NEWSLETTER
Not to be out-done by a head coach who is 39 years his junior, Los Angeles Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips opened his Thursday press conference by naming every Chicago Bears offensive starter:
Wade Phillips talks Bears offense, @dantefowler's addition + @AaronDonald97 being really, really good. pic.twitter.com/qjiGyfsL0d
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 6, 2018
Impressive. Most impressive.
Sean McVay threw down the gauntlet and became a viral sensation when he rattled off nearly all of the Bears’ defensive starters on Wednesday. Because while McVay knocked out 11 key contributors on the Bears defense, he forgot Eddie Goldman – the nose tackle who figures to be in the middle of it all when it comes to stopping Todd Gurley and an impressive Rams rushing attack. But the 71-year-old Phillips showed the old guys can hold their own, too. Well done, coach.
Phillips is undoubtedly a national treasure among NFL fans. He has been coaching football since 1969 and has been in the NFL since 1976 with stops as a defensive coordinator in Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Denver (twice), Buffalo, Atlanta, San Diego, Houston, and now Los Angeles with the Rams. And while his head-coaching stints never ended in a Super Bowl win, he posted an 83-69 record – not bad for a guy pegged as “just a defensive coordinator” by many over the years.
While the matchup between the Bears defense and Rams offense is expected to be a treat that pits two strengths against each other, we figure to see a good old-fashioned showdown between the young, innovative play-calling mind of Matt Nagy leading the Bears offense against the seasoned know-how of Phillips orchestrating the Rams defense. The game within the game matchup here could produce an instant classic.
Is it Sunday yet?
