McVay won't rest Rams starters: 'They're playing'

""Oh, we're playing," McVay said Monday night after the Rams' 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. "Yeah, they're playing.""

""No, they were going to play anyways," McVay said. "We need to play. We need to play better football. So I don't know what the consequences are in those different types of things, but we got to play better.""

""Nothing [the Falcons] did, to be honest with you," Stafford said. "Same kind of stuff they've been doing all year. We didn't execute well enough. I obviously didn't play well enough and that's what it is.""

The Los Angeles Rams will play their starters in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals, coach Sean McVay said after a 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. McVay framed the decision as necessary to improve play, departing from past seasons when key players, including Matthew Stafford, were rested. The Rams (11-5) can reach the No. 5 NFC seed with a win and a Seahawks victory over the 49ers; otherwise they would be No. 6. Stafford acknowledged poor performance, completing 22 of 38 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. The team has lost consecutive games for the first time since early 2024.

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