All Things Rams - Stafford Thread

[dpatnod]

Nah. He's still the suckiest suck, man.

[Marko69]

Nah. He's still the suckiest suck, man.

Yep. Was a fucking fluke. Guy’s shyte.

[jaadam4]

Honestly I think Stafford should hang’em up. He’s passed for a ton of yards, won a SB and has made money. Quit while you’re ahead bro.

Trade the money for your health.

[Tom]

Kelly Stafford came on the Drew and Mike podcast last week. Maybe she’s gotten more media savvy over the years but she came off pretty likable. They also brought up her recent comments and she owned up to needing to keep quiet about certain things. They also brought up the time Stafford was on the Lions and she tweeted that it felt like a road game because of the way the home crowd booed and then a fan responded saying it felt like Stafford played for the other team the way he was throwing INTs. She said it was a great comeback and she realized she needed to stay off Twitter or not comment on the games.

[jaadam4]

Stafford was always a baller for the Lions. If he’d had anything resembling the current owner, front office and coaching staff we’d all be looking at real banners hanging from the rafters.

He and CJ were let down by that mess

[jaadam4]

He did have some untimely INT that just didn’t make sense but wtf was he supposed to do. He was always trying to play hero ball

[chemiclord]

That was really kinda the thrust of it. A lot of Stafford's mistakes came from trying to force plays because the Lions simply didn't have the horses (especially defensively) to be able to simply "take what the defense gives you." Damn near every drive needed to be a TD because there was little to no chance that Detroit was getting a stop when they needed it.

Friend: "Okay. The Giants have the ball on their own two with three minutes left. They got the Lions defense right where they want them."
Me: "You mean, on the field?"
Friend: "Precisely."

[-Deborah-]

I'm curious if you guys agree with this...

[froot loops]

I think Goff mentioned that busted coverage last night. If they get that kind of look again, Goff won't miss that. Also, there was a time when you could find an article showing how Matt Stafford was missing those kind of things as well.

I think it is less about being creative and more about experience.

[Topweasel]

I think Goff mentioned that busted coverage last night. If they get that kind of look again, Goff won't miss that. Also, there was a time when you could find an article showing how Matt Stafford was missing those kind of things as well.

I think it is less about being creative and more about experience.

All QB's miss those plays. Amon-Ra was dragging players out of the box, who didn't bite. Its sucks he missed it, but Goff's priority was getting first down and he had a throw to the primary target. Most QB's throw to their earliest available receiver in their progression at the cost of not getting a good look at other players. Doing anything else causes a QB holding the ball to long making sure they don't miss a higher value open player.

This is the type of thing you saw from Kitna or Bulger. Or coached by coaches like M Shannahan (he would coach deep to short progression). The QB's take way to many hits because they hold the ball to long. Most of the time now you are sure of where you are putting the ball before you even take the snap.

[whatever_gong82]

Cooper Kupp pushing to return for Rams on Sunday vs. Eagles: Source



By Dianna Russini and The Athletic Staff
Oct 4, 2023



Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp was designated to return to practice Wednesday and is pushing to play Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, league sources said. Here’s what you need to know:

*- Kupp began the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, but the injury was not as serious in terms of a long-term issue as the team initially thought.

*- By designating Kupp for a return to practice, the team has 21 days to decide when to activate Kupp to the 53-man roster.

*- Quarterback Matthew Stafford will be back at walkthrough and practices this week, but the team is expected to take it lightly with him because he’s dealing with a hip injury, a league source said.

Backstory

Coach Sean McVay confirmed Friday that Kupp would return to practice this week.


Kupp has been dealing with a hamstring issue on two occasions since the beginning of training camp, missing most of camp. He also saw a specialist in Minnesota to get more clarity on the nature of the issue, which flared up again after he participated in joint practices in Denver in mid-August.

The Athletic asked McVay: How much does Kupp’s own opinion/desire to play factor into his return?

“100 percent, it’s our dialogue,” said McVay, firmly. “I trust the way that he knows how to feel. So, he’s practicing next week. We’re gonna see how he feels. Obviously, there are opinions that really matter. But he’s the one that matters the most, to me, because I know he knows his body.


“We’re not going to do anything that’s reckless. But I also have enough trust and confidence in our relationship, knowing how intentional he is about educating himself (and) using the information at his disposal. There’s an element of, ‘There’s always going to be a risk no matter what. Walking out this door, getting in your car.’ If he feels good enough, and the situation (is) in alignment where we’re ready, we’re gonna get Cooper back and ready to compete for us. He’s a big part of our team, and I know he’s put a lot of work in.”

Kupp, 30, caught 75 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns in nine games last season.

In his absence, rookie Puka Nacua has emerged as Los Angeles’ lead option, hauling in a league-high 39 passes for 501 yards in four games.


