Matthew Stafford is LA Rams Week 3 secret weapon

Stafford unleashed

The LA Rams had gotten some good games in the past out of quarterback Jared Goff. I think his best performance was not the shootout on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs, but rather seven weeks earlier when he directed the Rams to a 38-31 shootout win against the Minnesota Vikings at home at the end of September 2018. In that game, Goff was 26 of 33 for 465 yards and five touchdowns. In that game, three Rams receivers caught more than 100+ yards in the game. Cooper Kupp caught 9 of 11 for 162 yards and two TDs, Brandin Cooks caught 7 of 8 for 116 yards and one TD, Robert Woods caught 5 of 5 for 101 yards and one TD.

I believe that Matthew Stafford can do better. How much better? That is up to debate. But I think it will be better out of necessity.

In 2018, the LA Rams had RB Todd Gurley at his peak. He rushed for 1,251 yards in just 14 games that season, as well as scoring 17 rushing touchdowns. Even as Sony Michel appears to be taking over the rushing duties for the Rams if only temporarily, there is little chance that he puts up 100 yards and multiple scores in this one.  A great game for Michel in this one looks like 18 carries, 78 yards, and one touchdown.  That means that the rest of the offensive output needed in this game, perhaps as much as 500 yards and 6 touchdowns, has to come from Stafford. Can he do it?

To be fair, that would place him in the neighborhood of breaking the NFL single-game passing record set by LA Rams quarterback Norm Van Brocklin at 554 yards.  Is that even feasible?

I think so, yes. Let’s look at this game with an all-in offensive effort?  Cooper Kupp at 10 of 12 for 170 yards and two TDs, Robert Woods at 7 of 8 for 130 yards and a touchdown, DeSean Jackson at 5 of 5 for 107 yards and one touchdown, Van Jefferson at 4 of 6 for 98 yards, Tyler Higbee at 4 of 5  for 87 yards and one touchdown.  None of these numbers are out of bounds.  And the aggregation of them all place Matthew Stafford at 30 of 36 for 592 yards and five touchdowns.

If there is any game where Stafford needs to generate absurd statistics for the win, this is likely the game to do it. The Rams will need to put up points, lots and lots of points. So the only question remaining is: Can Stafford do it?

We think yes. Right now, so do many NFL analysts.