Even after the defeat against the Carolina Panthers, the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay has been calm and composed. This defeat forced the Rams to drop from the top NFC team to the second spot. Yet, McVay said the seeding did not matter, and the only goal now is beating the Arizona Cardinals. However, a health update on the Rams’ head coach has started circulating, and it is not the kind of headline Rams House expected to see this week.

According to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, McVay is not traveling with the team. He will fly alone to Phoenix after dealing with an illness.

Meanwhile, Adam Schefter reported something that stunned even rival fans. Sean McVay is still planning to coach on Sunday.

Rams fans are torn. They love the toughness, but they also don’t want their coach pushing himself past the limit. Even so, this is exactly how McVay has always been.

Right now, the Rams sit at 9-3; meanwhile, the Chicago Bears sit at 9-3 and own the top NFC seed.

So, naturally, the question popped up this week. Do McVay and his locker room care about that battle at SoFi Stadium, one of the loudest buildings in football? His answer was blunt.

“It’s not important to me at all,” McVay said via Gary Klein of the LA Times when asked if his team is chasing the No. 1 spot in the NFC.

Even quarterback Matthew Stafford echoed the same sentiment.

“That’s the last thing on my mind at the moment,” he said.

Last game, the Panthers broke the Rams’ six-game streak. Now everything feels tense, but the Rams coach wants his team to bounce back this week.

Sean McVay keeps the focus on finishing strong

The Rams are still chasing control in the NFC West, and they know one slip can cost everything. So Sean McVay reminded his locker room what matters.

“Last week serves as a phenomenal reminder of… you get all ahead of yourself; we won’t even be in the playoffs if we’re not careful,” McVay said.

Now the picture gets tighter. Yes, the Rams look postseason-bound, but the division is far from safe. The Seattle Seahawks also sit at 9-3, and the 49ers Faithful watch San Francisco at 9-4, both still pushing for that top seed. Meanwhile, playoff projections are everywhere, and anyone following the NFC knows the margin is razor-thin.

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McVay knows it too. Still, he refuses to let that become the conversation.

“I’m not naive to the fact that every time you flip on NFL Network or ESPN or you’re watching games… and it pops up,” McVay said. He added, “Our guys see it, but I think they’re also smart enough and humble enough to know that none of it really matters. … It’s something that you’re aware of, but it doesn’t move the needle for us at all.”

Next comes a tough stretch. First, Detroit after the Cardinals’ game this Sunday, then a Thursday night showdown against the Seahawks. After that, a road trip to Atlanta and a season finale at home against the Cardinals. So now the question becomes simple. Can the Rams finish strong and hold the top of the West or not?