In a game so often decided by a handful of plays, it’s impossible not to point to Smith’s silence as a major influence on the outcome. It’s also emblematic of the Rams’ ongoing special teams issues that have plagued them all season, and especially painful given how it affected the flow the rest of the game.
“It’s hard because X, man, has been so reliable,” McVay said. “He bowled the first one and we were lucky to get back on him. That one, he was expensive. I love him, he’s done a great job. Obviously Kyren did a good job of playing him up from that point. But it was tough.
“We get a great stop out of the second half. You feel like you’re going to get some good momentum going and they score on the first play after we turned it over to open it up to 11 points. I love how offensively we went right down the field for four plays. I just thought there was a lot of determination. A lot of resilience came out of our group today and.”
Although he is a coach with a 1-1 record in the Super Bowl and has had his share of disappointments, McVay seemed to feel this loss more than others. That became brutally clear when asked if Stafford — one of the NFL’s top two quarterbacks in 2025 — will return to action in 2026.
“Yeah, if he still wants to play,” McVay said. “What kind of question is this?”
“You’ve got to ask him. We’ve been absolutely there. I know if he wants to, he’s still playing on pretty damn video. He’s the MVP of the league and if he’s not, you know, I respect everybody else but that guy played at a level that’s just different.”
McVay felt it was time to wrap up his press conference, thanked the reporters, slapped his knuckles on the podium and walked off.
He, the Rams and their legion of fans wish it wasn’t the last goodbye of the season after a game. If anyone knows how difficult it is to return to the doorstep of the Super Bowl, it’s McVay.
“Well, I mean, I think you play a few tonight, and we’re talking about a whole different thing, so I don’t think it’s as simple as that,” he said when asked if he thought the Rams could advance to the Super Bowl next season. “You start over. I mean, you know that, and that’s what’s so hard about getting to these positions. … It’s so much work, it’s so much time, things have to go your way, you have to be healthy. This is a special group, and so, you know, you know this, and I know you know this, I’m not discounting the question. those opportunities when you get the opportunities, and, you know, Seattle was able to do it, and we were not.
“But that doesn’t take away my love and appreciation for this football team.”