In 2024, no player on the Los Angeles Rams has done more to impact winning for Sean McVay's team more than Matthew Stafford.
From turning in a massive comeback attempt in Week 1 to having to seemingly prepare weekly for opponents with a different collection of supporting players, the Rams are 4-4 and in second place in the NFC West because of Stafford's impeccable efforts and will seemingly only go as far as he can will them.
Discussing what he's seen from Stafford so far this season through Week 9, Sean McVay celebrated his QB for his strong efforts, as he too believes the Rams would be much worse off without their star quarterback under center.
“I think he's been great. There's been a lot of moving parts around him and just kind of finds ways to be able to establish a rapport with guys. I thought what was cool about yesterday is it wasn't ideal in terms of just some of the things that we're looking to do offensively for a lot of different reasons. He just stayed steady. When the game was on the line, and he got his opportunity, I thought there were some really good throws he made when we were trying to win it before regulation that we thought we had a chance,” McVay told reporters.
“It didn't go down the way we wanted, defense makes a stop and then really you're saying, ‘Let’s keep the ball in his hands.’ He delivered in a big way. I thought it was an amazing job by Kyren Williams on that first play, being able to kind of save the protection when [Seahawks LB] Ernest Jones IV ended up blitzing internally. Matthew was great. I think he's at his best in those important moments and that's why you've seen him have such success and consistency over time. He was having fun. You guys should see the little slide that he had on his after his game-winning touchdown pass. He's running down. He ended up looking like he was sliding into home around like the 20-yard line. Check that one out.”
Now sitting pretty at 4-4, the Rams really do have a chance to shock the world and earn a spot in the playoffs, either in the wild card race or via an outright NFC West division victory. Throw that all together, and it feels like Stafford may finally earn his flowers and a third Pro Bowl nod at season's end.
Matthew Stafford is proud of the Rams for winning a close game
Discussing the Rams' resilience in Week 9, Stafford noted that he was proud of his team for overcoming their mistakes to leave Week 9 with a win, especially considering that probably wouldn't have happened earlier in the season.
“Yeah, I do. I still think the first half on offense, we didn't play well at all. We just missed assignments and physical errors, all the things that can go wrong kind of did and we had to come in here at halftime after losing a little bit of momentum right there at the half. A though little two-minute sequence there really for both sides of the ball,” Stafford told reporters after the game.
“Regroup and understand we're still in the ball game. Got to go out there and make the plays we know we can make, and we were able to do that enough in the second half as a team to give us a victory, and that's what it takes sometimes. Not every time you're going to come out and play football, and the score be 35-32 or whatever it is. It's going to be tough, ground-it-out games especially on the road against a really good team.”
If the Rams secured the win in Week 1, maybe everything would have been different. Maybe they wouldn't have lost so spectacularly in Week 2 and would be in command of the NFC West as a result. Still, considering how the last few weeks have shaken out post-bye, it's clear this isn't the same team that lost to the Cardinals in Week 2 and thus, have a chance to re-define the season moving forward.
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