Former Rams WR Contrasts Sean McVay With Mike Tomlin

Wide receiver Allen Robinson had the rare opportunity to play for two of the league’s best head coaches over the past three seasons, and ESPN took the opportunity to have him compare and contrast the potential Hall of Famers.

On Monday’s edition of NFL Live, Robinson led off with Sean McVay, his head coach with the Rams during a difficult 2022 season following their Super Bowl victory.

“Coach McVay is kind of like a mad scientist,” said Robinson, who had 339 yards and three touchdowns on 33 catches for the Rams in 2022. “I think he's really transcended the offenses to where they're at now, and a lot of teams are chasing that. When you see the different variations of motion, when you see the different formations, the bunches, the stacks, I think he really has set himself aside and put himself in a league of his own.”

Another reason McVay’s in a league of his own, Robinson said, is the coach’s four-dimensional memory.

“He would recall different schemes and different player tendencies,” Robinson remembered, “and also, I remember during training camp, right after a practice, he's sending me clips already of different plays and stuff. So, for him, his recall of plays and what's going on and player tendencies is on a level that I haven't seen before.”

Robinson has seen a lot. Currently a free agent who’s likely to sign with a team needing a wide receiver in the next six weeks, he’s played 11 NFL seasons with the Jaguars, Bears, Rams, Steelers and Lions.

Los Angeles traded Robinson to Pittsburgh before the 2023 draft, giving him an opportunity to play for Tomlin. When Gregg Popovich stepped down with the San Antonio Spurs earlier this spring, Tomlin became the longest-tenured head coach in any of the four major North American sports. Among countless “Tomlinisms,” Robinson said he had a particular favorite.

“Put your eyelids on,” Robinson said of Tomlin, who reportedly considered pursuing Matthew Stafford this past offseason. “He would say that a lot, and not only does he say that, but he puts it in perspective as far as what will happen during the game.”

One of those games was Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over McVay and the Rams at SoFi Stadium in 2023. The Steelers erased the Rams’ 17-10 fourth-quarter advantage with two touchdowns. Embodying the personality of their prophetic head coach, Pittsburgh capitalized on Brett Maher’s two missed field goals.

“He was telling us how much the special teams were going to be involved that week,” Robinson recalled of Tomlin. “He told the rushers, ‘Just continue to rush, pin your ears back, and do not let up, and that kicker is going to miss a kick.’ And sure enough, we went to that game, and it was an impactful, impactful play in the game, and the kicker missed it.

“When you see things like that, that he speaks of during the course of the week, and when you see it come to fruition on Sunday, and it happens time and time and time again … at that point, whatever he says, guys are believing.”

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