What we learned from LA Rams win over Buccaneers

Lesson III:  Matthew Stafford is better than the brochure

There were plenty of projections about how veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford would perform in the LA Rams complex offense. There was a wellspring of hope and optimism over what might be, much like that of young minds filled with what might lay in wait beneath the Christmas tree wrapped in pretty paper and ribbon. So now that we’ve seen three games, are you disappointed? Pleased? Ecstatic?

Well, speaking solely for myself, I’m in the ecstatic category. No, not because I’ve donned my rose-colored homer fan glasses. It’s because Matthew Stafford is far more poised and surgical than expected.

There are two ways to pile up production in the NFL. There is the volume method. Much like the Dallas Cowboys ran running back Ezekiel Elliot over 320 times in a season, and then bragged about rushing for 1600 yards. Volume begets volume. In passing terms, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has passed 141 times in three games. At that pace? He will pass the ball 800 times in one season. Ironically, the record for most passing attempts in one season is held by LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw the ball 727 times in 2012. In fact, Matthew Stafford appears in the top ten passing attempts twice.

So there was a reason behind expecting the guy to show up and just chuck the ball all over the field, hoping to get it to the receiver. Passing the ball in volume to get high passing yards.

Instead, Stafford has only attempted 94 passes, which has him ranked at 20th among NFL quarterbacks in passing attempts. But he is the fifth-ranked quarterback in terms of passing yards, and the second-ranked quarterback in terms of touchdown passes. Best of all, he leads the NFL in QBR and rating. He is not a sledgehammer. He is not an artillery barrage. He is not a carpet bombing B-52. He is a surgeon, picking his spots, throwing to an exact location, each time surveying the defense and his progressions, and choosing the right spot to go with the football almost instantly.

Hey, there is a lot to unpack with this LA Rams offense. But these are three of the most vital lessons that we learned in Week 3. So far, the Rams team keeps improving, little by little.