전사 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:03.680
What if I told you that the most important throws
2
00:00:04.280 --> 00:00:07.719
of the NFL preseason, the ones that literally decide who
3
00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:10.480
makes a multimillion dollar roster, aren't even happening on your
4
00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:11.240
television screen.
5
00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:13.880
Oh yeah, I mean it completely upends how we usually
6
00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:16.600
consume the sport, right, right, because as fans, we're just
7
00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:19.519
so conditioned to look at the scoreboard, you know, to
8
00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.640
look at the primetime lights, and we just assume that's
9
00:00:22.679 --> 00:00:24.519
where the final decisions are being made.
10
00:00:24.519 --> 00:00:27.199
Exactly. Usually, when you watch a professional football game, there
11
00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:31.160
is this expectation of well, absolute clarity. It's binary. You
12
00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:32.679
see a touchdown, you cheer, Yeah.
13
00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:34.520
You've seen an interception, you've grown right.
14
00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:39.479
But when you step backstage into an NFL training camp
15
00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:44.719
in August, that pre teen picture gets incredibly murky. And
16
00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:48.240
that is exactly what we're exploring today. Absolutely, welcome to
17
00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:50.920
this deep dive. We've got a stack of August twenty
18
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:53.840
twenty six reports straight from the Los Angeles RAMS organization,
19
00:00:54.159 --> 00:00:56.119
and our mission today is to unpack the high space
20
00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:58.600
chess match of building an NFL roster.
21
00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:00.200
It's a complicated puzzle.
22
00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:03.399
For sure, it really is. We're looking past the box scores.
23
00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:07.840
We're diving into how coaches evaluate talent when the cameras
24
00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:10.439
are off, you know, how they manage the physical attrition
25
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:15.879
of training camp, and how they're prepping for a truly
26
00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.480
unprecedented international season opener.
27
00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:21.879
And I mean the context right now is just fascinating.
28
00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:25.560
The Rams are back in Inglewood, California. They just beat
29
00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:29.640
the Kansas City Chiefs twenty to twelve in preseason Week one,
30
00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:31.879
right and now they are gearing up to host the
31
00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:36.480
New Orleans Saints this Saturday. But beneath that surface level schedule,
32
00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:39.519
there are just layers of evaluation happening that most people
33
00:01:39.640 --> 00:01:40.200
never see.
34
00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:42.799
Okay, let's unpack this. Let's start with the most visible
35
00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:45.599
drama from that Chiefs game, because I think it perfectly
36
00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:46.599
highlights this whole.
37
00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:48.519
Illusion, the backup quarterback battle.
38
00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:50.760
The backup quarterback battle. You have Stetson Ben at the
39
00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:54.159
fourth versus Ty Simpson. And you know, if you're just
40
00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:56.239
a casual fan looking at the post game summary, you
41
00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:57.599
think this competition is already over.
42
00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:58.799
Oh completely, But I.
43
00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:00.480
Know the numbers don't tell the whole story here. Yeah,
44
00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:02.280
what exactly did the stat sheet look like?
45
00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:05.879
Well, the box score paint's a very lopsided picture sets,
46
00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.439
and Bennett started the game, played the first two drives,
47
00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:12.719
and he completed four of six passes for just thirty
48
00:02:12.759 --> 00:02:16.560
eight yards. Okay, then Ty Simpson takes over and he
49
00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:19.520
plays the vast majority of the game, completing twenty one
50
00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:22.319
of twenty five passes for one hundred and ninety yards
51
00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:23.319
and two touchdowns.
52
00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:26.919
Wow. I mean looking at those stats is like judging
53
00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:30.199
a movie purely by its opening weekend box office without
54
00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:31.360
looking at the marketing budget.
55
00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:32.840
You know, that's a great way to put it.
56
00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:35.280
You might just crown since in the runaway winner based
57
00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:38.560
on twenty one completions. But is that how a head
58
00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:39.240
coach sees it.
59
00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:43.000
What's fascinating here is how Sean McVay actually responded in
60
00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:46.560
the postgame press conference. He explicitly urged everyone to consider
61
00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:49.680
the circumstances, right, the circumstances, Yeah, the parameters that Bennett
62
00:02:49.719 --> 00:02:51.479
was placed in early in the game. He was very
63
00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:54.080
deliberate and saying he was pleased with what both players
64
00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:55.919
did with their specific opportunities.
