136-647: Sean McVay (born January 24, 1986) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He became the youngest NFL head coach in the modern era when he was hired by the Rams in 2017 at the age of 30. McVay is also the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl and be named NFL Coach of the Year . Prior to becoming Rams head coach, he served as
272-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
408-484: A quarterback and defensive back for the War Eagles high school football team and the first player in school history to amass 1,000 yards rushing and passing in consecutive seasons. McVay totaled 2,600 yards rushing and 40 rushing touchdowns during his career and also passed for 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns, leading the War Eagles to a 26–3 record, including a 14–1 record and state championship his senior year, when he
544-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
680-532: A 42–7 road victory and the Tennessee Titans in a close 27–23 road victory although they still lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 43–35. McVay's first season with the Rams saw them dramatically improve their record from the 2016 season, finishing with the team's first winning season and division title since 2003 and its first playoff berth since 2004 . In the process, the Rams became the first team to have
816-593: A 9–7 record. The Rams started the season 3–0, winning against the Carolina Panthers , New Orleans Saints , and Cleveland Browns . However, they then lost three straight to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Seattle Seahawks , and San Francisco 49ers . Before a Week 9 bye, they won two games against the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals . The Rams then won four and lost four. The team faced problems during
952-642: A B.S. in Health and Sports Studies. McVay began his coaching career as an assistant wide receivers coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008 under head coach Jon Gruden . In 2009, McVay was the quality control/wide receivers coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League (UFL). With Florida, McVay first worked under Jay Gruden , who was the Tuskers offensive coordinator. In 2010 , McVay
1088-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
1224-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
1360-579: A former model from Ukraine whom he met when he was a coach for Washington and she was a student at George Mason University . He and Khomyn previously lived in Encino along with Chris Shula , then the Rams linebackers coach, as a housemate. They were engaged on June 22, 2019, while vacationing in Cannes, France. They married on June 4, 2022. The couple have a son, born in October 2023. McVay's grandfather, John McVay ,
1496-503: A franchise quarterback. Becoming the full-time starter in 2015 , Cousins led the Redskins to back-to-back winning seasons, throwing for over 9,000 yards and more than 50 touchdowns. In 2016 , Cousins was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time. McVay's success with Cousins made him an attractive head coaching candidate and following the season was interviewed by both the Los Angeles Rams and
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#17330939327371632-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change
1768-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
1904-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
2040-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
2176-496: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton
2312-559: A month, and that, combined with injuries to quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp , hampered the Rams who dropped three straight games going into the bye week. Los Angeles returned from the break and gutted out a 17–16 win over Seattle, then crushed Arizona (37–14) and Cleveland (36–19) before falling 37–31 to the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens on the road. With Williams surpassing 1,000 yards rushing, Nacua setting numerous NFL rookie receiving records and
2448-467: A nine-game regular season losing streak to L.A.'s northern California nemesis. The Rams' 10–7 record improved McVay's regular season win total to 70 and overall win total (including playoffs) to 77, both second-most in franchise history behind John Robinson . Shortly after Los Angeles had clinched a playoff berth, McVay publicly declared that he intended to return as the team's head coach for the 2024 season . In an NFC Wild Card game played at Ford Field ,
2584-474: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
2720-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as
2856-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
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#17330939327372992-456: A rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over
3128-494: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with
3264-581: A score of 16–10. Regardless, in just five games, the Rams offense scored a total of 142 (later 151) points, a league leader and franchise high. The Rams went on to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road by a score of 27–17 in Week 6 and the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 33–0 in an NFL International Series game for the team's first shutout win since 2014 , as well as raising their record to 5–2 for
3400-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
3536-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following
3672-570: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . 2016 Washington Redskins season The 2016 Washington Redskins season
3808-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
3944-440: A team rebuild loomed during the offseason. Despite McVay having signed an extension prior to the previous season, speculation arose that the Rams head coach would not want to take part in a rebuild and would instead step away from the team before the next season began. Shortly after the regular season finished, sources stated that McVay would stay as head coach for the next season. Throughout the offseason, media outlets ruminated over
