Tag: Matthew Stafford

Rams deal Vikings second straight loss

Rams win their second straight and Vikings have lost two in a row

Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returned and so did the Los Angeles Rams’ offense. Amazing how that works.

The Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 30-20, on Thursday at SoFi Stadium. With Kupp and Nacua back from injury, Matthew Stafford threw for 279 yards and four touchdown passes.

The biggest beneficiary of the scoring throws was Demarcus Robinson. Both of his catches in the games went for touchdowns.

Kupp and Nacua combined for 12 catches and 157 receiving yards.

Justin Jefferson had eight catches for 115 yards in the loss.

The Vikings were furious on a non-call at the end of the game when the Rams wound up with a safety despite Byron Young clearly grabbing the facemask of Sam Darnold in the end zone.

If the penalty had been called, Minnesota would have had a first down at its 20 with no timeouts and 96 seconds left.

A punt by Ethan Evans had pinned Minnesota deep in its territory when starting the final drive.

Minnesota has lost two straight after winning its first five games. Los Angeles is 3-4 and has won consecutive games.

Sean McVay tried to douse the speculation Kupp was on the trading block.

Watch: Matthew Stafford dodges two tacklers, hits Cooper Kupp for spectacular TD

Matthew Stafford made two defenders miss and turned a would-be sack into Cooper Kupp’s 2nd touchdown of the year

It sure is good to see Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp back on the field together again. The two are playing their first game together since Week 2 and they picked up right where they left off.

On the Rams’ second drive of the game, Stafford and Kupp connected for their second touchdown of the season – and it was prettier than a lot of the ones they’ve scored during their three-plus years together.

Stafford dodged two Vikings defenders and avoided a would-be sack, ducking under one tackle to break free in the backfield. He then looked up and saw a wide-open Kupp in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, tying the game at 14.

This angle really shows the traffic Stafford fought through, looking like a spry 23-year-old in the backfield and not a 36-year-old veteran.

Would the Rams really trade Matthew Stafford to the Vikings? Here’s the latest.

Here’s the latest.

It was the trade rumor that came from deep on X (formerly Twitter): the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings were talking about a … Matthew Stafford trade?

Sure, there’s a lot of buzz about the Rams dealing Cooper Kupp, but would they fully tank by sending away Stafford? And to a team where Sam Darnold is thriving this year?

If you’re watching Thursday’s Vikings and Rams matchup, you may want an update on this. And we have one! Star Tribune reporter Ben Goessling had this to say: “Source said there’s zero truth to the idea the Vikings are trying to trade for him.”

https://twitter.com/BenGoessling/status/1849137729184878982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1849137729184878982%7Ctwgr%5E48a5eeeb7a1f865153d208764e902fb12a61ab40%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheramswire.usatoday.com%2F2024%2F10%2F23%2Frams-vikings-matthew-stafford-trade-rumor-report%2F

There you have it.

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Report: ‘Zero truth’ to Matthew Stafford-Vikings trade rumor

A Vikings reporter says there’s “zero truth” to the rumor that Minnesota is looking to acquire Matthew Stafford from the Rams

In addition to the report of the Los Angeles Rams shopping Cooper Kupp on the trade market, there was also an unfounded rumor that the team is talking to the Minnesota Vikings about a potential deal involving Matthew Stafford.

The Stafford rumor was shared by an unverified source, claiming the two teams were in “serious trade talks” for the quarterback. However, on Wednesday, Vikings reporter Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune shut down that claim.

Goessling tweeted that a source told him “there’s zero truth to the idea” that the Vikings are trying to trade for Stafford, which should end any speculation about the Rams dealing their star quarterback to Minnesota.

The trade deadline is less than two weeks away and while it seems highly unlikely that the Rams will trade Stafford, anything is possible – especially if the team loses its next two games and drops to 2-6 before the deadline.

As far as sending him to the Vikings, who are 5-1 with Sam Darnold at the helm, that doesn’t even seem like a remote possibility.