65
00:02:55.960 --> 00:02:58.479
But wait, if the Saturday games are just an illusion,
66
00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:00.960
why do we even care about sim going twenty one
67
00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:03.360
for twenty five. Well, it's not that we don't care right,
68
00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:06.560
Surely the pressure of a stadium full of fans, and
69
00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:10.599
you know, live tackling has to count for something in mcvay's.
70
00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:12.240
Eyes, right, And it definitely counts for something. But you
71
00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:15.120
really have to look at the mechanism of an NFL
72
00:03:15.159
Load full transcript
--> 00:03:18.879
preseason game. How So, in the first quarter, when Bennett
73
00:03:18.919 --> 00:03:22.479
is in, he is likely facing the opponent's starting defense,
74
00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:27.080
or you know, at least complex defensive schemes with veteran players.
75
00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:28.159
Oh that makes sense.
76
00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:31.560
Yeah, it's loud, it's fast, and those passing windows are
77
00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:34.639
incredibly tight. But by the time the third quarter rolls
78
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:35.759
around for Simpson.
79
00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:37.680
The defense has completely changed exactly.
80
00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:40.680
They've subbed in guys who frankly might not even be
81
00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:43.479
in the league in three weeks. And more importantly, defensive
82
00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:46.000
coordinators stop calling complex blitzes.
83
00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:48.199
They just play vanilla coverages, right.
84
00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:52.280
Basic predictable zone coverages, because they don't want to put
85
00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:55.199
their real defensive secrets on tape before the regular season
86
00:03:55.240 --> 00:03:55.919
even starts.
87
00:03:56.439 --> 00:04:00.759
So, yes, Simpson executed well, but he was executing against
88
00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:03.199
a fundamentally different, much easier puzzle.
89
00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:07.840
Precisely, carving up a basic cover two defense played by
90
00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:10.719
third stringers doesn't prove you can step in for Matthew
91
00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:12.879
Stafford against the forty nine ers in Week one.
92
00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:16.600
Which explains why McVeigh said the final decision on this
93
00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:19.120
quarterback battle isn't even going to be based on the
94
00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.040
game tape from Saturday exactly.
95
00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:25.600
McVeigh explicitly stated that the decision heavily depends on the
96
00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:29.639
closed door joint practices happening this Tuesday and Thursday against
97
00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:30.519
the New Orleans.
98
00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.519
Saints, because in a joint practice, McVeigh and Saints head
99
00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:36.720
coach Kellen Moore can completely orchestrate the stress.
100
00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:39.439
Test right, oh, one hundred percent. A live game is chaotic.
101
00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:42.079
If you want to see how Ty Simpson handles a
102
00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:45.000
third and long against a heavy blitz, well, you might
103
00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:47.240
not get that exact scenario in a preseason game. The
104
00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:49.240
other team might just run the ball right, you can't
105
00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:52.360
control it. But in a joint practice, McVeigh can just say, Okay,
106
00:04:52.439 --> 00:04:54.199
put the ball in the thirty yard lines third, nay,
107
00:04:54.360 --> 00:04:57.839
dial up your best zero blitz. They get great situational
108
00:04:57.920 --> 00:04:59.360
work without the randomness.
109
00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:02.439
So to understand how the Rams are evaluating their guys
110
00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:04.519
this week, we have to look at the team they
111
00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:07.279
are using as their measuring stick the Saints. Right the
112
00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:09.120
Saints are coming to town after a twenty four to
113
00:05:09.160 --> 00:05:11.560
twenty loss to the Jaguars, and they are bringing a
114
00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:13.240
very specific set of challenges.
115
00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:16.000
They absolutely are. When you look at the Saints' roster
116
00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:18.240
right now, I mean they have players who are highly
117
00:05:18.279 --> 00:05:22.040
motivated to put good play on tape, like who well
118
00:05:22.519 --> 00:05:26.759
take their quarterback situation. Zach Wilson was eleven of sixteen
119
00:05:26.839 --> 00:05:29.519
for one hundred and forty five yards and a touchdown
120
00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:31.720
to tight end Oscar Delp against the Jags.
121
00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:34.199
See, that is exactly what I mean. Zach Wilson is
122
00:05:34.199 --> 00:05:38.319
a guy with actual NFL starting experience who is fighting
123
00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:41.480
for his professional life right now. Oh yeah, that makes
124
00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:45.160
him incredibly dangerous in August. He is willing to take
125
00:05:45.319 --> 00:05:48.560
risks and test tight windows. Definitely, if you are a
126
00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:51.560
young Rams cornerback trying to make the team covering a
127
00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:54.839
receiver while a desperate former first round pick is slinging
128
00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:57.560
the ball, that is a fantastic stress test. It's real
129
00:05:57.680 --> 00:05:58.639
NFL speed.
