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How will Sean McVay fair in his first season with the Los Angeles Rams?

By Luke Drage

Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brian Quick (83) walk to the field prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brian Quick (83) walk to the field prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sean McVay may be very young for a NFL head coach, but he has the vision to quickly get the Los Angeles Rams on track.

The Los Angeles Rams made a surprising hire this offseason when they decided to sign Sean McVay. With as many as six head coaching vacancies being filled this offseason, a group of largely young and untested rookie head coaches go into the 2017 season with much to prove.

The majority are taking over struggling franchises, desperate for a new lease of life and injection of winning culture.

This couldn’t be more true of the Rams, and the job that faces 31-year-old Sean McVay is meteoric. Replacing veteran defensive minded head coach Jeff Fisher with a young, offensive coach is a big risk. But it is one that may just pay off for the Rams long term.

Much scrutiny will be placed on his head, and rightly so. How will his approach impact the Rams in 2017 and can he finally end their playoff drought?

Can Mcvay turn it around in LA in year one?

McVay became the youngest ever head coach in the NFL at age 30. Los Angeles decided to hire McVay despite his age and limited experience. The former Redskins offensive coordinator has a monumental task on his hands to return this franchise to winning ways.

In one of the toughest defensive divisions in football, the Rams have turned to McVay and his offensive prowess. His arrival will inject youth and creativity into what had become a rather stagnant organization under Jeff Fisher.

Nine seasons on the bounce under .500 and without a playoff berth since 2004, a change was necessary. But, to expect much more than another sub .500 season from McVay in his first year in charge is simply unfair.

Firstly, the now 31-year-old has much work to do with second year pro Jared Goff to get him up to scratch and develop him into the player that excited so many as the number one pick in 2016.

The work that McVay has done with Kirk Cousins in Washington’s offense may have been a big reason for his hiring in LA. And, the Rams faithful will hope that he can work the same kind of magic with Goff who looked entirely overwhelmed in his rookie year.

The offensive line was a mess last year and whilst adding Andrew Whitworth at left tackle will help, the rest of the line is hardly awe inspiring. This must improve in order to give Goff more of a chance in the passing game.

With a clean pocket and more time to process his reads, the former Cal man will surely show improvement.

Star running back Todd Gurley regressed enormously in year two. This was partly down to the poor line play and Goff’s struggles, but the former Georgia man needs to rediscover his rookie of the year mojo quickly for the offense to tick over and take pressure off his quarterback’s shoulders.

McVay’s creativity on offense will certainly allow Gurley to come into the game in more ways.

The additions of Gerald Everett and Cooper Kupp in the draft will bolster a thin receiving group. However, whether their impact will be significant or not in their rookie year’s remains to be seen.

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Tavon Austin has been largely disappointing since signing his new deal but having coached fellow speedster, Desean Jackson, McVay could help his number one receiver in LA have a career year.

The defense is strong, particularly up front with rising star Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn proving menace and toughness, and will keep them in games at times.

But, the offense is simply too young, unpredictable and inconsistent to give them a chance at a playoff run. Especially in a division that includes savvy veteran teams like Seattle and Arizona, who both possess elite aspects on offense and defense.

Bottom line

A relatively tough out of division schedule doesn’t help either. The Rams play at Dallas, Minnesota and the Giants, and host the Colts, Eagles, Texans and Redskins amongst others.

McVay will need at least two years to save this sinking ship. A great deal of any future success comes down to Goff. If the former number one pick can truly step up to the speed and intricacies of the NFL game then McVay has a shot to develop a strong franchise going forward.

Even if Goff does come through, the demands of the job might be coming too soon for such a young and inexperienced coach.

The reality is that this is a roster with a lot of holes and unanswered questions surrounding it. McVay’s inexperience coupled with the uncertainty at quarterback will make it a near miracle if they reach the playoffs.

However, expect his system to show some offensive improvement which, along with their highly competitive defense, should see them win some tight games.

All in all, McVay should do enough to keep his job through 2018. However, that’s all that this season’s expectations should be limited to; consolidation.

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