Matthew Stafford has been one of the premier passers in the NFL for quite some time and while most of his career doesn’t get the credit he deserves due to a lack of team success, Stafford has 45 career game-winning drives, ranking seventh all-time and first among active quarterbacks.
When asked about the mindset of his quarterback in these high-pressure situations, Sean McVay broke down Stafford’s poise and control.
“The best thing that I could say about yesterday, I never felt like he pressed,” McVay said Monday. “We were down 14 early. We were down 10 late. I thought he let the game come to him. I thought he made really good decisions throughout. I don’t know exactly what his numbers ended up, but he was very much in control, had great command, [and] he made great decisions throughout the course of the game based on what they presented defensively. I think that patience and ability to just play one play at a time was key and critical for the poise that was reflected, being able to score on the last four offensive series, two touchdowns [and] two field goals. He was great. He let it come to him. I didn’t think he pressed. There can sometimes be a tendency, not him, but just in general as a player [or] even as a coach when you feel like you have to get it all back in one play. He took what they gave him and then there were some opportunities to push the ball and it was what the coverage dictated and he made great throws and he had a chance to be able to let his back foot hit and let things go in rhythm. Guys made plays for him and he had the protection. I thought he was outstanding. He was so vital for us to have a chance to be in the position that we were in based on just how the game unfolded.”
Since joining the Rams, Stafford has led Los Angeles on multiple game-winning drives, including three straight in the 2021 playoffs to win Super Bowl LVI.
Last Sunday, Stafford engineered 20 second-half points, including multiple scores in the last three minutes of the game to give the Rams a 27-24 victory over the 49ers.