130
00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:00.319
And you have other guys applying pressure too. You've got
131
00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:03.600
running back Audric Estimate, who led their backfield with twenty
132
00:06:03.639 --> 00:06:06.160
eight yards and a score on five carries, and wide
133
00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:09.600
receiver bub means who put up seventy seven receiving yards
134
00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:10.839
on just four catches.
135
00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:12.240
Wow, that's a solid average.
136
00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:16.439
Yeah. Plus, defensively, the Rams bubble receivers have to deal
137
00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:20.240
with Saints cornerback Daily's Beamam. He just racked up a
138
00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:22.439
team high eleven tackles.
139
00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:25.399
And we really can't ignore special teams because that is
140
00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:27.680
the literal lifeblood of the preseason.
141
00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:30.879
Oh, for sure, jobs are one and lost on punk coverage.
142
00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:34.000
We focus so much on the star receivers, but the
143
00:06:34.040 -->
00:06:37.839
special teams battles are fierce. And speaking of which, I
144
00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:41.959
saw the punter Ryan Wright average forty two point six yards.
145
00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:43.240
Right, and the Saints are actually in the middle of
146
00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:46.839
a massive kicking competition too. Oh really Yeah, Tanner Brown
147
00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:49.759
went two for two on field goals while Charlie Smith
148
00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:52.040
missed a fifty two yarder oof, And.
149
00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:54.040
That one missed fifty two yarder in August can just
150
00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:57.000
haunt a guy. The margins are just that thin, they
151
00:06:57.040 --> 00:06:59.560
really are. But you know, while those fringe roster battles
152
00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:02.480
are happening, the Rams starting defensive line is going to
153
00:07:02.519 --> 00:07:05.120
have their hands full. With a massive addition, the Saints
154
00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:06.480
made in the offseason.
155
00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:08.879
Right running back Travis Etien Junior exactly. That was a
156
00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:10.879
huge move. They signed him to a four year deal.
157
00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:13.360
I mean, he rushed for over one thousand yards in
158
00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:16.040
three of his first four seasons down in Jacksonville.
159
00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:20.360
He is a premier, established weapon, and figuring out how
160
00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:23.240
to contain his speed on the edge is going to
161
00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:26.120
be priority number one for the Rams defensive front during
162
00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:29.480
these joint practices. Absolutely. But here's where it gets really interesting.
163
00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:33.279
The Rams lose a crucial measuring stick because of an
164
00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.040
injury on the Saints roster. This is the part that
165
00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:36.839
really surprised me.
166
00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:38.160
Yeah, this is a tough one.
167
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.879
We talked about etten, But the Saints' other huge addition
168
00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:46.879
was wide receiver Jordan Tyson, drafted eighth overall, right.
169
00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:49.079
And the reports out of New Orleans were that Tyson
170
00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:51.040
was having a phenomenal camp, but he.
171
00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:54.920
Just sustained a hamstring injury and now he is sidelined
172
00:07:55.079 --> 00:07:55.879
for two months.
173
00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:56.920
Yeah, it's brutal.
174
00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:00.399
Wow, I just never thought about it like that. You
175
00:08:00.439 --> 00:08:02.720
really only care when your own guys get hurt. But
176
00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:05.519
for Sean McVay and as defensive coordinators, they were probably
177
00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:08.439
sitting there entirely frustrated that Saints rookie got hurt. Oh,
178
00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:10.759
without a doubt, because now they have no one with
179
00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:13.639
that elite top ten draft pick speed to test their
180
00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:14.720
own cornerbacks against.
181
00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:17.560
If we connect this to the bigger picture, it perfectly
182
00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:21.839
illustrates how interconnected the NFL ecosystem is. In August, the
183
00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:25.199
Rams defense loses a critical data point. You know, you
184
00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:29.319
prepare your secondary for this ultimate speed test in Thursday's practice,
185
00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:33.120
and suddenly the test gets canceled. Right your evaluation shifts.
186
00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:35.000
You don't get to see if your rookie corner can
187
00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:37.639
actually hang with a guy like Tyson in press coverage.
188
00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:40.759
So the Rams lose out on that evaluation, But they
189
00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:43.159
can't dwell on it for long because their own medical
190
00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:45.360
tent is completely overflowing right now.
