Let's Relax With the Hype We're Throwing at Sean McVay

Without a doubt, Sean McVay is one of the best coaches in the NFL. His Los Angeles Rams are one of the best teams in the NFL. I’m not delusional.

But McVay’s hype train may have carried a little bit too much momentum on Thursday. The Rams coach cruised through the Chicago Bears’ starting defensive unit, and shared a quick thought on each player.

This routine drew rave reviews: “McVay’s memory is unreal.”

His memory is unreal. This soundbite is not a good example of that impressive brain. This is an example of a coach listing 11 players off a depth chart with cliff notes.

Maybe it’s because Jeff Fisher was not able to perform the same task which McVay completed on Thursday. (Fisher infamously mentioned “Danny” when asked about the Patriots’ running back group in 2016. At the time, the only Danny on the Patriots was Amendola, who played receiver. Meanwhile, Danny Woodhead hadn’t been on the team since 2012.)

So forgive me for being a Scrooge. When I saw this teaser, I expected fireworks. I expected McVay to do what he normally does: something incredible. Instead, the video disappointed, because it’s something every coach in the NFL should be able to do. (His defensive coordinator Wade Phillip did a tongue-and-cheek rendition of the routine a few hours later.)

Not everything McVay does is a miracle.