Plenty of people were skeptical when the Los Angeles Rams acquired Matthew Stafford via trade from the Detroit Lions before the 2021 season. Fast forward to now and following the veteran quarterback’s first Super Bowl victory, Stafford is being ranked as the sixth-best quarterback in the NFL by Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield.
The five quarterbacks that Schofield listed ahead of Stafford are Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Justin Herbert. Schofield points to Stafford’s ability to be effective on down-the-field throws, which in turn unlocked parts of Sean McVay’s offense, as to why Stafford was ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in the league.
His presence in Los Angeles helped unlock portions of Sean McVay’s playbook which had previously been closed. Whether it meant attacking downfield out of empty formations, and using his eyes to move defenders in the process
In his debut season with the Rams, Stafford amassed 4,886 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns while leading Los Angeles to a 12-5 record in the regular season. Entering the playoffs a season ago, Stafford had yet to secure a win in the postseason, in large part because he played for the Lions.
Amid an impressive playoff run where he led three-game winning drives in the team’s final three playoff contests (including the Super Bowl), Stafford added a Super Bowl victory to his resume. With the addition of Allen Robinson, along with another year to work with Cooper Kupp, Stafford is in a prime position to potentially improve his ranking among his peers for next offseason.