Sean McVay has lost two football games in the last 10 months. After each one, he said responsibility belonged with him. Then the details moved elsewhere.
Los Angeles opened 2026 with a 27-7 loss to San Francisco in Melbourne. McVay said the 49ers had “outplayed us in every phase,” rejected travel as the reason for the result and told reporters to blame him.
Six days later, when asked how the Rams had processed the loss, McVay began with: “We’re not playing in Australia ever again, I hope.” He then said the atmosphere was not the issue and that the line would be taken out of context.
The Rams were not forced into the trip. The club accepted the 2026 Melbourne game, gave up a home date and chose an itinerary that brought the team to Australia less than 30 hours before kickoff. Team president Kevin Demoff said the Rams had hoped to wait until 2028 but agreed when the league put 2026 on the table.
The same pattern appeared after the Rams’ 31-27 loss to Seattle in the NFC Championship Game. McVay credited the Seahawks and said Los Angeles had its chances. He then described a failed fourth down as an unlucky coverage break and pointed to a muffed punt that helped turn the game.
Criticism of that loss focused on McVay’s timeout use, a challenge he started and abandoned, and the decision to kick a field goal on fourth-and-4 from the Seattle 6 at the end of a 14-play drive.
McVay says “put it on me” as convincingly as any coach. After these two losses, however, his specifics pointed to coverage, a dropped punt and a trip his own organization chose.
