Sean McVay would like to remove Australia from the Rams’ travel itinerary.
Possibly forever.
The Rams coach was discussing putting the 27-7 loss to the 49ers in Melbourne behind his team when he offered a suggestion that probably will not make it into the franchise’s international marketing materials.
“We’re not playing in Australia ever again, I hope,” McVay said. “Not because it wasn’t a great atmosphere, that’ll get taken out of context.”
He saw the headline coming and supplied it anyway.
Half serious and fully aware of how the comment would travel, McVay sounded like a man who enjoyed the hospitality considerably more than the football.
There is one small complication with his proposed travel policy: Australia is part of the Rams’ international marketing territory.
The people responsible for growing the franchise’s presence there might have thoughts about abandoning the continent after one loss.
McVay’s vote has been recorded. It might not carry the room.
What he really wanted was some distance from a game the Rams would prefer not to revisit.
Preferably with assistance from Hollywood.
“That game is so far. … It’s almost like you try to do the ‘Men in Black’ thing where you say, ‘Hey, I don’t remember what happened. That was so long ago,’” McVay said.
Unfortunately, the NFL does not issue memory-erasing devices alongside its game film.
The Rams will have to settle for playing better.
With the Giants coming to SoFi Stadium on Monday night, McVay emphasized preparation, concentration and bringing an edge to the next challenge.
His players, meanwhile, were not treating the trip as an explanation that needed to follow them home.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford offered a straightforward assessment of any lingering effects.
“Not too bad, not too bad,” Stafford said. “Obviously, the travel was what it was. But no, I feel ready to rock and roll.”
Receiver Davante Adams was even more direct about separating the flight from the football.
“We can sit here and try to make excuses and say it’s because of the flight all we want. But at the end of the day, I didn’t feel tired. I didn’t feel crazy fatigued in the game and I felt good enough to go out there and put what we’ve typically put on tape,” Adams said. “We can make excuses all we want, but they played better than we did and that’s what I attribute that to more than the flight.”
So the Rams are moving forward, with their quarterback feeling ready and their receiver declining to blame the airline.
Their coach would simply prefer that the next flight come with fewer time zones.
And no return ticket to Melbourne.
