John Streicher could be the incremental difference versus Eagles
Sean McVay made a key coaching hire after last year’s playoff loss to the Detroit Lions, and now it’s time to see if that decision will pay dividends for the Los Angeles Rams. They’ll need every advantage they can get this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the postseason.
Game management has been a weakness for #Rams HC Sean McVay, but that may change in 2024
After the playoff loss to Detroit, McVay repeatedly expressed remorse for not being aggressive enough on 4th down
Last week, he hired John Streicher to be his coordinator of football… pic.twitter.com/1rZgFLyQ2U
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) February 23, 2024
John Streicher, game management coordinator, was brought in to help McVay with clock management, fourth down decisions, and other areas to find a competitive edge over opponents. Before joining the Rams, he spent the previous six years with the Tennessee Titans with his most recent role being director of football administration.
There’s not much known about Streicher himself or his exact contributions to the team; however, his presence has clearly made a difference in how the Rams approach fourth down. Here’s an excerpt from Turf Show Times’ own Blaine Grisak in October:
Again, it made a lot of sense that the Rams would want to take a different, more modern approach here when it comes to fourth downs. They ranked 27th in win percentage gained from going for it on fourth down in 2023. Hiring a coach that could take that responsibility off of McVay’s plate made a lot of sense.
The hire of Streicher has already paid off five weeks into the 2024 season. Through the first five weeks, the Rams have gone from one of the most conservative teams to one of the most aggressive. So far this season, the Rams are 6-for-11 on fourth downs. Their 11 attempts are tied for the fifth most. Among teams with at least five fourth down attempts, their 54.6 percent success rate is the 11th best.
It can be difficult to make a clear decision when the results don’t always have a positive outcome. It’s certainly possible that negative experience led to McVay not going for it as often as he should have in the past. By hiring Streicher, McVay brought in somebody who could help make an unbiased decision for him.
Why Streicher could be key for Rams vs Eagles
Los Angeles is a clear underdog in the divisional round. They’ll also be traveling to Philadelphia where the weather forecast suggests a high likelihood of snow.
If the Rams can create an advantage in terms of game management—scoring before the half, stealing possessions, conserving timeouts, and more—then they can whittle away the margin that the Eagles have on paper as the favorite.
McVay has to feel confident with the way the offense performed last week. Give Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams, et al every opportunity to keep drives alive and put touchdowns instead of field goals on the board. It’s not that you feel confident in your defense. There’s no reason to think that after last week. It’s a chance to be the aggressor and dictate the terms against a team that might is heavily favored to win.
