THOUSAND OAKS — Sean McVay, perhaps the most excitable coach in the NFL, can say a lot in 25 seconds. Rams quarterback Jared Goff is charged with processing all those words.

Is it too much? After studying film, writers and commentators theorized this week that McVay feeds audible calls to Goff, through in-helmet communication, while the Rams are at the line of scrimmage.

That is, even in the strictest of NFL rules interpretations, totally legal. A coach is allowed to talk to his quarterback until the 40-second play clock ticks to 15, at which point communication is cut off. That time typically is used to call plays while players are in the huddle, but in the Rams’ case, it seems as though they sometimes get to the line of scrimmage early, then have McVay make calls or adjustments.

McVay has come under some media criticism from pundits who apparently feel that relaying audibles to a quarterback is a step too far. Quarterbacks, some said, should have to make some decisions on their own, and not be force-fed information about what plays to audible to, and where to throw the ball.

“To say you’re in his ear – and I’ve seen some of the things out there – I think it’s a discredit to what Jared has done,” McVay said after Wednesday’s practice at Cal Lutheran.

“With the experiences that I’ve had in Washington (as offensive coordinator) and here, it’s totally the quarterback’s discretion as to whether they want me to talk to them and give them reminders, or if they say, ‘Just give me the play and let me play the position.’”

If anything, McVay is just doing a better job of maximizing his time by speeding up the Rams, and both Goff and McVay noted that Goff has the ability to ignore McVay and change to something totally different.

McVay said that, to his knowledge, most NFL coaches operate the way he does, going up to the 15-second mark of the play clock if needed. Both Goff and McVay seemed a bit flummoxed that commentators around the league might take issue.

“Sometimes he talks all the way up to 15 seconds,” Goff said of McVay. “Sometimes he talks for five seconds. Sometimes he talks for 10 seconds. It all varies. Just like every other quarterback in the league, it stops at 15 seconds and we run the play. But he’s great on the headset, though. He does a great job, and gives me as much or as little information as I need.”

It doesn’t seem to be a problem within the league, though, perhaps because McVay isn’t the only coach to do it. He’s just the first one to be noticed. The Rams play Arizona on Sunday, and during a conference call on Wednesday, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians expressed no problem with McVay’s communication.

“It’s not the first time it’s been done, that’s for sure,” Arians said. “When you have a young quarterback in a new system, it helps tremendously. You wish you could talk to him all the way to five seconds, but when they cut it off at 15, it’s hard. But no, that’s a great tool.”

Not everyone agrees. Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms went on a national radio show Monday and declared McVay’s tactics to be not only “cheating” but also “immoral,” a rather personal level of vitriol.

Simms didn’t mention that, just as McVay can be in Goff’s ear when the Rams are at the line of scrimmage, it’s not an inherent advantage. The opposing defensive coordinator is allowed to talk to one of his players – usually the middle linebacker – until the same 15-second mark on the play clock.

So, yes, McVay might be clueing in Goff on which matchup to exploit but, at the same time, the defensive coordinator very well could be exhorting his linebacker to blitz through a certain gap.

“It’s about the players,” McVay said. “If you have some players who like to have some extra information, great. They can always decipher whether they utilize it or not. The players I’ve been around, they like that. But it is a part of the game and it’s something that we’re utilizing in different ways.”

Regardless, it’s still up to Goff to make the plays, and last Sunday against New Orleans, he showed that his success isn’t completely dependent on McVay.

Late in the second quarter, Goff dropped back, stood in the pocket and motioned for rookie receiver Josh Reynolds to change his route. Reynolds cut to the back of the end zone and Goff threw a 7-yard touchdown pass which gave the Rams an important 10-point lead.

“That was all him. That was a bad call by me,” McVay said. “He did an excellent job to be able to sit in there, to remain a passer with great protection. He was directing traffic, and that’s what special players do. … Josh and him are on the same page, and he delivers a great ball.”

INJURY REPORT

Starting cornerback Kayvon Webster missed Wednesday’s practice with an ankle injury, as did Reynolds. Tight end Tyler Higbee was out with an illness, receiver Robert Woods remained out with a shoulder injury and offensive linemen John Sullivan and Andrew Whitworth and linebacker Mark Barron got their typical Wednesday rest days.

Cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman (thigh) and running backs Malcolm Brown (knee) and Lance Dunbar (knee) were limited in practice.

PRO BOWLERS?

Five Rams players lead their respective positions in Pro Bowl fan voting, with two weeks remaining, so the team could be well-represented when the all-star game is played Jan. 28 in Orlando.

Running back Todd Gurley, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, kicker Greg Zuerlein, punter Johnny Hekker and return specialist Pharoh Cooper are atop NFC voting. Goff is third among NFC quarterbacks, behind Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz and New Orleans’ Drew Brees, but ranks eighth in votes among all players.

Online fan voting continues until Dec. 15, and the fan vote will be used as one component of the roster selection, along with coach and player voting.