4080-504: A tight ends coach and offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins . Within his first year, McVay turned a Rams team that had the league's lowest scoring offense the previous year into the top-scoring team of 2017 en route to a division title. The season also marked the Rams' first winning record since 2003 and first playoff appearance since 2004. Over the following seasons, McVay led the Rams to two Super Bowl appearances and won
4216-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish
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4352-480: A winning record. All 2015 contracts expired to coincide with the beginning of the 2016 NFL League Year at 4:00 EDT on March 9, 2016. However, before that date, all teams had until March 1 to place the franchise tag on a player, and could begin negotiations with a player's agent on March 7. On March 8, the Redskins released S Dashon Goldson , DE Jason Hatcher , QB Robert Griffin III , and S Jeron Johnson . On April 14,
4488-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with
4624-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
4760-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
4896-563: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,
5032-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
5168-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
5304-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
5440-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
5576-584: The Arizona Cardinals . The Rams then beat the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football 26–17, then defeated the New York Giants on the road by a score of 38–11 the following week. Wins at home against the Detroit Lions (28–19) and on the road against Houston Texans (38–22) pushed the Rams' record to 7–1. However, the Rams stumbled as they passed the midway point of the season, losing 28–16 to
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5712-756: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;
5848-646: The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions (as the NFC North was the only division besides the NFC East to send more than one team to the 2016 postseason) and a game against the sole AFC North 2016 playoff team (the Pittsburgh Steelers ); the Redskins' 2–5 record in these contests was a major reason they did not return to the playoffs. As of 2023, this is the last time that the then-named Redskins have finished with
5984-697: The Jacksonville Jaguars , then followed that up with an impressive 30–23 road victory over the Cardinals, which vaulted the Rams back into the NFC West race. Despite a two-day delay due to COVID-19 precautions, the Rams beat the Seahawks 20–10 at SoFi Stadium to improve to 10–4, then scored impressive road wins over the Minnesota Vikings (30–23) and the Baltimore Ravens (20–19) to clinch an NFC playoff spot. However,
6120-604: The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . Following a Week 2 27–20 loss to McVay's former team, the Washington Redskins , the Rams pulled off a close 41–39 road victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football . During Week 4, the Rams turned a 16–24 deficit into a 35–30 upset road victory over the Dallas Cowboys , but they lost their next game to NFC West division rival Seattle Seahawks at home by
6256-584: The NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but
6392-592: The NFC Championship Game , the Rams rallied from a 10-point deficit to defeat their other NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers, by a score of 20–17, with McVay winning his second conference title and advancing to Super Bowl LVI , where the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 23–20, rallying with a late touchdown to win. The victory made McVay the youngest head coach in NFL history to win
6528-524: The New York Jets , 49ers, and Seahawks. After a 30–20 road victory over the Seahawks in the Wild Card Round , McVay and the Rams visited the first-seeded Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field , who were led by one of McVay's former offensive coordinators, Matt LaFleur . The matchup was the postseason contest with the youngest combined age between both head coaches in more than 50 years. The Rams lost on
6664-459: The Philadelphia Eagles (30–23), both on NBC Sunday Night Football . The Rams bounced back to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 31–9 and San Francisco 49ers 48–32 in the final two weeks to finish the regular season with a 13–3 record, tied for the second-most wins in franchise history. In the Divisional Round , the Rams defeated the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 30–22. The following week in
6800-479: The San Francisco 49ers . On January 12, 2017, McVay was hired to become the 28th head coach of the Los Angeles Rams at the age of 30 years, 354 days. The hiring made him the youngest head coach in the NFL's modern era, surpassing Lane Kiffin , who was 31 years, 259 days old when hired by the Oakland Raiders in 2007, and the youngest since 27-year-old Art Lewis became interim head coach of
6936-594: The Tennessee Titans and was not replaced. The Rams started the season 8–0, their best start to a season since 1969 , but they lost in New Orleans to the New Orleans Saints in Week 9 by a score of 45–35 to fall to 8–1. After defeating the Seattle Seahawks 36–31 in Week 10, the Rams beat the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 54–51 in Week 11 on Monday Night Football in a highly anticipated matchup that
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#17330939327377072-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform
7208-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of
7344-545: The forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered
7480-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
7616-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance
7752-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
7888-510: The " Sean McVay effect ". Coaches who were hired as a result of this trend include Matt LaFleur (six years older than McVay), Zac Taylor (three years older), and Kevin O'Connell (eight months older), who all served as offensive assistants to McVay, along with Mike McDaniel (three years older), who was on the Washington Redskins coaching staff with McVay from 2011 to 2013. Others have also cited McVay's offensive success to resulting in
