The Rams hit the jackpot when they hired Sean McVay as their head coach in 2017. In the nine years he’s been in Los Angeles, the Rams have reached the playoffs seven times and been to the Super Bowl twice, winning once.
He’s one of the game’s great offensive minds and has a deft feel for players, motivation and leadership.
He gives the Rams a coaching edge nearly every time they take the field.
Here is a ranking of the head coaches McVay and the Rams face this season and who has the edge.
1. Andy Reid, Chiefs, Week 13
Reid is the standard-bearer by which current NFL head coaches are judged, having led two different teams to the Super Bowl and winning three Super Bowls with the Chiefs. His offensive acumen is legendary; his play designing, calling and aggressiveness are among the best in league history.
McVay is well on his way to reaching Reid-like heights, although we wonder if he wants to coach as long as Reid, who is heading into his 28th season.
Edge: Chiefs
2. Mike Macdonald, Seahawks, Weeks 16 and 18
McVay and Macdonald make for one of the NFL’s most intriguing coaching matchups now, as they literally go head-to-head: McVay is one of the league’s great offensive masterminds, and Macdonald is his defensive equivalent.
It’s neck-and-neck with these two masterminds, but Macdonald has a 3-2 edge in their matchups, including winning the last two to beat the Rams for the NFC West championship and then punching the Seahawks’ ticket to the Super Bowl.
Edge: Push
3. Kyle Shanahan, 49ers, Weeks 1 and 14
Shanahan and McVay essentially grew up together in the coaching ranks and spent formative years together as Washington assistant coaches under Kyle Shanahan’s father, Mike Shanahan.
They are great friends and fierce competitors who push each other to greatness.
Edge: Push
4. Sean Payton, Broncos, Week 3
It’s not like Payton needed to reprove himself as one of the best coaches of his era after leading the Saints to their most successful run in franchise history, including a Super Bowl championship.
But his return to the coaching sidelines in Denver, where he has led the Broncos to the doorstep of the Super Bowl, reaffirmed just how good he is at leading football teams.
He can cement his status if the Broncos can win a Super Bowl.
Edge: Rams
5. Jim Harbaugh, Chargers, Week 8
Harbaugh has a way of getting the most out of football teams, as evidenced by his memorable stints with Stanford, the 49ers and Michigan.
He has led the Chargers to two playoff appearances in his two seasons in Los Angeles, proving he didn’t lose his NFL touch during his time at Michigan, his alma mater.
The goal now is not just to get to the playoffs but to advance.
Edge: Rams
6. John Harbaugh, Giants, Week 2
It will be difficult to get used to Harbaugh coaching the Giants after spending the last 18 seasons as the head coach in Baltimore. But sometimes change is needed, and at this stage of his illustrious career, Harbaugh has the chance to write a second act for himself on the biggest stage.
He builds tough, smart, competitive teams, and you can count on that eventually being the case in New York.
Edge: Rams
7. Matt LaFleur, Packers, Week 12
Another good friend of McVay’s — they coached together in Washington, and LaFleur was McVay’s first offensive coordinator when McVay took over the Rams in 2017 — they carry many of the same attributes in terms of offense and handling all the various personalities and complexities of a professional football team.
LaFleur has done a solid job with the Packers, but the goal now is to be better in the playoffs, where Green Bay has a 3-6 record under LaFleur.
Edge: Rams
8. Nick Sirianni, Eagles, Week 4
The Eagles have had tremendous success under Sirianni, even winning a Super Bowl. So, why do we sometimes wonder if they did so because of Sirianni or despite him?
The bad rap he sometimes gets will fade if the Eagles can get their offense back on track this season. But from our vantage point, that might be easier said than done.
Edge: Rams
9. Dan Quinn, Commanders, Week 9
Despite taking the Falcons to the Super Bowl and the Commanders to the doorstep of one in his first season in Washington, Quinn remains one of the NFL’s most underrated coaches.
Injuries derailed the Commanders last year, Quinn’s second in charge, but if Jayden Daniels can stay healthy, this is a team to watch. And Quinn is the right man in charge.
Edge: Rams
10. Klint Kubiak, Raiders, Week 7
Kubiak is in his first season in Las Vegas and his first as a head coach. So it’s tough to say just how good he will be now that he’s in charge.
But there is a reason Tom Brady and Raiders general manager John Spytek immediately identified Kubiak as the coach they wanted to partner with young quarterback Fernando Mendoza. He understands quarterback play, he’s an innovative playcaller and play designer, and based on feedback from players who worked with him, he knows the right buttons to push.
Edge: Rams
11. Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys, Week 15
Schottenheimer did a solid job in his first season with the Cowboys last year — which was also his first time as a head coach — albeit on one side of the ball.
The Cowboys scored the seventh-most points in the NFL, and Schottenheimer played a big role in that.
The problem? His defense was the league’s worst.
Edge: Rams
12. Todd Bowles, Buccaneers, Week 17
Bowles is 61-74 in his nine seasons as an NFL head coach, and while he’s typically had the Buccaneers in contention during his four seasons in Tampa Bay, at best, they are usually on the fringe.
Solid but hardly noteworthy. After last season’s 8-9 finish, some wondered if the Buccaneers would go in a different direction. He gets one more season to push them to a higher plateau, but don’t be surprised if there is a change at the end of the season.
Edge: Rams
13. Joe Brady, Bills, Week 5
This ranking is not a knock on Brady, it’s just the unknown he represents as a first-time head coach.
As an offensive coordinator, he was fired midway through his second season with the Panthers but was instrumental in bringing balance and more efficiency to the Bills’ offense when he took over playcalling duties 10 games into the 2023 season.
He has a chance to establish himself in a great situation in Buffalo. It will be interesting to see how it plays out and how he is viewed.
Edge: Rams
14. Mike LaFleur, Cardinals, Weeks 6 and 10
LaFleur is in his first season as a head coach, so it’s tough to say exactly how things will play out. Chances are, he could be much higher on this list next year, depending on how the Cardinals do this season.
That said, it will be an uphill climb in Arizona, where the talent is as thin as it gets. The former Rams offensive coordinator will have to weather that storm, but there appears to be an understanding among the Cardinals that it’s going to take time to get things turned around.
Edge: Rams
