Coming out of the University of Georgia, Matthew Stafford had everything you would’ve wanted from your franchise quarterback: a big arm, great mechanics, a nice touch, the ability to throw the deep ball, the ability to move around the pocket, and, most of all, being very intelligent. Playing in the toughest conference in NCAA football at the time (the SEC), he beat and competed against some of the top teams in the nation. With Calvin Johnson at Wide Receiver, the Detroit Lions’ tragedy of a season in 2008 had the possibility of turning into triumph, seeing how they held the number one pick in the upcoming 2009 Draft.
Fast-forward to 11 years later, and Stafford hasn’t quite been the “savior” the Detroit Lions had expected him to be. After his third season, he was on pace to be that savior, throwing for 5000 yards and 41 TDs. He also led Detroit to its first playoff berth in 12 years. Passing for 4000-plus yards in 8 of his 11 seasons, Stafford has been the best Quarterback the Detroit Lions have had in the modern football era.
That was then, however. As of April 2021, Matt Stafford and the Lions have parted ways, and he now calls Southern California home. After being traded away from Detroit for 2 first round draft picks, a third round pick, and former LA Rams Quarterback Jarred Goff, Matt Stafford is now a LA Ram. Seeing how he is paired with offensive guru and LA Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, he and the Rams collectively have big expectations to live up to, according to senior sports pundits.
Is Matt Stafford elite? Can he elevate to that top tier group of Quarterbacks?
Looking at the make-up of the Rams roster, I think that it is “put up or shut up” time for Matt Stafford. For most of his career in Detroit, he was always overshadowed by the fact that he had one of the best receivers to play in the NFL to throw to. Now, he has a group of good (but not great) receivers, a solid o-line and an exceptional defense. This LA Rams team is already the best team Stafford has been on since entering the NFL in 2009. Now, it’s up to him to show that he can lead his team to victory and win where it matters the most: THE PLAYOFFS!
In his 3 playoff games, he is 0-3 with 4 TDs and 3 INTs and completed 63% of his passes. With the level of quality he has on the defense behind him, I expect Stafford to have a great season barring injury. With Robert Woods and the addition of DeSean Jackson, he now has multiple receivers to throw to where he can showcase his arm strength. However, it will not be easy playing in a very tough NFC West division.
After trading away 2 future 1st round draft picks, a future 3rd round pick, and the team’s former #1 overall draft pick and franchise Quarterback Jared Goff, Sean McVay has gone all in on Stafford. This means that the expectation from spectators is Super Bowl or bust now.
Can Stafford finally prove that he is elite, move into the 1st Tier of NFL Quarterbacks, and lead his team to a Super bowl victory? Or, will Sean McVay be looking for new employment because he crapped out and gave away his fortune on a 2nd Tier Quarterback?