8024-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement
8160-552: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap
8296-530: The Arizona Cardinals, by a score of 34–11. With the win, McVay's record over the Cardinals improved to 10–1 over five seasons. The following week, the Rams traveled to Tampa Bay and narrowly beat the Buccaneers 30–27. The win put the Rams into the NFC Championship Game for the second time under McVay's leadership, giving him his fifth postseason victory, the most in team history. Returning to SoFi Stadium for
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#17330939327378432-608: The Goldson trade). During the draft, the Redskins swapped first-round selections (#21 for #22) with the Houston Texans in exchange for their 2017 sixth-round selection, traded their 2016 fourth round selection (#120) to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the Saints' fifth-round selections in 2016 (#152) and 2017, and traded their fifth-round selection (#158) to the New York Jets in exchange for their 2017 fourth-round selection. After
8568-620: The Los Angeles Rams lost a close contest 24–23 to the host Detroit Lions , in what marked in Detroit's first playoff win in 32 seasons . Following the game, McVay gave much praise to his team, which defied most expectations in reaching the playoffs in what many considered to be a rebuilding year. "Man, did I learn a lot and really appreciate this group," McVay said following the end of his team's season. "They helped me find my way again." In 2024, Sean McVay entered his eighth season as head coach of
8704-407: The Los Angeles Rams, reinvigorated after considering retirement during the previous offseason. Despite McVay’s renewed enthusiasm, the Rams faced difficulties early in the season, starting with a 1-4 record by mid-October. Their sole victory came in Week 3, a 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers. However, the team struggled with consistency, particularly on defense, but McVay remained optimistic about
8840-508: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from
8976-564: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by
9112-450: The Rams displayed unexpected resilience against a trio of teams widely expected to contend for the Super Bowl . The emergence of rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua and second-year running back Kyren Williams propelled Los Angeles to a 29–23 overtime win at Indianapolis in Week 4 and a 26–9 rout of Arizona at home in Week 6 to even the Rams' record at 3–3. But Williams suffered a severe ankle sprain that sidelined him on injured reserve for
9248-452: The Rams from 1983 to 1991. McVay has served under four head coaches: Six of McVay's assistants have been hired as head coaches in the NFL or NCAA: Because of McVay's success as the Rams head coach at a young age, as well as his offensive prowess, NFL teams have started to look more towards younger offensive-minded coaches to be their head coaches, as opposed to coaches with defensive backgrounds or more experience. This trend has been coined
9384-598: The Rams in 1938. McVay would remain the youngest head coach in the NFL until the New England Patriots hired Jerod Mayo on January 12, 2024, exactly seven years to the day after McVay was hired by the Rams. McVay inherited a Rams team that finished 2016 in last place in points, total yards, touchdown passes and first downs, a team later ranked as having the second-worst offense of the decade based on Football Outsiders ' DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) statistic. On January 19, 2017, veteran coach Wade Phillips
9520-514: The Rams started off the first half of the 2020 season going 5–3, with wins over the Philadelphia Eagles , New York Giants , Washington Football Team , and Chicago Bears . However, they lost to the Buffalo Bills , San Francisco 49ers , and Miami Dolphins . The Rams finished the season with a 10–6 record with wins over the Seattle Seahawks , Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Arizona Cardinals , and New England Patriots . Their remaining losses came against
9656-574: The Rams' dismal 2022 season , and with the team handling $ 75 million in dead cap money along with a roster filled with first- and second-year players, few outside the franchise organization expected the team to compete for the playoffs. A winless (0–3) preseason in which the Rams were outscored 109–34 did little to dispel the pundits' pessimism. The Rams opened the season with a surprisingly strong 30–13 rout of host Seattle . Though Los Angeles dropped three of its next four games against San Francisco (30–23), Cincinnati (19–16), and Philadelphia (23–14),
9792-541: The Redskins waived OLB Jackson Jeffcoat . The 2016 NFL Draft occurred from April 28 to April 30, 2016. Going into the draft, the Redskins had eight selections, two of which were from another team: the additional seventh-round (#232) selection from the Dashon Goldson trade in 2015 and a sixth-round selection (#187) from the New Orleans Saints (the Redskins sent their sixth-round selection to Tampa Bay as part of
9928-455: The Steelers having lost five consecutive games against Pittsburgh dating back to 1991. They scored an average of 8.2 points per game in those five losses. The Redskins' 22-point defeat was their worst in a Week 1 game in 15 years. It was also their worst opening day home loss since 1966. The Redskins defense had a very hard time containing DeAngelo Williams as he exploded for 143 rushing yards and
10064-473: The Super Bowl at age 36. Prior to the season opener, the Rams announced that McVay and General Manager Les Snead had signed extensions with the team, keeping them with the franchise until the 2026 season. McVay and the Rams would host the Buffalo Bills in their first game for the 2022 season, where they unveiled their Super Bowl championship banner at SoFi Stadium . The Rams would lose 31–10, in what would be
10200-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
10336-550: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of
10472-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
10608-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except
10744-516: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with
