Sean McVay Shares Confusing Message About Tutu Atwell

"There were a couple chances that we didn't. Tutu did what he could control within the framework of what was asked of him yesterday. I love Tutu. I think a lot of stuff is made of just trying to maximize guys and there's only one football. I appreciate the heck out of the way that he's approached it. I have been pleased with some of the different things that we were able to do yesterday offensively and we'll keep growing from it and I want to try to be able to figure out a way to get him involved. It still is about moving the ball, scoring points and those are the things that I'm the most interested in while still taking advantage of guy's skill sets. I really have been appreciative of how he's handled it.”

My Take

I think that was the professional way of saying we don't need Tutu Atwell right now. McVay is a class act and part of that act is never saying anything bad about his guys...all his guys. It's why the Rams function with the efficiency that they do.

McVay keeps things in-house, so whenever he starts to say how much he loves a guy or starts commenting on professionalism, that's a nice way of saying nothing is going to change. Jonah Jackson as a prime example.

And that's okay. Maybe there's a long-term vision for Atwell, maybe Atwell is the "break in case of needing to take the top off a defense instantly" tool and that's also okay.

Atwell's targets aren't likely to improve but maybe one day they might. I don't know, I've given up on trying to find reason with this situation.

Here's what I know. Atwell is in fact a true professional; he's a bona fide Ram through and through. When the team needed him to step up he did, and perhaps his role is to bail the Rams out if Davante Adams or Puka Nacua goes out.

Maybe the Rams haven't played a team or gave Stafford the time to try and target Atwell downfield.

Who knows? But these are the facts. Atwell was heroic in the Rams' week 3 game against the 49ers last season and if the team wants to win in the playoffs, they'll need speed.

The Rams play the 49ers in less than two weeks. Let's see what happens.