → it
Puka Nacua was flagged for a block that erased another big play.
asserted
that → flag → play
Matthew Stafford threw two interceptions.
asserted
Stafford → throw → interceptions
Harrison Mevis missed a field goal.
asserted
Mevis → miss → goal
Passes were dropped.
asserted
Passes → drop → ?
The wheels weren’t wobbling.
asserted
wheels → wobble → ?
They were coming off, and that’s exactly when McVay decided to intervene with his motivational speech.
“Our defense is doing everything that they can to keep us in this game,” McVay recalled telling his offense.
asserted
McVay → come → offense
“I believed.
asserted
I → believe → ?
I believed in our ability to execute and come back and win that game.”
asserted
I → believe → game
Williams remembered the message similarly.
asserted
Williams → remember → message
“He said it’s just believing,” Williams said.
asserted
Williams → say → ?
“He was just like, ‘Stay connected.
asserted
He → stay → ?
This is what we do.
asserted
we → do → what
We worked for this.
asserted
We → work → this
We worked for this moment.’”
asserted
We → work → moment
Williams took the words to heart and after the Rams defense produced a monumental goal-line stand, Los Angeles marched 98 yards down the field and punched in the touchdown that cut the score to 20-17.
asserted
that → take → 20
After another defensive stop, the Rams marched down the field again and Williams scored his second touchdown that proved to be the game-winner.
asserted
that → march → touchdown
“I was so locked in that all I saw were people coming at me, and I had to get them off of me,” said Williams of the winning score that saw him break several tackles.
asserted
him → lock → tackles
“When the play came in I thought to myself, ‘this is my opportunity to go make something happen.’
asserted
something → come → myself
I stiff-armed a guy and I just smelled the end zone.”
asserted
I → arm → zone
Tyler Higbee said McVay challenged them to forget everything that had gone wrong.
asserted
that → say → everything
“He said, ‘Make this thing go!
asserted
thing → say → ?
Wipe it and get to the next play,’” Higbee recalled.
asserted
Higbee → wipe → play
“It rallied us.
asserted
It → rally → us
He’s the best leader I’ve ever been around.
asserted
I → ’ → ?
He’s got confidence in us, and we’ve got confidence in each other.”
asserted
we → get → other
Nacua remembered McVay trying to restore the offense’s “synergy” and “camaraderie.”
asserted
McVay → remember → synergy
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