McVay on Stafford


“Had a little hip contusion,” said McVay, who added that Stafford would practice this week with the expectation that he will play on Sunday. “We’ll be smart with him, but it should be good to go. He is a stud and obviously we saw him gut through that yesterday, but definitely took a good shot there. We feel like he should be good to go.”

[froot loops]

We're so back.

[wcfwtf]

Rams need all the fans they can get. They can’t find many in LA

[froot loops]

I don't know what you are talking about, the Rams are the kings of LA.

[whatever_gong82]

Rams keep surprising: Could a ‘surreal’ playoff showdown vs. Lions happen?

LA Rams vs. Washington Commanders 12-17-2023.jpg

BY SAM FARMER
STAFF WRITER

DEC. 17, 2023 7:02 PM PT



All around the Rams locker room Sunday evening, players were stretched out on contoured beds, their legs encased in compression sleeves. At least a dozen massages were underway in an adjoining training room.

With the New Orleans Saints coming to town Thursday night, there’s no time to spare.



Amazingly, these Rams are not only relevant, they took control of their situation with a 28-20 victory over Washington. A playoff berth is theirs to hang on to or lose.



How weird. This was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Rams, among the NFL’s youngest teams. Remember all those rumblings of how they should tank for the No. 1 pick so they could draft USC’s Caleb Williams? How Sean McVay was probably going to leave for a TV gig? How Matthew Stafford was done?

As it stands, it would be a disappointment if they didn’t make the playoffs. Few people saw that coming. And they’re playing well enough to be particular about the way they win. They could have beaten the Commanders by more. The game should have been on ice sooner. Imagine, quibbling over style points in what was forecast as a season to forget.


“We knew we could do it, man,” Rams guard Kevin Dotson said. “Sometimes you’ve got to go through adversity to get to where you want to go. I feel like we’ve been through that adversity, and now we’re kind of seeing what we can really be.”

This feels like a completely different team than the one that dropped consecutive games to Pittsburgh, Dallas and Green Bay to fall to 3-6.



Running back Kyren Williams has been a big part of that turnaround, as has the play of Stafford, who in the last four games has 12 touchdowns and one interception.

Suddenly, the Rams are one of the league’s more dangerous teams.

LA Rams Kyren Williams 12-17-2023.jpg

That’s particularly odd when juxtaposed with the season of the Chargers, who were expected to far surpass the Rams this fall. The league gave them six primetime games, the maximum allowable, whereas the Rams got two. Now, the Chargers are looking for a new coach and general manager, and the Rams are somehow still rolling.

The shifting sands of December make predicting what will happen a risky endeavor. At this snapshot in time, the Rams are in the postseason as the NFC’s No. 7 seed. They are 7-7, the same record as the Saints, giving Thursday night’s game a distinct playoff feel.



Whoever emerges victorious in that game is in good position to keep playing beyond Week 18. The loser will be in choppy waters.

Players are conditioned to not look past the challenge in front of them, so good luck trying to get something out of them about potential playoff scenarios. But this is “what if” season, and there’s a postseason possibility that’s especially enticing.



If the Rams were to make the playoffs — and they would need to win games against the Saints, at the New York Giants and perhaps even at San Francisco — they could wind up facing Detroit in the first round.

Sure, there are lots of different ways the path could unfurl, but a Rams at Lions matchup would be fascinating.

LA Rams QB Matthew Stafford 12-17-2023.jpg

Just imagine, Stafford going back to play in Detroit. He’s still a Lions legend, so much so that when Los Angeles was in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, there were people in the Motor City sporting Detroit Rams T-shirts.

And what about Jared Goff versus McVay, the coach who swapped him for Stafford?



If those pieces were to fall into place, there would be no complaining by the NFL.

Rams-Lions would be the tentative matchup given three entirely plausible outcomes in Week 16: Rams beat New Orleans, Detroit beats Minnesota and Philadelphia beats the New York Giants.



Of course, with two weeks of games following that, there’s no telling how the final picture would look.

Still …



“Believe me, I’ve thought of it,” said the now-retired Bill Keenist, a Lions executive for three decades. “That would be surreal.”

Naturally, Lions fans would pull for the hometown team but many would be a little conflicted because of their love for Stafford.



“You talk about the ultimate full-circle story,” Keenist said. “Matthew would finally get to play a playoff game at Ford Field, where he did magical things for so many years.”



It’s all fantasy football now. Predictions and possible permutations are just an academic exercise.

Regardless, even though the treatment-minded Rams were scattered around the locker room floor after Sunday’s game, it was remarkable to think that they’re still standing.


Sam Farmer

Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his “long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football,” Sam Farmer has covered the NFL for 25 seasons. A graduate of Occidental College, he’s a two-time winner of California Sportswriter of the Year and first place for beat writing by Associated Press Sports Editors.