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The Rams thought about returning from their parting with the declining Christian McCaffrey in their lineup against the 49ers, but they will instead face him for the second game in a row.
McCaffrey was part of the Panthers team that lost to the Rams in week six and he will face them this week as a member of the 49ers. The 49ers outbid the Rams to get McCaffrey in a trade late last week, and head coach Sean McVay told reporters Monday that his first reaction to news of the deal was, “Oh, they’re getting another great player.”
“I think he’s a phenomenal player,” McVay said at a press conference. “Of course we saw him recently. I have always had respect for his playing and his versatility. I think that’s your first inclination, and then you know what a great job Kyle [Shanahan] and his staff maximize and utilize versatile offensive weapons. That was my first reaction. Then you say as a competitor: ‘Hey, they have it.’ We should be able to move forward accordingly and as luck would have it they are on the schedule this week.”
McVay called making trades that help your team while keeping rivals from bolstering their own a “healthy approach” and said he likes the “good competitive edge” the Rams have with their NFC West rivals. He’ll probably be even happier if the Rams can end a seven-game run against the 49ers in the regular season.