A season of firsts continues for Matthew Stafford.
During the last 12 years, when the playoffs of the NFL made it to the division round games, Stafford was relegated to being an observer. The Rams quarterback was rooting for his friends and former Lions teammates trying to advance to the NFC or AFC championship games and beyond.
“I’ve made a lot of relationships in this business,” Stafford said Wednesday during a video conference call with reporters. “So, I’m always paying attention no matter what. I just try to go to the friends I know.”
On Sunday, for the first time since he was selected with the number 1 of the draft 2009, Stafford will be a participant, not a fan, in an NFC divisional round game when the Rams play the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
Stafford earned the opportunity by leading the Rams to a 34-11 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in a game of wildcard at SoFi Stadium. It was Stafford’s first victory in the playoffs after losing three games wildcard with the Lions.
Now a Rams team built with a mandate to play in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium has the opportunity to take another step toward that goal.
“I hope we keep winning,” Stafford said, adding, “I’m enjoying every moment of it and preparing to play my best to help us try to move forward.”
The pressure will be on Stafford on Sunday in a game that pits him in a postseason matchup against Tom Brady, the most successful quarterback in NFL history.
Stafford has a 1-3 record in the playoffs. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, is 35-11.
This season, the Buccaneers led the NFL in passing and were second in scoring.
“The biggest thing about going up against a guy like Tom is knowing his consistency and his ability to get his team into the end zone,” Stafford said. “He’s done a great job throughout his career, both in New England and in Tampa, scoring points, and doing it in every way possible.”
“As an offense, we have to do the same thing.”
Stafford outpointed Brady in September during the Rams’ 34-24 victory over the Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium.
Stafford completed 27 of 38 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns. Brady was 41 of 55 for 432 yards and a touchdown.
Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said Stafford hasn’t changed since Game 1.
“They’re running the ball a lot better and more, but I think Matt is playing fantastic,” Arians said Wednesday during a conference call with Rams reporters. “I don’t see much difference. I was also playing very well in that match.”
Stafford was efficient Monday night against the Cardinals, completing 13 of 17 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, he didn’t commit a turnover for the first time in five games.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford used his legs and arms against the Cardinals in the NFL playoff round.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
His 17 attempts were the fewest of his career in a game that he did not leave due to injury.
During the regular season, Stafford passed for 41 touchdowns, with 17 interceptions that tied him for the most in the league.
Playing offense for the Rams required a psychological shift from trying to do it all for the Lions.
“I just have to go play inside this offense to the best of my ability,” he said. “I tried to do that on Monday night. I felt the ball was going to the right place.”
There is a feeling that Stafford, at this point in the playoffs, he can’t make as many shots on the field as he did during the season.
“It’s situational,” McVay said Wednesday. “I want him to be aggressive but smart with the way he’s going to race.”
The linebacker of the Rams, Von Miller, played on the Denver Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50 with Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as quarterback.
The pressure was on Manning, but “we knew we couldn’t go in there and trust Peyton Manning to save the day like he normally does and like he has throughout his career,” Miller said.
Stafford and Manning are “two totally different quarterbacks,” Miller stressed.
“But I think it’s the same thing,” he said. “We’re not just relying on Matthew Stafford to come out and win the game.
“Even though all the pressure is always going to be on the quarterback … I feel like as a team we all feel like we have to do our part, that we have to do more to win a Super Bowl.”
Etc.
The tackle left-hander Andrew Whitworth, who suffered knee and ankle injuries against the Cardinals, has not been ruled out for Sunday’s game but did not practice Wednesday, said McVay, who put his team on a jog. “It’s like Gumby,” McVay commented. … The safety Taylor Rapp is still in concussion protocol. … The linebacker Ernest Jones, who suffered an ankle injury Dec. 26 against the Minnesota Vikings, will return to practice to be evaluated for a possible return to the roster, McVay said. … With offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and running backs coach Thomas Brown all interviewing for head coaching jobs, McVay said he wasn’t worried it would distract them from the job at hand. “I’m not worried it will distract us from our focus on the Bucs,” he said.
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