It’s hard to win in the NFL without a great coach and quarterback. A coach can often scheme up an offense or defense to overcome a slight lack of talent, while a quarterback can carry a team to the playoffs if he’s playing at an elite level.
For the Los Angeles Rams, they have two of the best in the NFL at their respective spots, which is why they’ve been such a great team for the last three years and could be Super Bowl contenders again in 2024.
FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd is particularly high on the combo of Stafford and McVay, ranking them very highly on his list of the best QB-coach tandems for the upcoming season. He put them at No. 2, behind only Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
“At No. 2, I’d go McVay and Matt Stafford,” Cowherd said. “I think Matt Stafford, because of his years in Detroit, was overlooked. Next to Mahomes, maybe the best arm talent in the league. Sidearm, does everything but throw it left-handed. Big over-the-top arm. I think McVay may be the smartest coach – period – in the sport. I’d put them at two.”
Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert sit at No.4 in @ColinCowherd's Top 10 Coach-QB combos… pic.twitter.com/80u1P6Vr2m
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 10, 2024
Some may view Stafford’s age as a question mark for the near future, but his experience is certainly a positive, too. He’s been through ups and downs, played through injuries and seen just about every defense a quarterback possibly can in his 15 years in the league.
McVay, despite only being 38 years old, is a seasoned and brilliant coach. His offense has evolved over the years and he’s taken on more of a role with the defense, too. It’s hard to find more than a few coaches who are considered better than McVay right now.
The combination of these two leaders in Los Angeles makes the Rams a dangerous team in 2024. If healthy, the Rams are going to make some noise in the NFC, just as they did last year.
Other notable coach-quarterback combinations to make Cowherd’s list were John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson at No. 3, Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert at No. 4 and Sean McDermott and Josh Allen at No. 5. No other NFC West team made Cowherd’s list, which is particularly stunning for Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy.
Two former Rams assistant coaches, Zac Taylor and Matt LaFleur, were ranked sixth and seventh with Joe Burrow and Jordan Love, respectively.