THOUSAND OAKS — The Rams hope Sean Bowl III is different from the first two.
Sunday’s game in Buffalo will be the meeting of Sean McVay and Sean McDermott as the Rams’ and Bills’ head coaches, but they matched wits when they were coordinators.
McDermott, Carolina’s defensive coordinator from 2011 to 2016, twice outshined McVay, Washington’s offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016, with the Panthers winning regular-season games 44-16 in 2015 and 26-15 in 2016.
The two coaches will try to learn from the tendencies each other showed back then, while realizing they now have new roles, teams and rosters.
“We certainly are aware of what great a job he (McDermott) did as a defensive coordinator going back to Carolina when I was in Washington,” McVay said Wednesday. “But it’s different. We have different players. He’s adjusted and adapted. We’ve got some things that is totally different from how we operated in Washington.
“But there’s a lot of really good tape that they’ve put out there,” McVay said of the Bills. “Really (in) all three phases, but on the defense side they’ve been really tough.”
The Bills have ranked second, third and fifth in yards allowed in the past three of McDermott’s four years as Buffalo coach.
The Rams were second, seventh and fifth in yards gained in McVay’s first three years in charge.
“It’s a big challenge for our defense against their offense. They’ve got a tremendous system,” McDermott said Wednesday. “Sean McVay does a tremendous job.”
Injury updates
Rams running backs Cam Akers (separated rib cartilage) and Malcolm Brown (broken left pinky) and cornerback Darious Williams (Achilles tendonitis) missed Wednesday afternoon’s practice.
McVay said Monday that Akers is day to day but he expects Brown and Williams to play at Buffalo on Sunday. All were hurt in the Rams’ win at Philadelphia.
Left guard Joe Noteboom (calf strain) is headed for injured reserve. That will keep him out at least three weeks under 2020 roster rules, rather than the usual six weeks.
It wasn’t clear who will replace Noteboom on the active roster. He’ll be replaced on the offensive line by David Edwards, who filled in for most of the second half against the Eagles. Edwards played the last seven games at right guard as a rookie, one of nine Rams linemen to start in an injury-ravaged 2019 season.
“That’s where the benefit of some of the tough times last year serve you well,” McVay said. “The amount of experience he got last year is invaluable for us. He has a comfort and a rapport playing with Austin (Blythe) and Andrew (Whitworth), and I thought that showed.”
Honored
Inside linebacker Micah Kiser was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after making 16 tackles, 11 solo, and forcing a fumble in his second NFL start.
The former University of Virginia star missed all of last season after tearing a pectoral muscle in training camp, something Rams teammates had in mind when they gave Kiser an ovation Wednesday.
“You could really appreciate how much guys are pulling for one another, and how happy and excited they are for Micah after some of the things he’s gone through to put himself in this position,” McVay said.
“He was having to make a lot of space tackles where he’s one on one with a really good player in (Eagles running back) Miles Sanders. It wasn’t like the ball was finding him. He was finding the ball.”
On Breonna Taylor
Rams wide receiver Robert Woods said it was “pretty tough” to hear that a Kentucky grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police officers in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor.
“A lot of people were pushing just for justice,” said Woods, who has done radio commercials for LAPD recruitment, is outspoken on social-justice issues and involved in promoting voter participation.
“(For) intruding, invading someone’s home and causing a death, it seems quite logical for there to be some type of punishment. It comes down, and more officers get away with it, and no repercussions.”
Said Rams quarterback Jared Goff: “It’s unfortunate. I go back to what I have said all offseason: It’s our job to make some change, to make things happen. It’s every person of every color, religion, everything, that is responsible. And I think that when we are in our position of leadership within a community, it’s our job to hold that as a responsibility and take it seriously.”
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