10880-543: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of
11016-541: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of
11152-471: The controversial NFC Championship Game , the Rams beat the Saints on the road by a score of 26–23 in overtime on a game-winning field goal by Greg Zuerlein in overtime to send the Rams to Super Bowl LIII , their first NFL championship appearance since Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. It was also the Rams' first Super Bowl appearance while based in Los Angeles since Super Bowl XIV in 1980. At age 33, McVay became
11288-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
11424-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
11560-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
11696-488: The development of younger players, emphasizing that the 2024 season felt like "Year 1 again" as the team transitioned into a new era. Following the bye week, the Rams earned back-to-back home wins against the Las Vegas Raiders (20-15) and Minnesota Vikings (30-20). With the latter, McVay became Rams franchise all-time leader in overall coaching victories with 80, surpassing the total of 79 by John Robinson , who coached
11832-680: The draft, the Redskins signed 14 undrafted college free agents to the team as part of the off season roster: Front office Head coaches Offensive coaches Special teams coaches Strength and conditioning Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. at FedExField , Landover, Maryland First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers Top rushers Top receivers The Redskins entered this Week 1 matchup against
11968-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
12104-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
12240-463: The fast rise of Kliff Kingsbury (six years older), who was ousted as head coach of a struggling Texas Tech program to being hired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in a period of three months. This term would later be expanded to include the hiring of relatively younger head coaches with defensive backgrounds as well. McVay resides in Hidden Hills, California with his wife, Veronika Khomyn,
12376-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from
12512-426: The first time McVay would lose a season opener, and the first time he would have an active season record under .500. McVay and the Rams struggled to defend their title throughout the season, as the team lost key members Matthew Stafford , Cooper Kupp , and Aaron Donald to injury for significant portions of the year. Injuries led to the team turning to former #1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to start at quarterback for
12648-460: The first time since 2004 (the last time the team made the playoffs) and a first-place lead in the NFC West . McVay coached the Rams to a blowout against the New York Giants in their highest-scoring game, a 51–17 road victory, raising the Rams' record to 6–2. The Rams would win another home game against the Houston Texans by a score of 33–7 to raise their record to 7–2, which was their best record of
12784-416: The football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from
12920-559: The franchise's first since 1999 in Super Bowl LVI . His success in Los Angeles is credited with spawning the " Sean McVay effect ", in which NFL teams were more inclined to hire younger, offensive-minded head coaches. McVay was born in Dayton, Ohio , the son of Tim and Cindy McVay. Sean's father, Tim, played football as a defensive back at Indiana University . His family lived in Dayton until Sean
13056-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
13192-618: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect
13328-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
13464-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
13600-539: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,
13736-441: The impressive play of rookie defensive stars Kobie Turner at nose tackle and Byron Young at linebacker, the Rams rolled to four straight victories to end the season. Back-to-back home victories against Washington (28–20) and New Orleans (30–22) were followed by a narrow 26–25 victory over the New York Giants that clinched a playoff berth (McVay's fifth in seven seasons), and a 21–20 win in Week 18 at San Francisco that ended
13872-448: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced
14008-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
14144-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
14280-473: The playoffs, the Redskins finished the season with a record of 8–7–1, which was the first consecutive winning seasons for the team since the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Along with the Philadelphia Eagles , Washington was the only team in 2016 that played seven regular-season games against teams that would reach the playoffs: four games combined against the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, games against
14416-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
14552-541: The primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,
14688-429: The primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in
14824-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
14960-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
15096-425: The regular-season ended with a 27–24 overtime loss to the 49ers, in which the Rams squandered a 17–0 lead. Despite the loss, the Rams' first under McVay after they had led at halftime (a streak of 45 straight games), the Rams claimed the NFC West division title by virtue of Arizona's loss to Seattle that same day. In the first NFL playoff game played on Monday Night Football , the Rams defeated their NFC West rival,
15232-696: The remainder of the season. Mayfield finished the year with a 2–3 record with wins coming against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football and the Denver Broncos on Christmas . But with consecutive road losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks , the Rams would finish 5–12 and miss the playoffs in McVay's first losing season as a head coach. With the Rams having traded significant draft capital and given notably high contracts to pursue their Super Bowl championship, many predicted that
