Sean McVay says helium expects L.A. fans to greet Jared Goff warmly astatine SoFi Stadium connected Sunday, erstwhile the Detroit Lions travel to look the Rams and Goff and Matthew Stafford look their erstwhile teams.
“I deliberation he’ll beryllium received well,” McVay said Monday arsenic the Rams switched gears from their 38-11 triumph implicit the New York Giants to preparing for the Lions — and for a 1000 questions astir Goff’s instrumentality to town.
“I deliberation the Rams’ fans cognize what a large occupation helium had done and however overmuch helium meant to the Rams organization, and past besides the community,” McVay said, citing Goff’s enactment for Inglewood schools arsenic a motion of “the quality being helium is.”
If that happens, it volition mean Goff is welcomed much kindly successful the metropolis that dumped him successful the commercialized for Stafford past wintertime than helium has been successful the metropolis that acquired him.
Goff was booed successful Detroit connected Sunday adjacent the extremity of a season-worst show successful the 34-11 nonaccomplishment to the Cincinnati Bengals that dropped the Lions to 0-6.
McVay, whose Rams are 5-1 aft beating up the New York Giants 38-11 successful New Jersey, started the caller week seemingly intent connected making the upcoming Goff Bowl arsenic uncontroversial arsenic possible.
“I deliberation there’s going to beryllium a batch made of it due to the fact that he’s a quarterback, and it’s specified a important position, and each the bully things that helium had done for this team,” McVay said. “But it’s astir the Lions vs. the Rams.”
McVay has said earlier that his connection with Goff could person been amended during what became the erstwhile Super Bowl quarterback’s last Rams season.
Monday, McVay answered affirmatively erstwhile asked if helium regretted thing astir the mode the commercialized went down.
“I wished that determination was amended communication. You don’t privation to drawback guys off-guard. It came unneurotic a batch faster than anybody anticipated,” McVay said of the trade, agreed to Jan. 30 but not made authoritative until March, that sent Goff and 3 draught picks to Detroit successful speech for Stafford.
“But I deliberation Jared knows the respect I person for him. I consciousness precise bully astir the dialog that we were capable to person earlier helium had gone to Detroit. He knows the appreciation that we arsenic an organization, that I person arsenic a manager for each the bully things that helium did here.”
Playing the bully host, McVay added: “The further you get distant from a pugnacious condition and not an perfect mode to benignant of person him spell to the Lions, the much you tin bespeak backmost successful a affirmative mode connected each of the bully things that occurred implicit the 4 years that we were together.”
Goff’s homecoming volition get astir of the attention, but Sunday’s crippled besides is simply a instrumentality for erstwhile Rams antiaircraft extremity Michael Brockers (traded to the Lions successful March), cornerbacks manager Aubrey Pleasant (now the Lions’ antiaircraft backs manager and antiaircraft passing crippled coordinator), and assemblage scouting manager Brad Holmes (now the Lions’ GM).
And it’s Stafford’s archetypal clip going against the squad helium led for 12 seasons.
“It’ll beryllium conscionable different shot crippled erstwhile the ball’s snapped, but I’ll decidedly effort to accidental ‘hey’ to immoderate radical I haven’t seen successful a while,” Stafford said.
MUNDT, FUNK SIDELINED
The Rams’ peculiar teams mislaid 2 large pieces erstwhile Johnny Mundt (torn ACL) and Jake Funk (torn hamstring) were injured successful the triumph implicit the Giants, forcing them onto season-ending IR.
Mundt had 1 reception for 9 yards arsenic the Rams’ No. 2 choky extremity down Tyler Higbee this season, but helium was connected the tract much than 50% of the clip connected peculiar teams the past 2 years.
Funk had 1 transportation for six yards arsenic the No. 3 moving backmost down Darrell Henderson and Sony Michel aft being drafted successful the seventh round, and saw much enactment connected kicking teams, returning 4 kickoffs for 88 yards.
“It’s a bummer for some Johnny and Jake, 2 losses of guys that person done a bully occupation continuing to improve,” McVay said.
Brycen Hopkins, inactive the past 5 games, is the adjacent choky extremity connected the 53-man roster. The adjacent moving backs are special-teams members Buddy Howell and Javian Hawkins.
John Wolford wounded his cervix during his 10 plays portion Stafford rested with the Rams up by 35 successful the 4th quarter, and Michel banged a shoulder, but some volition beryllium OK, McVay said.
NOTES
The Rams were favored implicit the Lions by 15-1/2 points arsenic the week began. That’s a immense spread, but not the biggest for an NFL crippled this Sunday. The Cardinals are 17-point favorites implicit the Texans successful Glendale, Ariz. … The Rams’ triumph implicit the Giants was the archetypal NFL crippled with a 38-11 last score. It’s the 1,067th antithetic last people successful league history. … Sean McVay’s 48-22 grounds is the third-best among Rams coaches done 70 games, down Chuck Knox (54-15-1) and George Allen (49-17-4).