NFL Coach on Rams QB Matthew Stafford: "The System Helps Him"

Despite being 37 years old last season, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had arguably the best season of his career. He set a career-high in passing touchdowns with 46 and a 109.2 passer rating. Stafford went on to win the first MVP of his career.

While Stafford earned some media respect last season, there will be few lists to have the defending MVP at the top of their rankings. Those spots will be reserved for the usual players such as Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled NFL coaches and executives around the league to rank players at each position. On Monday, he released the quarterback rankings with Stafford coming third. Some were complimentary of Stafford, while another didn’t quite give Stafford the respect he deserves.

"The system helps him," an NFL coordinator said. "He has an elite offensive coach and elite weapons. He's great, don't get me wrong. He has advantages that some of the other quarterbacks don't have."

Stafford Elevates the Rams' Offense

Stafford is certainly in a good situation, but he also takes advantage of that situation and maximizes the players around him. Puka Nacua may be among the best receivers in the NFL, but he wasn’t that player coming out of BYU. Nacua was drafted in the fifth round for a reason. Davante Adams used to be an all-pro caliber wide receiver, but hasn’t been that for a few seasons. Adams caught 14 touchdowns last season, which were two fewer than he had in the previous two seasons combined.

The offensive line has protected Stafford well, but the Rams haven't invested high draft capital into a premier left tackle. Having a good running back certainly helps, but again, Williams is a former fifth-round pick.

With any top quarterback, the system and situation they are in are going to help them to an extent. As seen over the last few seasons with Mahomes, even the best quarterbacks need a competent supporting cast.

Stafford Continues to Face the Same Criticism

Stafford does have advantages that other quarterbacks don’t have, but he maximizes the situation. The Rams quarterback is one of seven players in NFL history to win MVP over the age of 35. He played some of the best football of his career at the ripe age of 37.

Not all voters were dismissive of Stafford. One NFL coach said, "Nobody played better than him last year, and it wasn't even close.”

There may have been some controversy surrounding Stafford winning the MVP over Drake Maye last season, but he finally received some of the respect that he has deserved throughout his career. While Stafford may not make the splashy plays out of the pocket like Allen or Mahomes, his ability to win from the pocket is unmatched.

The NFL Still Undervalues Matthew Stafford

It’s fair to say that Stafford benefits from McVay and some of the talent around him, but that’s not something that he should get dinged for. That criticism also ignores how much those players benefit from having Stafford and how he maximizes the talent around him. Great quarterbacks elevate the system, and Stafford has consistently done that. He’s certainly not a product of the system.

Stafford’s ability to hit no-look passes, hit every blade of grass in the secondary, throw into tight windows, and make throws from different arm angles is the best in the NFL. As long as Stafford is able to do that and stay healthy, the Rams are a serious threat in the NFC.

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