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For the first time since 2020, Matthew Stafford will go head-to-head against Aaron Rodgers when the Los Angeles Rams take on the New York Jets in Week 16.
That's right, soon, NFC North lifers will get to see two of their stalwarts of a decade past duke it out at MetLife Stadium, recalling a simpler time since passed as the Rams push hard for a spot in the playoffs. And the best part? The players involved are excited about it too, as Stafford told reporters during his Week 16 media session.
“I'm just excited to go up there and play. Obviously, meaningful football in the month of December is an awesome thing to be a part of,” Stafford told reporters. “We've earned that, and we’ve got to continue to earn that opportunity to play games that matter. This just happens to be the next one on the list. I have a ton of respect for Aaron and have competed against him a bunch of times in my career. He's a h*ll of a player and does a great job. He’s still doing a really good job for them. He played fantastic in the last couple of weeks. He looks to be healthy, moving around and doing his thing.”
Though the Rams and the Jets are playing for two very different motivations in Week 16, with the former in first place in the NFC West where as the latter is playing for an early January vacation, any time two quarterbacks as experienced as Stafford and Rodgers get a chance to face off is going to be special, especially if this is the last time the two quarterbacks face off in the NFL.
Sean McVay celebrates Matthew Stafford vs. Aaron Rodgers
Evaluating the friendly rivalry between Stafford and Rodgers during his own midweek media session, McVay celebrated the experience of watching the two players shoot it out over the year, as they helped to define an era of football.
“It's two great players. Two guys that have done it at a really high level. I think the essence of playing quarterback involves so many different things. You talk about changing arm slots, creating off-schedule, understanding what are the defensive structures and how you move and manipulate defenders? Both of those guys have been doing those types of things at a really high clip,” McVay told reporters.
“The ability to be able to make all types of throws, but then also have incredible understanding above the neck of all the things that involve this game. It's not just the eleven [players] on offense, it's all twenty-two. When you're looking at defense, what are the intents? What are the problems I need to solve? It's two greats and two guys that I look at as Hall of Famers.”
Whoa, is Stafford a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback? That's a conversation for another time, but it's safe to say when he does eventually hang up his cleats for good, the Rams QB's career will age very well as he transitions into the next stage of his life.
