WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. -- Sean McVay enjoyed the celebration. Now he wants the Rams to give themselves more reasons to celebrate without needing another late escape.
A day after the Rams rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, McVay said Monday that their fourth-quarter performance showed what they are capable of offensively. The challenge heading into their Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills is sustaining that execution while eliminating the penalties and special teams mistakes that nearly proved too costly Sunday.
“I think that's really more in alignment with what we're capable of, but I don't want to keep talking about it,” McVay said. “I want to see us be able to bring it to life on a more consistent basis and I know the players feel the same way. That's where our focus is going to be.”
The Rams could get help on defense this week. McVay said Aaron Donald is trending toward returning to practice and playing against Buffalo, although he stopped short of making a commitment. Cornerback Jaylen Watson also could return if he responds well in practice.
“That's the hope,” McVay said of Donald. “I don't want to pigeonhole, but yeah, that's the direction that it looks like it's trending in.”
McVay said receiver Konata Mumpfield sustained a rotator cuff contusion in his shoulder and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. suffered a knee contusion against Philadelphia. Both were expected to be OK moving forward, with more information on practice limitations anticipated Thursday.
There was less clarity on Myles Garrett's potential return after Week 5. McVay said Garrett is making good progress, but he still needed to discuss the next steps with Reggie Scott, the team's senior vice president of sports medicine and performance. McVay expects to have a more detailed update Thursday.
Tight end Terrance Ferguson faces a longer recovery after being placed on injured reserve. McVay said additional information about Ferguson's medial ankle sprain indicated he would need at least four games before returning to the level required to play. The Rams expect him back before the end of the season.
“We don't want to rush him back,” McVay said. “It's going to be at least four games, looking at the way that this ankle is, for him to come back and return to performance.”
Puka Nacua's return already made a difference Sunday. McVay said the receiver played without a snap restriction and, to his knowledge, came out of the game feeling healthy. Nacua topped 100 receiving yards, scored a rushing touchdown and contributed as a blocker on Kyren Williams' touchdown run.
McVay praised Nacua's contested catches and ability to create yards after the catch, particularly during the two late scoring drives. He also credited Davis Allen and Davante Adams for their blocking on Nacua's touchdown.
“He does some things that not many guys can do and he was a big part of it,” McVay said. “I thought he was at his best in the most important moments. That's the competitive greatness that we've seen from him.”
Matthew Stafford completed 12 of 15 passes over the final two drives, according to McVay, as the Rams put together possessions covering 98 and 78 yards. McVay credited the offensive line's protection and Stafford's decisions, saying the turnaround largely came from stacking positive plays rather than relying on a series of explosive gains.
That execution had been missing for much of the first three quarters. McVay pointed to inconsistent blocking, problems in the passing game and penalties that kept the offense from finding a rhythm. He acknowledged that the wet conditions affected some throws but emphasized that both teams faced the same challenge.
The avoidable penalties were a bigger concern. McVay singled out pre-snap and procedural mistakes, along with clear infractions such as blocks in the back, as areas requiring better focus and coaching.
“The things that really chapped me that I think are a reflection of an undisciplined team are the pre-snap, the procedural things,” McVay said. “Those are the things that we can control with focus and concentration.”
The defense gave the offense time to recover. McVay praised defensive coordinator Chris Shula's aggressive approach and the players' ability to generate pressure, get stops and keep Philadelphia out of the end zone in the second half. Byron Young stood out, particularly late, while McVay also highlighted Kobie Turner and the unit's collective energy and communication.
“I think the consistent pressure and the competitive stamina to make them snap it one more time,” McVay said when asked what made the difference. “I thought Chris called the game aggressively. I thought our guys answered the bell.”
Special teams left more to correct. McVay pointed to a missed field goal, a long punt return allowed and insufficient production in the return game. He credited Alex Bachman with securing the ball and making sound fielding decisions in his first game as the return specialist, but said the blocking around him must improve. A promising punt return also was erased by a penalty.
McVay addressed mistakes involving his coaching staff, too. He said quarterback coach Dave Ragone took accountability for a penalty and that he spoke with coaches about their interactions with Eagles fans from the booth late in the game.
“We'll learn from that. We'll be better,” McVay said of the booth interactions. “Those fans are really into it, but I know that we want to make sure that we're representing the class and the calm steadiness that we want to have, while also being emotionally into it.”
Buffalo will present another test. McVay praised Josh Allen's play and an offense featuring James Cook, DJ Moore, Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir and Dawson Knox. As the Rams began preparing for that matchup, his emphasis remained on turning Sunday's late surge into a more complete performance.
“We have to play better,” McVay said. “We have to consistently do it in all three phases and we have to earn the right to play better quality football. We have to all coach better too.”