191
00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:46.240
Oh it's packed.
192
00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:51.200
Managing preseason injuries is this terrifying balancing act. You desperately
193
00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:53.480
need to get players vital game reps so they are
194
00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:56.399
ready for Week one, but you also cannot afford to
195
00:08:56.440 --> 00:08:57.399
lose them for the season.
196
00:08:57.639 --> 00:09:01.720
The attrition factor in August is just brutal. The Rams
197
00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:05.240
have a very crowded injury report right now. For example,
198
00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.919
you have tight end David Sallin dealing with a quad issue.
199
00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:11.200
Although the updates there seems somewhat positive, right.
200
00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:14.519
Yeah, they do. He's progressing, doing some running and is
201
00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:17.600
expected back at practice quote within the next week.
202
00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:20.159
And the silver lining is that the younger tight ends
203
00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:22.320
are getting all of his reps in the meantime, which
204
00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:25.159
you know accelerates their development exactly. But then you have
205
00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:27.960
injuries that just make you shake your head, like offensive
206
00:09:27.960 --> 00:09:29.159
lineman Justin de Ditch.
207
00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:32.960
Yes, he was placed on the Non Football Injury or
208
00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:36.919
NFI list on July twenty fifth with a hand injury.
209
00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.320
Let's look at the actual details of that, because it
210
00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:42.399
is wild. He injured his hand in an accident around
211
00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:45.799
the fourth of July, and Sean McVeigh actually had to
212
00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:47.600
go out of his way at a press conference to
213
00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:51.559
clarify to reporters
that it was not fireworks related, which
214
00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:51.960
is just.
215
00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:53.759
A crazy thing to have to clarify.
216
00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:57.159
Imagine being an NFL head coach. You are trying to
217
00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:01.360
install a complex offense, you are prep being for joint practices,
218
00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:04.759
and you have to spend time at the podium clarifying
219
00:10:04.759 --> 00:10:08.120
the exact nature of a rookie's holiday weekend slip up.
220
00:10:08.440 --> 00:10:11.320
It really brings a human element into the rigid structure
221
00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:12.759
of roster building, doesn't it.
222
00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:13.120
It does.
223
00:10:13.240 --> 00:10:16.559
One off field mistake changes the entire depth chart. But
224
00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:19.639
the medical management of Di Ditch's situation right now is
225
00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:20.879
what's really intriguing.
226
00:10:20.919 --> 00:10:21.240
Awesome.
227
00:10:21.399 --> 00:10:23.360
Well, McVeigh noted that Di Ditch is at a point
228
00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:25.720
where he can actually put a cast on his hand
229
00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:26.840
to participate.
230
00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:29.159
Hold on, let's look at the actual physics of that.
231
00:10:29.639 --> 00:10:32.879
Being able to wear a cast and being cleared to
232
00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:35.639
play NFL football are two totally different.
233
00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:36.919
Universes, completely different.
234
00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:40.600
If you are an offensive lineman, your entire job relies
235
00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:44.559
on inside hand placement. You have to grab the defender's breastplate.
236
00:10:44.600 --> 00:10:45.879
If you have a club on your hand, you can't
237
00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:47.360
grab anything exactly.
238
00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:50.240
You are reduced to just punching. Which is why his
239
00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:53.519
actual return to team practice depends entirely on the micro
240
00:10:53.639 --> 00:10:56.960
evaluations from the sports medicine and strength staffs.
241
00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:57.159
Right.
242
00:10:57.480 --> 00:11:00.840
McVeigh specifically named Reggie Scott, the you're vice president of
243
00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:04.960
sports Medicine, and Justin Lovett, the senior director of Strength
244
00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:05.600
and Conditioning.
245
00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:06.720
So they have to clear him.
246
00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:09.080
Yeah, they have to watch to Ditch hit a sled.
247
00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:11.759
They have to see if he can still anchor against
248
00:11:11.799 --> 00:11:15.200
a defensive tackle using only one functional hand. It is
249
00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:17.159
a microscopic level of detail.
250
00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:20.679
And it's not just Dititch or Davis Allen either. You
251
00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:24.919
have Pukinakua dealing with soreness in his soas which, if
252
00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:28.240
you aren't familiar, is that deep core muscle connecting the
253
00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:29.480
lower spine to the hips.
254
00:11:29.559 --> 00:11:30.759
Oh, that's a tough one.
