The Los Angeles Rams are consistently proving themselves to be one of the smartest and most successful teams in the NFL, not just because of their scheme and personnel, but due to a high-level leadership approach led by Head Coach Sean McVay. Their recent success, particularly on offense, can be tied to a specific personnel adjustment and, more importantly, the genius way McVay handled the change publicly.
This major Rams change was centered around rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson. Despite a slow start to his NFL career, Ferguson began making plays on the scout team that were impossible to ignore. McVay’s “genius move” was not the decision to play him, but the way he talked about it afterward. McVay publicly admitted (per Rams Wire) to a self-deprecating flaw, stating that Ferguson’s performance on the scout team made him feel “dumb” for not finding ways to get the tight end involved earlier. When many experts were championing the Ram’s coaches decision to play the young tight end, McVay instead berated himself publicly for not doing it sooner.
This move carried significant strategic weight. By openly declaring, “I screwed up,” McVay instantly defused any potential internal rumblings among players and staff about why a talented player was being held back. It sets a powerful leadership tone that even the team’s “genius” coach is flawed, authentic, and willing to correct a mistake when the data or performance demands it. This transparency fosters belief and loyalty among the players, preventing the kind of buy-in issues that have plagued other coaching regimes. It also sends a clear message to the entire roster that regardless of draft status or past role, players will be rewarded with playing time if they perform and force the coaches’ hands.
Ferguson’s integration into the offense perfectly aligns with the Rams’ recent surge in offensive production, primarily by allowing the team to utilize 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) and 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends). This offensive strategy uses condensed formations to force defenses to play tight, allowing the Rams to hit them downfield with passing plays. The data (courtesy of Tru Media) confirms the massive impact this has had on the Rams offense. LA’s Offensive Total Expected Points Added (EPA) has surged over the last three games—the best three-game stretch of their entire season.
This improvement perfectly coincides with Ferguson receiving significantly more playing time, culminating in his first start against the San Francisco 49ers. It was no coincidence that the Rams highest offensive EPA of the season than occurred against San Francisco. Ferguson has emerged as a key part of this offensive attack, and Sean McVay (while blaming himself for not unleashing the rookie sooner) is very keen to leverage the young tight end’s talents.
The Rams are demonstrating that they are not a stubborn team. They are willing to change their game plan based on performance data and flexible enough to implement structural shifts mid-season. This combination of intelligent tactical adjustments and emotionally mature leadership makes the Rams one of the most dangerous and consistently successful teams in football.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the Saturday Morning Inspection YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
