The date of Feb. 3, 2019 is one Los Angeles Rams fans have tried to forget in recent years. It was the date the Rams lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in Sean McVay’s second season, giving Tom Brady his sixth ring.
With McVay having an opportunity to avenge his loss in Super Bowl LIII three years ago, the young head coach explained what is different in his second Super Bowl appearance.
“I think it’s just experience. I think being able to learn from all those other things that have occurred. If you really work hard at something, I think you give yourself a chance to get better,” McVay said. “But I also realize it’s about being surrounded by great people. We got great players. We got really good coaches. But I just think that experience that you accumulate – both the good and the bad – and use it as learning opportunities, and making sure that you try to do everything in your power to put our players in the right position, structure the week and practices and the game plans in a manner that’s reflective of accentuating these player skill sets, letting them go out and play with the quieted mind. But the experience thing I would say is the biggest difference.”
Back in his first Super Bowl, McVay was being labeled a wunderkind and an offensive genius. However, the Rams would be limited to three points against Bill Belichick and the Patriots, prompting some to tone down their expectations of McVay.
McVay was out-coached and Los Angeles was out-classed by an organization that was accustomed to winning Super Bowls with the legendary duo of Belichick and Brady. In recent years, McVay has made it clear that he’s learned from his mistakes in his previous Super Bowl, which has allowed him to become an even better head coach in certain areas.
Instead of facing the Patriots this time around, the Rams will square off with a Cincinnati Bengals team that has taken an underdog mentality all season. Also, Los Angeles will have Matthew Stafford under center now, who was acquired by the organization to put them in a position to make another Super Bowl.
The first time we saw McVay coach in the Super Bowl, he looked inexperienced and out of his element. But with that forgettable defeat under his belt, McVay seems to be more prepared ahead of the Rams’ upcoming tilt versus the Bengals.