255
00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.039
It is an absolute nightmare. If you are a receiver
256
00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:36.039
trying to drop your weight and cut on a route,
257
00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:36.919
he's day to day.
258
00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:37.279
Right.
259
00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:40.480
You have star defensive end Miles Garrett dealing with a
260
00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:44.000
knee issue, also day to day, and then offensive lineman
261
00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:47.519
key In Trost and wide receiver Mario Williams are both
262
00:11:47.559 --> 00:11:49.159
out a few weeks with hamstring injuries.
263
00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:52.759
Hamstring injuries are the absolute plague of an NFL training camp.
264
00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:53.440
They really are.
265
00:11:53.559 --> 00:11:56.799
They require absolute patients. You just cannot rush a hamstring
266
00:11:57.000 --> 00:11:58.320
or it will tear completely.
267
00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:00.960
But patients is a luxury. The Los Angeles Rams do
268
00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:01.879
not possess.
269
00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:02.879
Right now, No, they don't.
270
00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:05.559
Why is McVeigh talking about week one like it's a
271
00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:10.399
ticking time bomb? When he was discussing Davis Allen's quad injury,
272
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.960
he explicitly said that, barring a setback, there's no threat
273
00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:16.840
to Allan missing the San Francisco.
274
00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:19.120
Game because that game against the forty nine Ers is
275
00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:22.039
not just a standard Sunday afternoon divisional matchup.
276
00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:25.799
It most certainly is not. The twenty twenty six season
277
00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:28.639
opener against the San Francisco forty nine Ers is the
278
00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:31.679
first ever NFL regular season game in Australia.
279
00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:33.000
Yeah, that is massive.
280
00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:36.240
It is taking place on Friday, September eleventh at the
281
00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:37.840
massive Melbourne.
282
00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:40.399
Cricket Ground, and that completely alters the physics of this
283
00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:44.960
entire training camp. This unprecedented logistical hurdle is really forcing
284
00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:48.039
mcvay's hand on every single roster and medical decision we've
285
00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:48.759
discussed today.
286
00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:50.879
So what does this all mean. Let's really paint the
287
00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:54.120
picture of the pressure cooker this organization is sitting in. Okay.
288
00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:57.480
They aren't just figuring out if TYS. Simpson's processing speed
289
00:12:57.519 --> 00:12:59.600
is fast
enough. They aren't just trying to figure out
290
00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:02.519
if just the ditch can punch a defensive tackle with
291
00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:05.159
the cats on his hand. They have to do all
292
00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:09.840
of that while actively planning to fly one hundred plus personnel,
293
00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:13.639
tons of medical equipment, and an entire professional football team
294
00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:15.240
across the globe to Melbourne.
295
00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:18.440
This raises an important question about how teams adapt to
296
00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:22.320
massive international travel. I mean, think about the physiological toll
297
00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:25.480
of an NFL game on a human body anyway.
298
00:13:25.159 --> 00:13:28.120
It's basically a car crash every Sunday exactly.
299
00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:31.600
Now compound that with a fifteen hour flight across the
300
00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:36.759
Pacific Ocean. You are crossing the international dateline. Oh wow,
301
00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:41.919
you are completely disrupting the hyper calibrated sleep cycles, nutrition plans,
302
00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:44.879
and hydration levels of massive athletes.
303
00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:49.080
So you cannot be making desperate last minute roster tweaks
304
00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:51.799
while flying thirty thousand feet over the equator.
305
00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:55.360
You absolutely cannot. You want your roster totally locked down,
306
00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:59.080
your playbook fully installed, and your players as healthy as
307
00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:01.360
humanly possible before you board that plane.
308
00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:02.480
That makes perfect sense.
309
00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:05.360
You can't have lingering doubts about your backup quarterback. You
310
00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:07.480
can't be wondering if your tight ends quad is going
311
00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:10.320
to seize up after sitting in a pressurized cabin for
312
00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:11.519
fifteen hours, Which.
313
00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:15.799
Means these August joint practices we talked about earlier are exponentially.
314
00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:16.759
More important, Oh, incredibly important.
315
00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:19.840
The Rams have a finite number of days before travel
316
00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:23.799
logistics completely hijack their schedule. Every single rep against the
317
00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:26.960
Saints on Tuesday and Thursday carries the invisible weight of
318
00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:28.120
international preparation.
319
00:14:28.519 --> 00:14:31.600
It creates a massive sense of urgency behind closed doors.