Watch: Maxx Crosby had the coolest message for Matthew Stafford after Sunday’s game

Maxx Crosby called Matthew Stafford “one of the best to ever do it” in a classy postgame exchange Sunday

Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is the ultimate competitor, bringing a fire and passion to the field that few other players do. It translates to outstanding production as a pass rusher, which the Los Angeles Rams saw firsthand on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

After the Rams’ 20-15 win over the Raiders, Crosby found Matthew Stafford and shared an awesome message with the veteran quarterback.

“Hey, I grew up literally your biggest fan, bro. No, I’m serious. You’re (expletive) one of the best to ever do it. Proud of you, brother. Keep doing your thing,” Crosby told Stafford.

It was truly a cool moment between two stars in the game today.

Crosby was born in Michigan in 1997 so he likely grew up watching Stafford when he was with the Detroit Lions – hence, Crosby being the quarterback’s biggest fan.

Stafford has earned endless praise from younger NFL players over the years and Crosby is the latest to send some positivity Stafford’s way.

Matthew Stafford has only won one game where his numbers were as bad as Sunday’s

There’s only been one other game in Matthew Stafford’s career where he had fewer than 155 yards and no touchdowns

Matthew Stafford did not play particularly well against the Raiders on Sunday, but he had a defense that picked him up by forcing four turnovers and scoring a touchdown of its own in the Rams’ 20-15 win. Stafford finished with just 154 yards passing and no touchdowns to go with one interception, a stat line that gave him a passer rating of just 62.6.

Yet, all that matters is the Rams came away with a win, even as ugly as it was. It’s rare for a team to win with a quarterback putting up such underwhelming numbers, especially in the case of Stafford.

J.B. Long noticed that it was Stafford’s fewest passing yards in a game as a member of the Rams, with the next four lowest passing outputs coming in losses. After digging further, it’s only the second time in Stafford’s career that he won a game with fewer than 155 yards passing and no touchdowns.

The only other instance was in 2018 as a member of the Lions when Detroit beat the Cardinals,17-3. Stafford threw for just 101 yards and had no touchdowns in that game. In the other eight games where Stafford had fewer than 200 yards passing and no touchdowns, he was 0-8.

Stats like this show why football is the ultimate team sport. Even in a game where Stafford put up some of his worst career numbers, the Rams found a way to win thanks to the defense’s knack for creating turnovers.

He’d much rather throw for 300 yards and four touchdowns, but he’ll gladly take the win instead.

Matthew Stafford raves about Raiders star Maxx Crosby: ‘He’s an incredible player’

Matthew Stafford had nothing but great things to say about Maxx Crosby, calling him an “incredible player” with a relentless motor

Since being drafted in the fourth round in 2019, Maxx Crosby has been slowly building his resume as one of the biggest wrecking balls in the league. Crosby beats tackles to the outside with lightning speed and tremendous force when he goes inside.

He’s a stout run defender, a player who requires double-teams, and quite frankly, a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Ahead of the Rams-Raiders game on Sunday, Matthew Stafford spoke about what a disrupter Crosby can be.

“He’s an incredible player, to be honest with you,” Stafford said flatly. “He jumps off the tape. He’s in there on every single play, and his effort is relentless. He obviously has great skill, technique, and physical attributes as well, but he has the motor to go with it that’s as good or better than everybody that I’ve put on when I watch the tape. Really great competitor. We practiced against him a couple of times, and that same energy and effort was there. Overall, he’s an enjoyable guy to compete against. He’s intense out there, he loves playing the game, he loves competing and he’s a really good player.”

Crosby currently had 5.5 sacks on the season, adding to his career 57.5 sack total. Crosby hasn’t practiced yet this week due to an ankle injury and there are some who believe the Raiders could trade Mad Maxx the way they did with Davante Adams.

Stafford has been sacked 16 times this season and if Crosby plays on Sunday, it wouldn’t be a surprise if that number climbs higher.

Matthew Stafford compliments Raiders’ ‘really solid’ defense

Matthew Stafford sees the Raiders’ defense as a “really well-coached” group

Quarterbacks often have to put in “coaching” hours during a standard NFL game week, breaking down defenses as a whole and then diving into each position group to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition.

