Sean McVay Rips Himself Mercilessly After Huge Los Angeles Rams Victory

The result was ultimately great for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday because they beat the Chicago Bears in overtime and are headed to the NFC Championship game next Sunday, but if you ask coach Sean McVay about his role in the success, you'll get a lesson in self-depreciation.

Or self-flagellation.

McVay used words like "terrible" to describe the job he did in preparing the team and calling the plays against the Bears.

"I think, overall, what I would say is I did not like the feel for the flow of the game that I had outside of the first series where our guys did a great job," McVay said after the victory. "Defensively it kept us in it in spite of how poor of a job I did for our group. 

"But like I said, I'm really grateful for this group being able to find a way, stick with it and be able to overcome some bad coaching by me..."

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts after a defensive stop against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

McVay Admits To ‘Terrible’ Call

This was a theme of McVay's postgame analysis. 

Win good.

Me bad.

These were the first words out of the coach's mouth when he stepped to the podium in front of reporters: 

"This group, where we start off, you feel you're getting a little bit of momentum, I make a terrible third-down-and-one call," he said. "No excuse for that. Should have used the timeout."

McVay was talking about a key third-down call on the team's first overtime possession. But forget that. This isn't about that. This is about McVay basically apologizing to his team for what he believed was his own poor work.

McVay ripped himself half-a-dozen times during this press conference.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA;  Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay speaks in a press conference after a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Sean McVay: ‘Kicking Myself’

What else did McVay think of the Rams' first overtime possession?

"I was really kicking myself because I felt like, when we possessed the ball first, and I mentioned it, I thought that possession was going to really cost us," he said. "There's no excuse for us. I have to be better for our group. I will be better for our group." 

The Rams play the Seahawks next at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Surely, their postseason experience will be a benefit, no?

"I think it's big," McVay said. "I thought we were at our best in the most important moments. And I think whether you're talking about the weather or just big games, you could feel those guys shine the brightest at the most important moments. 

"And I thought that's what [quarterback] Matthew [Stafford] did when he had to. There's some things that both he and I -- I know we'll both be better next week ,or we've got to be able to be better if we expect to advance."

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 18: (L-R) Matthew Stafford #9 embraces head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams after the game against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.  (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Possible Reason For The Criticism

And there it is. The underlying reason for the coach criticizing the coach, perhaps.

McVay is a master of schemes and calls. And motivation.

And perhaps his entire presser filled with this harsh self-examination and public unburdening about his poor work allows him to do the same to his players on Monday when they study these results, and then the rest of the week as the team practices.

Perhaps McVay was showing the players he's not afraid of criticism, so they wouldn't be, either.

Or maybe Sean McVay just thought he just did a really "terrible" job on Sunday – in spite of his team's victory.