Where does LA Rams QB Matthew Stafford land in PFF's NFC QB list?

While the LA Rams roster may be the epitome of a who's who of 2023 rookies, there are still three veterans on the roster who remain forces to be reckoned with: Quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and defensive lineman Aaron Donald. While they are all dominate personalities at their respective positions, the NFL pundits, prognosticators, and analysts are not considering them very often when discussing the upcoming 2023 NFL season.

That could prove to be a substantial oversight on their parts.

The belief from early reports is that LA Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford is back. Not just back, he is slinging footballs like laser-guided missiles and is perhaps in the healthiest shape he has ever been in since joining the LA Rams. It could be argued that Stafford is at his best right now, but there really is not a lot of buzz about those facts.

Stafford still rules the NFC

But occasionally, a bit of optimism shines through, and we do our best to grab it and share it. The LA Rams may be young, but this is a talented team that has players who continue to compete at an elite level. For instance, Pro Football Focus sportswriter Sam Monson has just projected, his NFC Top-5 starting quarterbacks for the 2023 NFL season:

And the only quarterback from the NFC West is LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. So what? So prepare for some dynamic and electrifying games this year. Matthew Stafford is projected to be the fourth-best NFL starting quarterback in the NFC this year. I suspect he could be better than that after the dust settles.

We already know that Matthew Stafford is one competitive son of a gun in the pocket. His first season in the LA Rams offense, he set the single season franchise record for passing. And if you recall, he was pulled out of the fourth quarter of two games that season, because the Rams had mounted what was viewed as an insurmountable lead.

Comeback QB: The Sequel

Don't look for him to be pulled out of games this season. The Rams face a challenging schedule all year long, and the Rams roster, particularly on defense, is quite young and may have more rookies starting then returning veterans. This is going to be a very challenging season for a young and inexperienced Rams roster.

On the other hand, Matthew Stafford has plenty of experience at playing for a team that struggles to hold the lead, that needs a ton of points out of the offense, and that few take seriously long before the start of a new NFL season. Matthew Stafford has a reputation for being a quarterback who can lead his team by fourth-quarter heroics.

Does he have one more season of comeback victories in him? I think he could, especially if the LA Rams offensive line rallies to the cause this season. To be successful, the LA Rams need not average 40+ points per game. The Rams simply need to end games with one more point on the scoreboard then their opponent.