When Sean McVay arrived with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017, he was labeled a 30-year-old offensive “whiz kid.” Eight seasons later, he’s far more than that. McVay has become the complete package for the Rams, shaping all three phases of the game while still staking his reputation on play design and play calling. According to a poll conducted by The Athletic, 10 defensive coaches voted on the NFL’s best offensive play caller. Kyle Shanahan ranked first, with McVay coming in second.
NFL Coach Ranking From Rams Offensive Whiz Kid to the NFL’s Best Play Caller
Get your Puka-Flex T-Shirt Here
Ted Nguyen of The Athletic captured the league’s perception best: “I think he can just see it live the best. He has a full Rolodex of plays. He can get to anything on his call sheet, but he can also get to anything in his head. If he needs to adjust in-game, he can completely come up with a new game plan on the spot.
“So it’s almost to the point now where he’s seen a lot. He has such a good memory of everything, with 12 years of experience calling plays and reacting to stuff. If you’re playing this (defense), he’s going to go to this … and he can do it in a second. That’s weird that he can just adjust so easily.”
That adaptability is what separates McVay today from the coach who struggled in Super Bowl LIII, when Bill Belichick’s 6-1 front flustered him. Those growing pains are long gone. He’s evolved from a rigid outside-zone, play-action scheme into a flexible, quarterback-driven attack that empowers Matthew Stafford at the line of scrimmage.
Despite injuries across the roster in 2024 — from Puka Nacua’s five missed games to Cooper Kupp’s regression — McVay’s offense remained efficient, ranking eighth in success rate and 10th in DVOA. He’s drawn some criticism for red-zone calls and third-down strategy, but the bigger picture is clear: his creativity with route combinations, pre-snap motion, and heavy use of 11 personnel consistently puts his players in positions to succeed.
Defensively, Los Angeles was inconsistent, ranking 28th in EPA per play. Yet in the postseason, Chris Shula’s group showcased creativity, notching nine sacks in a wild-card win over Minnesota. McVay’s fingerprints remain primarily on the offense, but his steady hand across the roster has kept the Rams competitive during roster turnover and Aaron Donald’s retirement.
As Ben Solak wrote, “McVay is a whiz kid-turned-whiz man.” The league agrees — and it now views him as the best play caller in football.
Subscribe to LAFB Network’s Los Angeles Rams YouTube Channel