With Sean McVay, Rams have coaching edge in most 2026 NFL matchups
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.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: ChiefsMcVay 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: PushShanahan 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: PushIt’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 Bow...