Addressing the Myth Surrounding Rams' Matthew Stafford and the MVP

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. With the NFL regular season now in the rear-view, many members of the media are putting forth their arguments for who should win the MVP award.

It's expected that the winner will come down to Los Angeles Rams' quarterback Matthew Stafford and New England Patriots' quarterback Drake Maye.

Recently, ESPN's Dan Graziano stated that Maye has simply been the premier quarterback due to his success in common games between the two so let's dive into the myth behind the schedule played and the arguments put forth,

Graziano's Claim

"Myth: Matthew Stafford should win MVP because Drake Maye played a soft schedule," wrote Graziano.

"Why it's a myth: Maye has just simply been better."

"Total QBR adjusts for opponent quality in its calculation, so the fact that Maye finished first in the league in that category and Stafford fourth has nothing to do with strength of schedule," stated Graziano. "It also should matter that Maye played better against the soft parts of his schedule than Stafford did against his. Just look at games against NFC South opponents. The Patriots went 4-0 in those matchups, and Maye turned the ball over a total of three times. The Rams went 2-2 against the NFC South, and Stafford turned it over six times, including the fumble that probably cost the Rams the game against Carolina."

"Overall, Maye was considerably better than Stafford in common opponent games. They played six of them. Maye was 6-0 with an 81.6 QBR and a 4.3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Stafford was 4-2 with a 57.8 QBR and a 2.3 touchdown-to-interception ratio against those teams."

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks downfield against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"The only number that shows Stafford obviously better than Maye this season is the touchdown passes. But don't forget that a somewhat stunning 16 of Stafford's touchdown passes were 4 yards or less (Maye had nine) and eight came from the 1-yard line (Maye had three). Maye also had four rushing touchdowns, while Stafford hasn't had one since 2022."

"Give the award to Stafford if you want, but don't do it because of relative strength of schedule. Maye had the better year, even once we adjust for that."

My Take

Graziano simply summarizes his argument on six games. Games for which the thought is that others will be able to draw conclusions from due to perceived similarity. While the argument for MVP could swing either way, Graziano's logic fails to address the lack of commonality within those contests, outside of the opponent listed on game tickets.

In those six games Graziano references, the opponents were the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans. The Patriots played two home games and four away games in those contests, while the Rams also played two games at home and four on the road.

Maye played five of those teams in his natural time zone and the only team game that wasn't consistent with Eastern Standard Time is their trip to New Orleans, where Maye played one hour behind Eastern Standard Time.

Stafford played three of those away games at 10 A.M. West Coast Time. Maye hasn't played a single game west of the Mississippi River. Maye didn't travel to the West Coast, Maye wasn't affected by time zone changes.

Maye only played one Sunday game that started in the afternoon window. The others started at 1 P.M. EST or were non-Sunday games. And that one game was at home in the regular-season finale.

The Conclusion

If Graziano is stating Maye shouldn't be docked points for his schedule, which is fair, then why is Stafford being docked points for having to overcome multiple trips through every time zone in the continental United States?

Then how is Stafford being deducted points for the distance of touchdown passes? Throws within five yards of the end zone require smart decision-making skills and surgical precision due to the lack of space available and the closing speed of NFL-quality defenders.

Jan 4, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) run off the field after a Patriots touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Also, are we counting QB wins as a stat because that conveniently ignores the fact that the Patriots have the fourth-best scoring defense in the NFL while the Rams have the tenth, giving more value to Stafford's wins. It also ignores the fact that Stafford defeated the top two scoring defenses in the NFL and in his four games against three of the top five scoring defenses in the NFL, Stafford has put up over 1,000 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception.

The toughest scoring defense Maye has faced was the Buffalo Bills. In two contests against Buffalo, he threw zero touchdowns and ran it in twice. If one yard touchdown passes are easy, why does Maye have none against the toughest scoring defense he faced...which was ranked 12th in the NFL.

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) shake hands following a game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jacksonville, who's ranked eighth, allowed Stafford to throw for five touchdowns in a game Puka Nacua didn't play in. Seattle, who's ranked number one, allowed Stafford to toss over 450 yards and three touchdowns against them in Seattle, while Davante Adams had to miss the game. That was also on a short week.

Whoever wins MVP is regardless but the narrative that Maye is simply better doesn't hold any weight. Both men are brilliant and we can't cherry pick stats.

Myth: Matthew Stafford should win MVP because Drake Maye played a soft schedule,

Why it's a myth: Maye won't lose because he played a soft schedule. Maye might lose because his opponent performed better against the best. Both men are deserving and are owed their proper flowers but we can't decide the MVP based on six games while ignoring the other 11.

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