Matthew Stafford reveals cheat code that makes Davante Adams unstoppable

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford sought out Davante Adams 28 times in the red zone last season, which contributed heavily to Adams' league-best 14 receiving touchdowns. You'd think defenses would wise up to it. They did, too. They simply couldn't stop it. 

Adams' production in the money part of the field is obvious. What makes him so dominant isn't quite as easy to grasp. To help viewers out, Stafford went on the Green Light podcast, hosted by ex-Rams defensive end Chris Long, to explain why his go-to goal-line target is so good at punching the ticket.

"I think, obviously, he has great understanding and patience and feel," Stafford said. Okay. Makes sense. Go on. 

"People that have met him, he's not a small player, right? Guys that can move like him are a lot of times undersized players. So they create that separation and then in the red zone, you run out of room and size becomes an issue for those guys. [His] ability to shake somebody loose in a phone booth and then still be able to play up over the top of them is as good as it gets."

Maybe that theory isn't so surprising, either, but having Adams' own quarterback put it into words certainly drives the point home with authority. It explains a lot. At 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds, Adams has a default size advantage over most cornerbacks and smaller safeties. At the same time, he can wiggle and shimmy-shake like Stafford's old Lions target, the 5-foot-10 Golden Tate.

Adams' unique skill set makes him a nightmare matchup

His agility in short-area situations is more a matter of quickness and precision than vertical speed. At the NFL Combine, Adams ran an unimpressive 4.56 40-yard dash. That was 12 years ago. 

He doesn't need hot wheels to be a red-zone machine. Adams made a career out of proving that with the Green Bay Packers. From 2016 to 2022, when he joined the Raiders, Adams logged double-digit touchdowns in six of seven seasons. He led the league two other times, in addition to last year, including with a career-high 18 TDs in 2020. 

Matching his 2025 count, which he achieved in 14 games, would vault Adams to fourth all-time in receiving scores, behind Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens. Not bad company. 

With his instincts, tracking ability, and broad catch radius, it's no wonder Adams quickly perfected the back-shoulder fade with Stafford, just like he did with Aaron Rodgers as a Packer.

It's not just Adams' physical traits that make him great where it matters most. It's instincts, yes, and also a fierce competitive drive.  

"I'll tell you what," Stafford added, "there's certain guys that I've played with - and nobody as good as him - but the best comes out of them the closer they get to the end zone, because they want to score. And s---, I love that. You want those guys on your team."

Adams was by far his favorite target up close last season, with Puka Nacua and tight end Colby Parkinson next in line. According to Stafford, that's far from the only place Adams will be running up the box score this season. As productive as the latter was, his quarterback believes it's on himself to create more chances for his veteran receiver, so that they can reach a "whole new level." 

Given how unfair it is already matching up with Adams inside the red zone and on goal-to-go's, that's the last thing opposing secondaries are looking forward to.

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