Sean McVay Reflects on Rams’ Dominant Victory Over Buccaneers
The Los Angeles head coach was more than pleased with his team’s performance Sunday night.
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — The Rams rolled past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. After the win, Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, and several players addressed the media.
Earlier in the week, McVay discussed the state of the team heading into the matchup.
Q: What challenges come with losing leaders like Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee, and Quentin Lake?
McVay responded, “First of all, those guys are still here. They’ll continue to lift up the players around them. We have a lot of confidence in the people stepping in. You can’t truly replace players like that, and we don’t expect anyone to. What we do expect is for the next men up to be the best version of themselves.”
Speaking specifically about Havenstein, he added:
“This is one of the toughest parts of the job. You see how much work and sacrifice go into preparing, and how limited these opportunities are to compete alongside teammates they care about. They’ll still have a positive influence, even though I know all three would love to be out there. They represent everything good about this organization, and they’ll contribute in their own way. These losses are tough, but we’ve dealt with challenges like this before. We trust the players being elevated to handle their roles— not by trying to be Q, Rob, or Higs, but by playing to their own strengths.”
Q: Will Josh Wallace replace Lake?
“I thought he did really well,” McVay said. “We’ll keep evaluating throughout the week, but Josh stepped in for nearly 30 snaps and handled it like he always does. He’s versatile, smart, instinctive, and both physically and mentally tough. Against a strong opponent, he came in seamlessly. His communication, his understanding of the whole defensive picture—especially on the back end—was outstanding.
“We’re also looking at Roger McCreary. Aubrey Pleasant and Chris Beake have done a great job preparing those guys, and this week will be big for both of them.”
Meanwhile, the NFC has a new top team. With the Eagles falling to the Cowboys and the Rams dismantling the Buccaneers 34–7, Los Angeles moved into first place. But McVay didn’t allow his team to get comfortable.
As he left the podium, it was clear he wasn’t in a celebratory mood.
“Who was in first place with six weeks left last year?” he asked. “Exactly — nobody remembers.”
The message was clear: the job isn’t done. The Rams still have six games remaining, and the Eagles hold the head-to-head advantage from Week 3. Still, this was a crucial shift for Los Angeles.
Now the Rams control their own path. Winning out would give them the first-round bye and force everyone else to chase them — a theme McVay has emphasized all season. But difficult games lie ahead: Detroit in Week 15 will be a physical challenge, and Seattle in Week 16 at Lumen Field will bring a hostile environment. Even so, the Rams have looked nearly unstoppable during their six-game winning streak. Their only setbacks came in close games against Philadelphia and San Francisco — contests they arguably could have won.
Despite that momentum, McVay refuses to look ahead. The focus is on the Panthers, then the Cardinals. He wants every matchup treated like a postseason game, which is why he continues pushing his staff, his players, and himself to keep raising the bar.
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