Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford Destroys Narratives Against Cardinals

After a three-game losing skid for the Los Angeles Rams in November, the headlines had reached another level. Raheem Morris needed too be fired and the NFL had figured out Sean McVay. Les Snead overpaid for stars in a year that maybe the team just wasn’t as good as originally thought.

The loudest noise however came surrounding quarterback Matthew Stafford. Many were calling for a re-evaluation of the trade and wondering if moving Jared Goff was the correct decision. Stafford threw three pick sixes in consecutive weeks, and fans and media alike were questioning if the signal caller was severely overrated. Is he even an upgrade over Goff? Can he beat good football teams? On Monday Night, Stafford put the narratives to bed.

The Los Angeles Rams got hit hard with injuries, and several positive COVID tests. This left Stafford without his right tackle Rob Havenstein, and running back Darell Henderson on offense. Defensively, the Los Angeles Rams were without All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and several other key pieces. This HAD to be a Matthew Stafford game.

It’s almost as if he heard the outside noise and criticism of his play, and was hell bound on proving everyone wrong. Stafford made a ton of big time throws and put the offense on his back. He finished the game 23-30, for 287 yards and three touchdown passes.

Stafford commanded the short-handed Rams with confidence, poise, and swagger. He made about two handfuls of uncanny throws, with his most impressive being the 52 yard touchdown to Van Jefferson in the third quarter. That’s not to mention the 44-yard strike to Kupp, or the no look beauty to Kendal Blanton.

The talent that the Los Angeles Rams traded for was on full display - his arm strength, accuracy, and pocket mobility. This was one of the reasons that the Rams made the blockbuster trade. The other, was something his counterpart in the trade lacked.

Maybe more impressive was the consistency. There were none of the high throws or throws that were slightly off the mark that required adjustment. Every throw was on the mark. The Cardinals defense could only stand and watch. Too often in the past, the Rams had struggles with consistency at quarterback in big games.

Stafford delivered every throw, accurately and on time. There were no errant passes, turnovers, or near turnovers. He controlled the game, making his best throws in the biggest moments of the game. The Los Angeles Rams have championship aspirations, and that’s what a championship quarterback does.

Stafford now has 33 touchdowns on the season, which puts him on pace to pass Kurt Warner’s single season franchise record of 41. He’s on pace for 5,097 yards, which would also be a franchise record. Even in the midst of the struggles, Stafford is having an all-time historic season.

The Los Angeles Rams played great on defense with the loss of some key players, and the running game was very productive for the second consecutive week. However, make no mistake about it, the Rams came out with the victory because of the performance of Matthew Stafford. He is everything the Rams hoped for when they made the trade.

Monday Night was unquestionably the best performance of the Stafford era so far. Hopefully there are far more games like this in the future. With the number one seed and NFC West crown still in play, the Rams will need more of these types of performances down the stretch.

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Donald Wilson

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