Matthew Stafford, after his initial view of the Raiders’ defense, complimented their schemes and coaching during Wednesday’s press conference.

“They’re really well-coached across the board,” he said. “They present a bunch of different looks, a bunch of different personnel groupings. They do a really nice job. It’s a really buttoned-up, well-coached outfit and they have really good players. They have good players at all three levels, guys that can affect the game in a positive way for them, get the football back, all those kinds of things. They’re a really solid unit.”

Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has been a respected defensive voice around the NFL for over a decade, serving in that role for the Dolphins, Giants, and Raiders. Graham comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, serving the Patriots in various coaching positions for seven years.

The Raiders currently rank 12th in total yards given up per game, averaging 326.5 yards surrendered. Last week, the Raiders were trampled by Najee Harris and Pittsburgh’s offensive line as they gave up 293 yards to an inefficient Steelers offense.

The last time Stafford played against Graham, the Rams won the 2021 Week 6 matchup, 38-11, over the Giants in New Jersey. Stafford went 22-for-28 with 251 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

Watch: Cooper Kupp dug up high school photos of Matthew Stafford and roasted him for them

Cooper Kupp surprised Matthew Stafford with some embarrassing old photos and roasted the QB for them

When the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021, Cooper Kupp’s old high school photo popped up on a T-shirt that was thrown to Andrew Whitworth during the parade. Naturally, Whitworth put the shirt on and everyone had a good laugh, but Kupp returned fire on his quarterback during the season premiere of their series “Nine and Dime”.

Kupp dug up old pictures of Stafford from his high school days and savagely roasted the quarterback.

“What we’re going to do now is diagnose this disease that you have, which I’m pretty sure is Benjamin Button,” Kupp said. “Your thing is you started to look better, then you took this huge dip. Something happened. And then you slowly started creeping your way back up as you’ve gotten older.”

“That’s a tough look, I’ll give you that. That’s a tough look,” Stafford replied.

“I just think we need to keep track of it and the scientists out there need to just secretly keep an eye on Matthew Stafford because he’s doing something,” Kupp said.

Stafford wound up taking it as a compliment because Kupp was essentially saying he’s aged like fine wine, but those were some embarrassing shots from his younger years.

Like Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford ‘would love’ to get into broadcasting after NFL career

Matthew Stafford sees a future for himself in broadcasting after he retires from the NFL, just like his head coach Sean McVay

Matthew Stafford used the Los Angeles Rams’ bye week to rest, recover and prepare for the final 12 games of the 2024 season, but he also took some time to do something he enjoys: talking about football.

Stafford made an appearance on FOX’s pregame show Sunday, previewing the Lions-Cowboys matchup and talking about various other topics around the NFL with Charles Woodson, Julian Edelman and others. He looked very comfortable on camera and he even threw a no-look pass to Peter Schrager with Woodson in coverage.

Stafford is used to being in front of the camera for press conferences, commercials and other media appearances so it’s no surprise that he can see a future for himself in broadcasting after his playing days are over.

“Yeah, I would love to,” he said on his wife’s podcast when asked if he could see himself as a broadcaster. “I think talking about the game, being in some version of that is an appealing thing to me. Wherever it is, it is, but I do think staying involved in the game of football is something I want to do.

“The biggest passion outside of my family is the game of football, and that’s a fun, unique way to stay involved in it while getting to watch, talk, and be around the game. And it was really cool to be around some of those great players that are now doing a great job talking about it.”

Where have we heard this before? From none other than Rams head coach Sean McVay, who very notably explored the possibility of leaving coaching for a TV job after the team won the Super Bowl in February of 2022. He’s been open about his interest in broadcasting, saying it’s something he wants to do when he’s done coaching.

Neither McVay nor Stafford have given any indications that they’re going to retire after this season or next and put on a suit as analysts on TV, but no one should be surprised to see the two of them talking about the NFL on Sundays down the road.