LA Rams new QB Matthew Stafford knows he must win now

The LA Rams know all about time. Head coach Sean McVay believes that time is running out on the LA Rams‘ chances to win a Super Bowl.  The tears that streamed down the face of defensive lineman Aaron Donald after losing to the Green Bay Packers suggest that he too is acutely aware that time is running out on these LA Rams.

Time waits for no man. Time is something we all experience, deal with, and exist in, but know so little about. Perhaps that is why we squander it so easily when we are young, and yet try to live and relive moments as we get older. Between our youth and our golden years, there comes a transition point. Sometimes it is a mid-life crisis. Sometimes it is more tranquil, a md-life reflection and redirection of our energies.

But that point in time awaits all. That moment in life when you look at your goals and your accomplishments. The youthful feeling of invulnerability and immortality gives way to the fragility of life, the finiteness of existence. A sudden crashing of reality and realization upon one’s assessment of one’s place in history.  Some surrender. Some gird their loins and work all the harder.

32-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford is no stranger to the realization of the speed at which time passes. A 12-year veteran, Stafford has only known four winning seasons in his NFL career.  Over his career, he has led his team to the NFL Playoffs three times and has never advanced to round two.

Could he have contributed more? Perhaps.  But he has made it a point to remain very good in the pocket. And each year, he gets a little bit better.

Now? He may be playing the best football of his career. But before the trade that sent him to the LA Rams, he understood that may have been all for naught. One player cannot win on a losing team, nor can one player lose on a winning team.  Stafford hopes that he can help the LA Rams continue to win, and perhaps carry them further this year than they had ever known before under McVay.

The LA Rams understand that their time is now, and they must do everything possible to win a Super Bowl while it is within their grasp. Aaron Donald understands that too. But QB Matthew Stafford never knew a time in his NFL career when such a thing was ever possible. He just moved to the penthouse, and suddenly, the view and the opportunity are spectacular and breathtaking.

Veteran Matthew Stafford knows that the LA Rams traded for him because the team is eager to win a Super Bowl now. That’s fine with him. After all, it’s been his goal too. Suddenly, he finds himself leading the team that could get him there. McVay knows the time is now. Donald knows the time is now. And now, the quarterback, Stafford, knows the time is now.