McVay's illness didn't slow down the Rams. They got a healthy victory before bigger tests arrive

LOS ANGELES — Sean McVay fell ill last Friday night, and he was forced to miss parts of the Los Angeles Rams' final weekend preparations while he traveled to Arizona separately from his team.

The machine McVay has built during his nine years in charge kept purring anyway.

With offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur taking an increased role in the game plan and Matthew Stafford controlling the field, the Rams routed the Cardinals 45-17 Sunday for their seventh win in eight games since early October. Los Angeles (10-3) also returned to the top overall spot in the NFC standings.

“The approach that we’re typically accustomed to taking on Saturday leading into Sunday, I missed a large portion of that,” a slightly healthier McVay said Monday. “Whether it’s dialogue in the walkthroughs or dialogue with Matthew in terms of how we categorize how we want to call the game, we were able to do that collectively.”

The Rams have secured double-digit victories for the seventh time under McVay, the winningest coach in franchise history. They did it Sunday with LaFleur giving the staff's collaborative play calls to Stafford, just in case McVay didn't feel well during the game.

“Mike ended up having that yesterday because of some of the things that I missed, and he did a phenomenal job and made some great decisions,” said McVay, who has called the Rams' plays for his entire tenure.

The Rams as a whole didn't appear to be seriously ailing even after their rain-soaked, turnover-plagued loss at Carolina last week, but they snapped back into top form during their trip to Arizona. That's a testament to the Rams' steadiness under McVay, whose teams have repeatedly rebounded from adversity with a tenacity that most NFL teams struggle to match.

Los Angeles' offense racked up 7.9 yards per play and 30 first downs while Stafford received “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants from the road crowd, and Blake Corum got a career-high 128 of the Rams' 249 yards on the ground. The Rams' defense was good enough to win, holding the Cards to 180 yards and nine first downs on their first nine drives.

McVay said he was “on the mend” Monday after his rough weekend, which started when his toddler son got sick and passed the illness to his parents. A burst of in-game adrenaline got McVay through Sunday, but he felt terrible again on the short plane ride home.

He’ll need to recover quickly: The Rams are getting a visit from powerhouse Detroit on Sunday, followed by a Thursday night trip to Seattle for a critical game in the NFC West race.

What's working

McVay's newest offensive fascination is evolving. The Rams added three-tight-end offensive sets to their game plans in mid-October, and they increased that usage to unprecedented heights at Arizona. All three healthy tight ends played at least 45 snaps, significantly more than any receiver or running back. The tight ends combined on five catches for 53 yards and Colby Parkinson's touchdown, but they also cleared lanes for Kyren Williams and Corum on a 530-yard offensive day.

What needs help

The secondary is still vulnerable in Quentin Lake's absence, as evidenced by Michael Wilson's 11 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Opponents who can get the ball out quickly to three or four capable receivers will be able to cause trouble for Los Angeles — although that's true for most of the league.

Stock up

The Rams’ offensive line was excellent, dominating on run plays while also allowing no sacks and just two quarterback hits on Stafford. This line doesn’t have a probable All-Pro candidate, but the group has been effective all season long, even after Warren McClendon Jr. had to take over for injured veteran Rob Havenstein at right tackle.

Stock down

The Rams have one of the NFL's best receiver duos in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, but a dependable third wideout has not emerged — making McVay's sets with multiple tight ends even more important. Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith and rookie Konata Mumpfield had one short catch apiece at Arizona, and the Rams have just 37 total receptions for 531 yards and two TDs all season by wide receivers who aren't Nacua or Adams.

Injuries

Speaking of third receivers, McVay said he still hasn't decided whether to activate Tutu Atwell, who has recovered from his hamstring injury. The $10 million receiver will be lost for the season if he doesn't come out of the 21-day practice window this week.

Key number

49 — The Rams' total touchdowns this season, tops in the NFL, after they produced three rushing TDs and three passing TDs for the first time since Dec. 30, 2001.

Next steps

McVay said he doesn't change preparations when the Rams are facing two games in five days, but he was grateful to get several offensive starters off the field in the fourth quarter at Arizona. The Rams know all about the challenge posed by Jared Goff and the Lions, who have beaten LA in each of the past two seasons.