Rams' Matthew Stafford: No Longer a Top 10 QB?
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has the resume. He started his NFL career as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and then - after an admittedly long and futile wait with the Detroit Lions - he started his L.A. career with a Super Bowl win.
That's two great starts. But in this "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately?'' world? It's not enough to keep Stafford in the top 10 of NFL quarterbacks. ... or at least that is the opinion of the graders at Pro Football Focus, who rank Stafford at No. 12 heading into 2023.
It is worth noting that their reasoning isn't about Stafford's talent, exactly, as they write, "Is Stafford physically able to be the player he once was?''
All the reports from the Rams this offseason suggest that his 2022 injury issues are behind him - a good thing, as his stats last year (10 TDs in nine games) would - if not for his name - place him far lower on this particular totem pole.
"I'm having a blast!'' Stafford recently said about being back to work this offseason.
But the year before, he ended up throwing for 50 touchdowns (including in the playoffs), culminating in the Super Bowl victory. Is that still "in him''?
The Rams obviously hope that Stafford's supposed "decline'' at age 35 is more about the supporting cast than it is about him having "lost it.'' ... and more about the traditional "Super Bowl hangover,'' too, as the interception-to-turnover ratio in the 2021 regular season (41 touchdowns to 17 interceptions) disappeared last season as the Rams went just 3-6 in games started by Stafford in 2022.
Is 35 "too old''? We will theorize that it is not ... unless the 2023 Rams are unable to protect him in a way that reminds of how he got pounded so often as part of a poor Lions team.
PFF wonders "how much he has left in the tank,'' and it is a legitimate question. We think the answer, though, is less about Matthew Stafford ... and more about some of the other 52 Rams who might struggle to hold up their end of the bargain.
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