With three weeks still to go, the Los Angeles Rams have already exceeded all expectations. They’ve won seven games in a season where many experts didn’t see them winning more than five, and they’re even in position to make the playoffs after missing out on the postseason last year.
As surprising as this season has been, the Rams’ work is far from done. They still have three games remaining and then potentially a postseason run, and as we all know, anything can happen once you get into the playoffs.
Matthew Stafford was asked if there’s any satisfaction in exceeding expectations thus far, and his answer made it very clear that no one is content with winning seven games. If anyone is, they’re not in the right spot.
“I don’t think anybody is satisfied at the moment, to be honest with you. If you are, you’re in the wrong place,” Stafford said Tuesday. “There’s a lot to be had throughout the rest of the season but we have to take it one game at a time. We understand that. I do think that coach has done an unbelievable job of keeping everybody’s focus week-to-week. That’s what we’re trying to do as leaders of the team is just make sure that we’re focused solely on what’s going on, what’s right in front of us. It’s really a whole lot easier to do sometimes when you have a Thursday game, right? If you’re spending time thinking about something else, you’re wrong. You’re not getting prepared. All our guys are all in and that’s a good thing. It’s where we want to be.”
Thursday’s matchup with the Saints is a big one. It will have a huge impact on the Rams’ playoff chances one way or another, and that’s not lost on Stafford.
He admitted he’s aware of the implications of this game, but he isn’t treating it any differently than other games.
“This is another football game we have to get prepared for in a short amount of time, both physically and mentally,” he said.