The Rams weren’t supposed to make the playoffs, let alone enter the postseason as one of the hottest clubs in the league. With a completely revamped defense besides Aaron Donald, 2023 was pegged as a resetting year for a  team whose “screw them picks” mantra had left it a top-heavy club.

A 3-6 start to the season contained flashes that McVay’s club could be so much more. With Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams returning down the stretch, the Rams won seven of its last eight games entering Sunday night — the only blemish an OT road loss to the AFC’s No. 1 seeded Baltimore.

“Nobody gave us a chance to even be sniffing where we are right now, and [we] gave a really good football team a run for their money,” Stafford said. “Didn’t get it done, but proud of the guys, proud of their effort from the coaching staff, players, everybody involved in it. It was a fun year, a hell of a year and something to be proud of.”

Sunday’s game unfolded much like the Rams season, with a shaky start leading into a flourishing finish. Red zone failures — an area of weakness all year — and questionable game management moves by McVay, including two blown second-half timeouts and late short field goals, ultimately led to a one-point loss on the road.

There are no consolation prizes in the NFL, but the Rams have to feel good about where they’re at moving forward. Stafford played exceptionally behind an improved offensive line. Puka Nacua is a star. Williams is perfect for McVay’s offense. The young players on defense, including stud rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young, provide building blocks.

The biggest looming offseason question is whether defensive coordinator Raheem Morris — who deserves a ton of credit for how the uber-young defense responded all season, including bowing up in the second half Sunday — gets a deserved head-coaching job. But with McVay and Stafford set to return, the rays of hope are bright for the Rams moving forward.

“I think the further that you get away from the raw emotions of it, the more appreciation they’ll have for what they did,” McVay said. “And I think there’s a lot of things that we can build on, but you got to do it. … And this group is an example of it. The preseason stuff doesn’t mean s—. You got to be able to go earn it. And every single year is a new year, but I do think we’ve got a lot of really key and critical guys that we’re excited about building and continuing to develop and work with.”