320
00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.240
When Sean McVay says a player is day to day,
321
00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:37.440
he is looking at a calendar where September eleventh is
322
00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:40.960
circled in bright red marker. Oh yeah, every rep missed
323
00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:43.399
right now is a
rep they literally cannot afford to
324
00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:43.960
make up later.
325
00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:46.679
And to add another layer of complexity, it's not just
326
00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:50.039
a football game, right, It's a massive cultural and marketing
327
00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:53.080
event for the franchise, Oh for sure. The reports note
328
00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:57.039
the Rams are planning extensive fan experiences in community initiatives
329
00:14:57.240 --> 00:15:01.519
in Melbourne. They want to bring the roar of American
330
00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:03.039
football to the city.
331
00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:04.720
Yeah, the marketing side is huge.
332
00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:07.559
They're even bringing a piece of Los Angeles with them,
333
00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:11.799
naming Lavelle Yang Grant from the WATS Empowerment Center as
334
00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:13.960
their first playmaker of twenty twenty six.
335
00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:17.879
It is just a staggering operational challenge. The organization's focus
336
00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.919
is fundamentally split yeah. Half the building is focused on
337
00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:24.960
securing local community connections and executing this global marketing strategy,
338
00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:27.759
and the football operation side is just trying to make
339
00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:30.399
sure they can physically field a healthy team to beat
340
00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:33.440
a fierce division rival eight thousand miles from home.
341
00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:38.159
It really reframes everything we think we know about August football.
342
00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:42.000
We've taken quite a journey today on this deep dive,
343
00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:45.159
we really have. We started with the deceptive nature of
344
00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:48.639
the backup quarterback statistics and how the first quarter differs
345
00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:51.120
from the third. Right, we looked at the external stress
346
00:15:51.159 --> 00:15:54.200
test the RAMS defense needs from guys like Zach Wilson
347
00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:57.200
and Travis Httien Junior, and how the Saints losing Jordan
348
00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:00.000
Tyson actually hurts the RAMS evaluation process.
349
00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:02.039
Such a weird domino effect it is.
350
00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:05.919
We unpacked the bizarre reality of fourth of July hand
351
00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:11.159
injuries with to ditch the meticulous micro management of hamstring reabs,
352
00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:14.600
and we tied it all back to this impending historic
353
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:16.519
fifteen hour flight to Australia.
354
00:16:16.600 --> 00:16:19.559
It is an incredibly tangled web of variables, and you know,
355
00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:22.440
it really does leave you with something profound tom all over,
356
00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:25.279
What's that we spend so much time as fans arguing
357
00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:29.200
over the box scores of televised preseason games, we argue
358
00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:32.000
over who threw for more yards against a third string
359
00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.440
defense in a game that literally does not count in
360
00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:35.039
the standings.
361
00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:37.279
Right, We argue about the movie while it's playing on the.
362
00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:40.440
Screen exactly, But when you look at the totality of
363
00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:43.559
what we just uncovered, when you realize how much of
364
00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:47.159
a team's destiny actually hinges on closed door joint practices,
365
00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:51.919
how a coach's evaluation completely shifts when an opposing team's
366
00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.720
rookie tweaks a hamstring, how medical staffs have to factor
367
00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:58.840
in recovery from off field holiday accidents, and how a
368
00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:02.320
fifteen hour flight it dictates your entire medical timeline. You
369
00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:03.519
really have to wonder, is.
370
00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:07.279
The real NFL preseason the one that actually builds the
371
00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:11.200
roster and determines who eventually holds up the Lombardi Trophy
372
00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:13.359
happening completely out of sight of the cameras.
373
00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:16.119
Are we just staring at the finished product on television,
374
00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:21.160
completely oblivious to the frantic, high stakes script rewrites happening
375
00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:22.279
in the dark backstage.
376
00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:24.279
It's a fascinating way to look at the sport. We
377
00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:25.920
want to thank you for joining us on this deep
378
00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:29.160
dive into the Los Angeles Rams twenty twenty six training camp.
379
00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:29.799
It's been fun.
380
00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:32.839
We invite you to keep questioning the narrative behind the box. Course.
381
00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.160
The next time you are sitting on your couch and
382
00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:39.240
you see a backup quarterback through a beautiful touchdown pass
383
00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:42.400
in the fourth quarter of the August game, remember the
384
00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:45.359
throw that actually earned him his job might have happened
385
00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:47.519
on a quiet practice field three days prior