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Matthew Stafford nearly doomed the Los Angeles Rams with his awful turnovers against the Baltimore Ravens. He threw a pick-six in the first quarter and another interception into triple coverage on top of losing a fumble on the Rams' first drive of the second half. They were able to come back and secure a 20-19 win, but Stafford made it much harder than it needed to be.
Stafford didn't hold back on his thoughts on his turnovers after the game. He made it clear that, although the turnovers were brutal, he didn't falter.
"I hate going over these, I'm tired of doing it." — Matthew Stafford, as he rehashes his three turnovers.
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 2, 2022
Matthew Stafford says that ahead of the fourth-quarter comeback drive, OLB Leonard Floyd came up to him, slapped hands and said simply, “Be clutch.”
Says he has higher expectations for himself but that through the bad mistakes, confidence never wavered.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 2, 2022
Stafford's affinity for throwing pick-sixes looks much worse when compared to Jared Goff, who he was traded for this past offseason and threw just as many pick-sixes in five seasons (four) as Stafford has in one. He was seen as a huge upgrade over Goff at the quarterback spot but has only been a marginal improvement. Although Goff has never thrown as many touchdowns as Stafford has this season, Stafford's turnover proneness holds him back and kills the Rams' momentum.
Still, Stafford was able to lead the Rams offense to two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner to Odell Beckham Jr. He finished the day with 309 passing yards and two touchdowns in addition to his three turnovers.
After the game, Beckham addressed the turnovers as something the offense had to overcome. It may not have been intended to be a subtle dig at his quarterback, but he certainly has a point either way. Stafford won't be able to thrive in the playoffs if he continues to be careless with the ball.
The Rams have already clinched a postseason berth and could take the NFC West title depending on the outcome of the Dallas Cowboys-Arizona Cardinals matchup.
