{"id":226362,"date":"2025-10-20T07:37:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T07:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/226362\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T07:37:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T07:37:07","slug":"with-his-top-weapon-sidelined-sean-mcvay-proves-the-ultimate-chameleon-nfl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/226362\/","title":{"rendered":"With his top weapon sidelined, Sean McVay proves the ultimate chameleon | NFL"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the Los Angeles Rams took the field on Sunday at Wembley Stadium to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, they did so without their best offensive weapon in receiver Puka Nacua, who was out with a sprained left ankle. Given that the Jaguars\u2019 defense has been spicy at times<\/a> under first-year coordinator Anthony Campanile, perhaps Jacksonville could come out with a win that would send them to 5-2 on the season.<\/p>\n

That was \u2026 not how things transpired. The Rams won going away, 35-7, and Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 21 of 33 passes for 182 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 117.7. Stafford became the eighth quarterback in pro football history<\/a> to throw five or more passing touchdowns with fewer than 200 yards; the last to do it was Jameis Winston for the New Orleans Saints against the Green Bay Packers on 12 September 2021.<\/p>\n

While Jacksonville\u2019s offense had a very tough go against the Rams\u2019 defense, the Rams\u2019 offense was just about unstoppable under head coach Sean McVay. In previous years, the Los Angeles\u2019 primary offensive shot-caller has preferred 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three receivers) more than any other personnel grouping. Per Pro Football Focus, the Rams ranked first in 11 personnel rate in the 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons (and 2017 was McVay\u2019s first season with the team).<\/p>\n

But with Nacua out, McVay went completely against his own tendencies with a ton of 13 personnel packages: one running back, three tight ends, and one receiver. The Rams hadn\u2019t run a single passing play all season with 13 personnel, and had just eight running plays with it. McVay started to introduce it in week six against the Baltimore Ravens after Nacua was injured with 10:02 left in the first quarter, and all eight 13 personnel plays against Baltimore were running plays.<\/p>\n

Against the Jaguars, and knowing full well that he wouldn\u2019t have Nacua \u2013 who has become a top-five receiver in the NFL<\/a> \u2013 McVay leaned heavily into the 13 personnel archetype. By the end of the game, they\u2019d run 24 plays out of 13 personnel. To put that in perspective, the Pittsburgh Steelers led the NFL with 49 plays out of 13 personnel total from weeks one through six.<\/p>\n

Three of Stafford\u2019s touchdown passes came out of 13 personnel, including one to Davante Adams<\/a>, who replaced Nacua as Stafford\u2019s favorite target. Adams caught five passes on eight targets for 35 yards and three touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Since we\u2019re delving into history, Adams is the 11th player ever<\/a> to finish a game with three or more rushing touchdowns and 35 or fewer receiving yards. Tight end Shane Zylstra did it for the Detroit Lions on 24 December 2022 (26 yards and three touchdowns), and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs did it (and then some) against the Las Vegas Raiders on 10 October 2022 with 25 receiving yards and four touchdowns.<\/p>\n

The 5-2 Rams now have a bye, and their next game is against the New Orleans Saints on 2 November. They expect Nacua back for that one, and with McVay dialing it up as he is, this is an offense nobody wants to deal with.<\/p>\n

Even the offensive linemen were celebrating<\/a>!<\/p>\n

MVP of the weekPatriots quarterback Drake Maye waves to fans following Sunday\u2019s win at the Titans. Photograph: George Walker IV\/AP<\/p>\n

Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots. Speaking of offenses nobody wants to deal with, how about the suddenly resurgent New England Patriots, who marched to 5-2 on the season following their 31-13 thrashing of the Tennessee Titans. This game was personal for New England head coach Mike Vrabel, who was fired as the Titans\u2019 head coach<\/a> on 9 January 2024 following a second straight losing season, but a 54-45 overall record.<\/p>\n

Vrabel would need Maye, the second-year star from North Carolina, to make that revenge happen, and Maye was all about it. He completed 21 of 23 passes for 222 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 135.9. In this game, Maye broke Tom Brady\u2019s franchise record for completion percentage in a single game with a 91.3% rate, besting the GOAT\u2019s 88.5% against the Jaguars<\/a> on 27 December 2009.<\/p>\n

Maye wasn\u2019t just throwing underneath stuff, either. He completed seven of nine passes of 10 or more air yards for 149 yards and both of his passing touchdowns, and even the announcers (including former New England cornerback Jason McCourty) weren\u2019t fully ready for Maye to do what he did.<\/p>\n

Last week, my esteemed colleague Oliver Connolly went deep on how Maye<\/a> has become a Pro Bowl-level quarterback (as I did separately in an article and video<\/a>). After this game, any argument to the contrary would be rather silly.<\/p>\n