15368-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
15504-530: The road by a score of 32–18 in the Divisional Round . There were high expectations for the Rams after trading for former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in the offseason. The Rams opened the season at home against the Chicago Bears and won 34–14. They then won their next two games against the Indianapolis Colts , and the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers before losing to
15640-499: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain
15776-402: The season due to a combination of factors and lost in heartbreaking fashion on the road by a score of 34–31 against the 49ers, which eliminated the Rams from the playoffs. Los Angeles finished the season at 9–7 with a season-ending 31–24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the team's final game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . After a win over the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener,
15912-423: The season since 2001 . In Weeks 11 and 12, the Rams lost to the Minnesota Vikings on the road by a score of 24–7 but won at home against the New Orleans Saints 26–20 to raise their record to 8–3. During a Week 13 32–16 road victory over the Cardinals, the Rams achieved their first winning season since 2003 . The next weeks: Week 14, Week 15, and Week 16, the Rams had two victories over the Seattle Seahawks in
16048-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
16184-539: The sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of
16320-439: The sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized
16456-523: The top scoring offense in the league a year after finishing with the lowest the previous year. McVay made his playoff head coaching debut against the Atlanta Falcons , but the Rams lost in the Wild Card Round by a score of 26–13. On January 19, 2018, he was named NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press . Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur left his position with the Rams on January 30, 2018, to move up to play caller as offensive coordinator for
16592-404: The visiting Tennessee Titans during Week 9 on Sunday Night Football , then getting routed 31–10 by the host San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 10. After a Week 11 bye, the Rams' losing streak continued when they lost to the Green Bay Packers on the road by a score of 36–28, falling to a 7–4 record. The Rams snapped their losing streak with a 37–7 blowout at home against
16728-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
16864-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
17000-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of
17136-472: The youngest head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl . However, the success would be short-lived, as the Rams would fall to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots , with the Rams failing to score a single touchdown in the 13–3 loss (the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history). The 2019 season was a disappointment, as the Rams were victims of the Super Bowl Losers' Curse and missed the playoffs with
17272-454: Was also an NFL head coach, having coached the New York Giants from 1976 to 1978 before going on to serve as an executive for the San Francisco 49ers from 1980 to 1996. McVay was raised Catholic . # denotes interim head coach American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on
17408-615: Was also named the Georgia 4A Offensive Player of the Year over future NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson . McVay attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio , where he played college football as a wide receiver from 2004 to 2007, earning Miami's Scholar-Athlete Award in 2007. McVay recorded 39 receptions for 312 yards for the RedHawks in his college career. He graduated from Miami in 2008 with
17544-453: Was hired as defensive coordinator. On February 8, 2017, McVay hired Matt LaFleur as his offensive coordinator . LaFleur had previously worked with McVay in Washington when McVay was tight ends coach and LaFleur was quarterbacks coach. On September 10, 2017, McVay made his regular-season head coaching debut against the Indianapolis Colts , and led the Rams to a 46–9 victory in a home game at
17680-410: Was hired as the assistant tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins under head coach Mike Shanahan . The following season, McVay was promoted to tight ends coach, a position he held through the 2013 season. On January 14, 2014, McVay was promoted to offensive coordinator by new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden. Over the next three seasons, McVay had a direct impact in developing Kirk Cousins into
17816-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,
17952-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football
18088-462: Was originally scheduled to be played in Mexico City , but was shifted to Los Angeles due to poor field conditions. Following a bye week, the Rams traveled to Detroit and defeated the Detroit Lions by a score of 30–16 to clinch their second straight NFC West title. McVay then endured his first losing streak as a head coach as the Rams stumbled in back-to-back losses to the Chicago Bears (15–6) and
18224-542: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to
18360-523: Was six years old. His grandfather, John McVay , was the head football coach at the University of Dayton from 1965 to 1972, head coach of the New York Giants later in the 1970s, and general manager of the San Francisco 49ers for the team's five Super Bowl championships during the 1980 and 1990s. McVay graduated from Marist School in Brookhaven, Georgia , in 2004. He was a four-year starter at Marist as
18496-503: Was the franchise's 85th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 20th playing their home games at FedExField and the third under head coach Jay Gruden . The season saw the Redskins play in London for the first time in franchise history, where they tied the Cincinnati Bengals 27–27. After a disappointing loss in the final week to the New York Giants , the Redskins were eliminated from playoff contention. Despite missing
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