Sean McVay seems to want to take Australia off the Rams’ travel list, maybe even for good.
After the Rams’ 27-7 defeat to the 49ers in Melbourne, McVay shared his thoughts on the game, suggesting it might be best to avoid future trips down under, even if his words might not align with the franchise’s marketing plans.
“I hope we’re not playing in Australia again,” McVay commented. “Not that the atmosphere wasn’t fantastic; I just think…”
He somewhat anticipated the backlash and still went ahead with the statement. McVay appeared to appreciate the warm welcome more than the outcome of the game itself.
However, there’s a little catch with his wish: Australia is actually a significant part of the Rams’ international strategy.
The team members in charge of expanding the franchise’s presence there might not be too pleased with the idea of ditching the continent after just one loss.
McVay’s opinion is noted, but it might not hold much weight.
What he really wants is to distance himself from a match he’d rather not think about again.
“That game feels so distant… you almost want to do the ‘Men in Black’ thing and say, ‘Hey, I don’t recall what happened. That was ages ago,’” he said.
Sadly, the NFL isn’t handing out any memory wipes with their game footage.
So, the Rams will need to focus on improving their performance.
As the Giants prepare to visit SoFi Stadium on Monday night, McVay stressed the importance of being prepared, focused, and ready for the upcoming challenge.
His players, on the other hand, were not viewing their trip as something that would carry over negatively into the next game.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford gave a simple take on any potential negative impacts.
“Not too bad, not too bad,” Stafford said. “Sure, the travel was a lot, but I feel ready to go.”
Receiver Davante Adams was quite frank about distinguishing the flight from their performance on the field.
“We could try to blame the flight or make excuses, but at the end of the day, I didn’t feel tired at all. I felt fine enough to play like we usually do,” Adams stated. “Excuses won’t cut it; they simply played better than us.”
So, the Rams are moving ahead, with their quarterback feeling optimistic and their receiver not putting the blame on travel issues.
McVay, on the other hand, would just prefer that their next journey involves fewer time zones and no trips back to Melbourne.
