By all accounts, LA Rams Stafford to Cooper Kupp still deadly accurate

The debut of LA Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford was an outstanding display in terms of his ability to unleash the full prowess of veteran Cooper Kupp. Not only did Stafford have a franchise record-setting season, but his ability to get the ball to Kupp placed Kupp among the company of some of the best wide receivers ever to play the game.

And so, it would be normal to ask the question: How do they follow up that excellence from 2021? Do we need to refresh your memories? Hey, why not. It was one for the record books, wasn’t it?  Let’s start with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

In just his first season in the LA Rams offense, with an ever-changing wide receiver roster, Matthew Stafford went out and set the All-Time Rams Single-Season Franchise record in passing yards (4,886 yards), passing completions (404), and tied the All-Time Rams Single-Season Franchise record in passing touchdowns (41).

Epic NFL QB debut

Now, you may or may not believe that was an outstanding way to debut in the LA Rams offense, but history shows it to be one of the best debuts of any quarterback in a new NFL offense in the history of the game. Perhaps the only true comparison is that of QB Peyton Manning’s first season with the Denver Broncos in 2012. Hold that thought, as we will come back to it later in this article.

But it gets better.

Matthew Stafford was not blessed with a consistent, stable group of receivers. And despite the pledges and promises of a running game unlike any he had benefitted from in the past, the LA Rams were not a very good running team in 2021. While that was unfamiliar ground for the Rams offense, one that had been quite dependant upon play-action passing plays, it was just another day at the office for Stafford.

That is not to say that Stafford did not need support from a strong running game. When the LA Rams attempted to transition from the loss of WR Robert Woods to the newly arrived Odell Beckham Jr., there was a period where the Rams quarterback and wide receiver seemed a bit out of synch. It was during that difficult period that the surge of veteran RB Sony Michel helped to carry the Rams to victory, despite the short-circuiting passing game.