The Vrabel hire has been a triumph for the Patriots, a lost organization in the last days of Bill Belichick in 2023 and under former head coach Jerod Mayo in 2024.<\/p>\n

As for the Titans, who fired head coach Brian Callahan last week? Not so much.<\/p>\n

Video of the week<\/p>\n

You may or may not enjoy Patrick Mahomes\u2019 State Farm commercials, but it appears as if Mahomes\u2019 acting chops are starting to pay off on the field. At the start of the second quarter in Kansas City\u2019s 31-0 beatdown of the Las Vegas Raiders, Mahomes appeared to be trying to draw the Raiders offside, yelling pre-snap that \u201cThis fucking never fucking works, man!\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, Mahomes handed the ball to running back Kareem Hunt, who gained three yards on fourth-and-1, extending the drive.<\/p>\n

This may be the sharpest thing I\u2019ve ever seen. Andy Reid is a genius.<\/p>\n

Mahomes tries to draw Raiders offsides then proceeds to say \u201cthis never works\u201d then snaps the ball and they get the 1st Down \ud83d\ude02 pic.twitter.com\/KsrWmUUafl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) October 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Not exactly Sir Laurence Olivier, but it\u2019ll do.<\/p>\n

Stat of the week<\/p>\n

30. That\u2019s the number of first downs the Chiefs had in that Raiders game \u2026 and it\u2019s also the number of plays the Raiders were allowed to run. It\u2019s the fewest plays any NFL<\/a> team has run since the Browns ran just 28 in a 43-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 12 September 1999, in the franchise\u2019s return to Cleveland with the \u201cNew Browns\u201d.<\/p>\n

Pete Carroll\u2019s Raiders had no expansion excuses. They gained 85 total yards, and were 0-for-7 in third down conversions. That\u2019s a great way to get off the field before having to run too many of those cumbersome plays.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere around the league<\/p>\n

The wildest game of the day took place in Denver, where the Broncos spotted their guests, the visiting New York Giants, a 19-0 lead before going to work in the fourth quarter. The Broncos scored 33 points in the final 15 minutes, becoming the first team in pro football history to score that many points after being shut out in the first three quarters of a game.<\/p>\n

One sequence seemed to put the nail in the coffin for the Broncos, but Sean Payton\u2019s team managed to overcome it. With 1:08 remaining, the Giants had fourth-and-19 from their own 26-yard line, but rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart hit receiver Wan\u2019Dale Robinson for exactly 19 yards. Not that Dart needed to, as Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers was flagged on a suspect roughing the passer call<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos celebrates after his team’s 33-32 victory over the New York Giants. Photograph: Matthew Stockman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Two plays later, Dart threw deep downfield to receiver Beaux Collins, and Broncos cornerback Riley Moss was flagged for an even more suspect pass interference call<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That put the ball on the Giants\u2019 two-yard line, and Payton added another yard to that with an unsportsmanlike conduct call for earholing referee Brad Allen (whose legacy is \u2026 not exactly great<\/a>). Dart ran the ball in for a go-ahead touchdown, but kicker Jude McAtamney missed his second extra point of the game, which meant that the Broncos could still win with a field goal.<\/p>\n

Which they did as time expired<\/a>. And there was your 33-32 final.<\/p>\n

The Indianapolis Colts came into Sunday\u2019s game against the Los Angeles Chargers ranked first in Offensive DVOA<\/a> (FTN\u2019s opponent-adjusted efficiency metrics), and their 38-24 win, which took them to an NFL-best 6-1 record (pending what happens with the 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night) did nothing to darken the team\u2019s prospects. Daniel Jones, the former New York Giants first-round bust, continued his amazing career recovery with 23 completions in 34 attempts for two touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 113.4. But the real star of the game was running back Jonathan Taylor, who totaled 94 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 16 carries.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the third time this season that Taylor has scored three rushing touchdowns<\/a> in a game \u2013 he did so in week three against the Titans, and in week five wagainst the Raiders. At this rate, Taylor has a decent shot to be the first running back to win an NFL Most Valuable Player award since Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings did it at the end of the 2012 season.<\/p>\n

Not only did the Browns roll over the Miami Dolphins by a 31-6 score for their second win of the season; they also did so with a remarkable rookie class. The Browns became the first team this decade to have rookies lead them in passing yards (quarterback Dillon Gabriel), rushing yards (running back Quinshon Judkins), receiving yards (tight end Harold Fannin Jr), and tackles (linebacker Carson Schwesinger) in any game.<\/p>\n

The Browns are still trying to return to relevance, but with a rookie class like this, and an extra first-round pick in 2026 due to the trade that allowed the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up and select Travis Hunter, the future actually looks somewhat bright for a franchise that has spent most of this millennium on the wrong side of everything.<\/p>\n