Rams, Vikings Coaches Face Off in NFC Wild-Card Showdown

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Former NFL quarterback Colt McCoy watched the Week 8 “Thursday Night Football” matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings with a sense of familiarity. The Rams secured a 30-20 victory, but for McCoy, the game highlighted the coaching prowess of Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell, two of his former mentors.

“That was fun. Not surprised about that, to be honest,” McCoy told USA TODAY Sports the morning after the game. “Both of those teams are good.” McVay, head coach of the Rams, and O’Connell, head coach of the Vikings, will face off again in the NFC wild-card round Monday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Los Angeles.

McCoy, who spent six seasons (2014-19) with Washington, worked under McVay when he served as offensive coordinator and later under O’Connell as quarterbacks coach. “Listen, they’re not just playcallers,” McCoy said. “They’re schemers.” Both coaches have built high-powered offenses, with the Rams finishing 10th in passing offense this season despite injuries to key receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. The Vikings ranked sixth in the same category.

McVay and O’Connell’s paths have been intertwined since their time in Washington. McVay joined the Rams as head coach in 2017, and O’Connell followed as his offensive coordinator in 2020. After the Rams won Super Bowl LVI, O’Connell was hired as the Vikings’ head coach in 2021. “To learn those systems and how they call plays and how they coach, that was the best,” McCoy said.

McCoy, who played for the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers before joining Washington, credited McVay and O’Connell with reigniting his passion for football. “I just didn’t want to leave (Washington) because I knew what I had with those guys,” he said. “It was really special.”

The two coaches remain close friends, with O’Connell calling McVay one of his “best friends.” O’Connell, a California native, expressed concern for McVay and the Rams organization amid recent devastation in the state. However, Monday night’s game will be a strategic battle between two coaches who know each other’s tendencies. “Everything is schematically put together for what you’re doing,” McCoy said. “It’s cool to see things match up.”

The winner of Monday’s game will advance to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round, setting the stage for another high-stakes showdown.