Why Stafford Has a Tough Road Ahead

The Los Angeles Rams lost to the Carolina Panthers in surprising fashion. How will this affect Matthew Stafford's MVP case?

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams' six-game winning streak came to an end against the Carolina Panthers, in what was the most surprising win of Week 13. The Panthers defended their home stadium against one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and the Rams are left with the reality that they fumbled their chance to cement themselves as the best team in the league.

Matthew Stafford was the leading MVP candidate before heading into Bank of America Stadium, as he had gone weeks without throwing an interception. He made NFL history by throwing 28 straight touchdowns without an interception, surpassing Tom Brady's record.

Ground To Make Up

Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) sets to pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for Stafford, he was just able to surpass Brady's record before throwing his third interception of the season. It was tipped, so the blame doesn't fall entirely on him, but his second pick of the game was his fault. In trying to zip a pass to Puka Nacua, he threw the ball with just a hint of anticipation, and it was enough for the Panthers defender to make a play.

That second mistake led to the Panthers scoring a pick-six, and it cost them the game. Stafford remained the MVP favorite after Sunday Night, but the worst was yet to come. His stiffest competition for the award is New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, and he just had another stellar performance on Monday Night Football.

Drake. Maye.@DrakeMaye2 | @k_mmoneyyyy | #ProBowlVote

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/FaddiUw5vF

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 2, 2025

When his competition is making throws like these, it's hard not to see why he'd jump out as the new favorite to win MVP. To make matters worse, the Patriots are on a 10-game win streak and currently hold the best record in the NFL.

Stafford hasn't won an MVP award in his career yet, and this is most likely one of the last opportunities he'll get to win one before he retires. He can't afford to lose it to a young star like Maye, who can only go up from here.

Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass during warmups before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

That all starts in Week 14, where the Rams will be traveling to State Farm Stadium to take on the Arizona Cardinals for the first time this season. Despite the Cardinals having a losing record, they've played their divisional rivals close in each of their first games with them.

There's no doubt that the Rams are a more talented team, but they can't allow a team inferior to them to catch them off guard on the road. They got punched in the mouth by the Panthers, and Stafford has to continue putting up MVP-type performances if he wants to keep pace with Maye. Maye's next couple of games are against better competition than the New York Giants, so as long as Stafford can bounce back from this performance, he'll be back in the lead in no time.

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