Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford gives his teammates credit for a fantastic season as Los Angeles pushes for the playoffs.
Though ardent supporters have known this entire season that Matthew Stafford is playing some of his finest football of his life, it wasn’t until the Los Angeles Rams began piling up victories that people began to take notice.
With one month remaining, Stafford’s Rams are 6-7 and first in line outside of the three NFC wild-card places. That in and of itself is a significant accomplishment, especially given where they started in 2023, and a lot of it is due to Stafford’s performance.
There are a few things that have helped and hurt Stafford’s season-long success. The arrival of Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson has given Los Angeles’ struggling offensive line a major boost. After suffering a neck injury, Stafford was able to recover completely during the second half of the 2022 season. Puka Nacua, a rookie wide receiver, has adapted to the professional game remarkably quickly. And because he knows he can rely on Stafford to finish the job, offensive genius Sean McVay has made the most of this group’s potential.
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Stafford would be the last to take credit for the Rams’ unexpected season, in true Stafford way.
According to The Associated Press, Stafford told reporters on Wednesday, “If I’m playing well, that means the guys in front of me are blocking, the guys on the outside are getting open and catching it, and we’re running the ball efficiently.” It’s a fantastic team sport. Everyone is required to do the task. I’m just trying to make sure that I go out there and perform my job as best I can when my number is called and everything is around me.”
For the most part of 2023, Stafford has performed very well on the field, but he has been even better in thefinal three weeks. In the last three games with the Rams, he has thrown three touchdowns or more, completed 63.1% of his throws, and has a 10-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, good for a passer rating of 111. In terms of points per game, yards per play, total yards per game, rushing yards per game, and giveaways, Los Angeles is among the top three teams and has won two of its last three games.
The return of running back Kyren Williams, who is averaging 110 scrimmage yards per game and looking like a store-brand Christian McCaffrey in Los Angeles’ offense, corresponds with this increase in output. In contrast, Nacua had over 1,100 receiving yards the previous weekend, making him the ideal foil for Cooper Kupp in an offense that can now target secondaries with players other than the MVP of Super Bowl LVI.
All of this is fantastic, but none of it would be possible without Stafford, the accurate, strong-armed quarterback who has led this offense ahead with his years of expertise. With Stafford leading his attack, McVay has every option at his disposal, and the outcomes—particularly of late—are evident.
On Wednesday, McVay told reporters, “He’s played like Matthew.”
He’s clearly in good health and plays like a terrific player. He’s spreading the football really well. Guys are fighting fiercely for and around him, and he has excellent control over what he observes. (The last two opponents) are unquestionably among the best defenses in the country.
“I think he’s played really well when you look at the fourth quarter in Seattle (in Week 11), and then the last 12 quarters when you combine Arizona, Cleveland and Baltimore.”
In Week 14, Stafford faced off against Baltimore, the AFC’s current #1 seed, in an overtime thriller. This weekend, he’ll take on a less stingy defense in Washington, where the Rams will begin a last-gasp effort that will essentially require them to win every game left.
game to cap off a triumphant campaign.
Based on the way Stafford and Co. have performed in the past month, it’s reasonable to assume they’ll finish the job in Week 15.
“I’m always trying to improve, trying to get better week to week,” Stafford stated. “What’s expected of me is different during every game. I always have to go out there and play at a high level during that week, but sometimes it’s not like that. Simply pleased with the boys.”