(Inglewood) Sean McVay has developed an impressive coaching staff during his eight seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
Posted at 7:14 p.m.
Five of his former assistants became head coaches in the NFL, while several others were poached for more senior positions in the college or professional ranks.
One of those coaches will stand in front of McVay for the first time Thursday night when Kevin O’Connell leads his Minnesota Vikings (5-1) into SoFi Stadium.
O’Connell won a Super Bowl ring as McVay’s offensive coordinator with the Rams (2-4). He also learned a lot of what he needed to succeed in Minnesota, where he made the Vikings winners while putting Sam Darnold in position to finally reach his potential.
PHOTO RYAN SUN, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sean McVay
O’Connell is aware of the debt he owes to his ex-boss.
“He’s one of my closest friends in this league,” O’Connell said. I have a lot of respect for him, for the way he runs this organization, for his leadership, for his football intellect.
“It couldn’t be better. I have nothing but love for him, and we will always be like that. »
The Vikings are coming off their first loss of the season to the Detroit Lions last weekend, but they still appear to be Super Bowl contenders.
The Rams do not seem close to fighting for the title, three seasons after winning the Super Bowl, but they have just obtained an encouraging victory against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I’m not surprised,” McVay said of the Vikings’ success. I think he did a great job in a variety of different situations. Kevin is a guy who has had a huge influence and impact as a coach here. I’m happy for him. »
McVay has always been vocal about his desire to see his assistant coaches progress in their careers. His top assistants typically come out of the Rams with a deep understanding of what it takes to manage the countless moving parts of an NFL team.
“That’s one of the things that probably made me feel so prepared for this job, his willingness to allow me to be a part of things that offensive coordinators don’t typically get to be a part of,” O’Connell said.
“I got to see a lot, learn a lot, ask a lot of questions — probably one too many for his liking. »
Kupp’s return
Cooper Kupp is expected to return after a four-game absence due to an ankle injury, and the Rams badly need his help. Their offense struggled without him and Puka Nacua as targets for Matthew Stafford.
PHOTO ROSS D. FRANKLIN, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cooper Coup
Kupp’s name has been circulating a lot this week in trade rumors and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rams moved on from him, even though he has been a valued player and a pillar of the organization since 2017.
But Kupp will play at least one more game in front of his home fans against the Vikings, whose pass defense ranks 30e in the NFL with 260.3 yards allowed per game.
