Sean McVay is in his seventh season as the Los Angeles Rams head coach. He has a record of 66-45 and is 7-3 in the playoffs. McVay has appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one.
Before McVay became one of the NFL’s best coaches, he got his start in Washington. Washington hired him as an offensive assistant in 2010 and was promoted to tight ends coach in 2011. McVay was only 24 years old when Washington hired him.
In 2014, McVay was promoted to offensive coordinator and played a key role in developing quarterback Kirk Cousins.
On Sunday, McVay will face his former team for the third time. He is 1-1 vs. Washington, having won the most recent meeting in 2020. In studying the 2023 Commanders, McVay has come away impressed with Washington’s young quarterback, Sam Howell.
“Oh yeah, he’s a baller,” McVay said Wednesday, per Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire.
“This guy’s got the ability to create. You can see he sees the field well. He can get through progressions quickly. He can make all the throws. He dissects and recognizes coverage contours quickly, and he’s able to deliver the ball accurately. And then when things do go off schedule, he’s got the athleticism and the escape ability to buy time, keep his eyes down the field, and you can see guys understand how to be able to work with him. And they got playmakers all around. Coach (Eric) Bieniemy does a nice job being able to spread the field, but I’m super impressed. We’ve crossed over with them a lot because there’s been a lot of similar opponents. So even when you’re just getting ready from an offensive perspective looking at the other team’s defense, the Washington offense has been in a lot of our breakdowns and you see him and you’re thinking, man, this guy’s making a lot of plays. He’s doing a lot of really impressive things both on schedule and off-schedule. And you see why the people and the players in that organization have such belief in him. And he’s put a lot of really good stuff on tape and he’s dangerous as hell, for sure.”
That’s a pretty lengthy scouting report from McVay. Other coaches have praised Howell, but McVay clearly likes him. One of Howell’s best traits is his ability to make off-schedule plays, which McVay notices.
Sunday is another big test for Howell as he looks to finish the season strong against a tough schedule in his hopes of proving he should be Washington’s QB in 2024 and perhaps beyond.