Stafford

Leadership. Communication. And making everyone around him better.

Five minutes of Matthew Stafford on the mic! 🎤 » https://t.co/5swq4nY3BM pic.twitter.com/nAUeABoQh1

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 5, 2023

Matthew Stafford Is Healthier Than He’s Been in Years

ALBERT BREER

https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/08/07/nfl-training-camp-takeaways-rams-matthew-stafford

We’re rolling—14 teams down on my camp trip—so here are my takeaways from the trail …

I’d be encouraged with where Matthew Stafford is if I were a Rams fan. Sometimes, if you’ve been covering these things for long enough, you can pluck a subtle difference in a player’s or a coach’s demeanor, or outlook, this time of year that carries over when the games start to count. And I had one of those moments with Stafford on Saturday out at Rams camp on the campus of UC Irvine.

Sean McVay had used the word “reenergized” in describing where his quarterback was two weeks into camp, and I relayed the thought to Stafford himself.

“I would agree with him,” Stafford says. “I mean, it was two years of battling through something that made doing my job really painful and not fun. It’s difficult when you’re out there and you’re in a lot of pain. It’s nice to feel healthy again and feel good enough to go out there and spin it like I want to with all these guys. And just operate like I want to.

“It’s also fun being a little bit of an elder statesman and having a bunch of young guys around to try and teach them and coach them up as fast as I can, because we’re gonna need those guys. We’re gonna rely on them.”

Stafford is in a much better position to prepare for the season than he was this time last year.

As Stafford spoke, I noticed the sleeve over his right arm—when I brought it up to him, he explained it was just a cautionary thing. It was significant to me, really, in that it was the only trace of all that went wrong a year ago.

Remember, at this point last year, Stafford was being carefully managed through camp. He wasn’t practicing much and, worse, it wasn’t like this was something new. More so, it was the crescendo of a couple of years of pain, which only made an already troublesome injury (any injury to a quarterback’s throwing elbow is) even scarier. It was fair, at the time, to at least wonder about his future.

Which is why he addressed it aggressively this offseason, through a lot of trial and error.

“Rest, rehab, a lot of work,” Stafford says. “A lot of things I try that either worked or didn’t work, helped a little, helped a lot. A lot of work from me, the training staff, a lot of people to try to get back to feeling good.”

And on this day, he told me this is the best he’s felt in …

“Three years? I don’t know,” he says, laughing. “It’s not a huge number, but it’s been a while. It’s really been a while. It’s the last four of five offseasons. I had a fractured back in ’19. After ’20, I came here, I had thumb surgery. After ’21, I had elbow stuff going on. So it’s been quite a few offseasons since I’ve felt like I could operate and get a full offseason under my belt and go play.”

The result, for me, was easy to see. Stafford was bouncing around during practice. He was smiling afterward. For him, even training camp is fun again.

“Yeah, I like doing my job again,” he says. “I feel good doing it. It’s a whole lot of fun when it’s like that.”

ESPN: NFL Quarterback Council 2023: Ranking top 10 QBs by trait

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38151402/nfl-quarterback-council-2023-ranking-top-10-traits

Today’s NFL quarterbacks are asked to do so much every Sunday, and the best ones are often elite in multiple traits. Reading the field and finding weaknesses in the defense. Airing out deep shots for huge gains. Making precision passes on the move outside the pocket. Driving their teams downfield when the game is on the line. Picking up first downs on the ground when plays break down. But how do the top signal-callers in the league compare in each skill area? How do the NFL’s best of the best stack up by specific traits and abilities?

For a third straight year, we asked ESPN’s NFL analysts — Matt Bowen, Tim Hasselbeck, Matt Miller, Dan Orlovsky, Jason Reid, Jordan Reid, Mike Tannenbaum, Seth Walder and Field Yates — to rank their personal top 10 NFL quarterbacks entering the 2023 season in 10 distinct categories, from arm strength to pocket presence. We combined those lists with a points-based system to generate final rankings in each area, all 10 of which are below.

Our analysts then reacted to each list, explaining why the quarterbacks at or near the top of each group belong there and discussing what surprised them most about the final top-10s. We also gave a big stat to know, spun it forward with a young rising QB to watch for each trait and pointed out snubs who probably should have cracked each ranking. Let’s start with the best downfield throwers in the league, but you can jump to each category to see how the top quarterbacks rank in the other nine skills.

Arm strength | Accuracy | Touch
Mechanics | Field vision | Decision-making
Compete level and toughness | In the pocket
Rushing ability | Second reaction

Arm strength

This category is all about the biggest arms in the NFL. Pass velocity and the amount of zip a QB can put on a throw were factors in the ranking, as was the ability to hit the deep ball. Who are the best quarterbacks throwing the ball vertically and driving it into tight windows with authority? Here’s how we voted …

1. Josh Allen, Bills
2. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
3. Justin Herbert, Chargers
4. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
5. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
6. Anthony Richardson, Colts
7. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
8. Matthew Stafford, Rams
9. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
10. Kyler Murray, Cardinals

Accuracy

Arm strength doesn’t mean much if you can’t place the ball where it needs to go. Who can hit the tightest windows? Who locates their passes in the perfect spots? And who is never off target with their throws, displaying pinpoint precision?

1. Joe Burrow, Bengals
2. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
3. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
4. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
T-5. Justin Herbert, Chargers
T-5. Geno Smith, Seahawks
7. Kirk Cousins, Vikings
8. Matthew Stafford, Rams
9. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
10. Jalen Hurts, Eagles

Mechanics

In today’s NFL, quarterbacks have so many different throwing motions. But mechanics are still a big part of success. That includes a QB’s throwing motion, arm slot, release, follow-through and footwork, among other traits. Who are the most technically sound signal-callers in the league?

1. Joe Burrow, Bengals
2. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
3. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
4. Justin Herbert, Chargers
T-5. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
T-5. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
T-7. Josh Allen, Bills
T-7. Kirk Cousins, Vikings
9. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
T-10. Matthew Stafford, Rams
T-10. Jared Goff, Lions

Field vision

Here we’re looking at the ability to read the field. Included in that are awareness and recognition when it comes to seeing defensive schemes or coverages, along with the fast eyes to identify blitzers, breaking defensive backs and open targets. Will a QB audible out when he needs to, diagnosing and understanding different defensive looks? And how quickly can he get through his progressions? Does he get stuck on his first read too often and stare down receivers, making it easy for the defense? Or can he scan the field, make the defense bite with his eyes and then find the open receiver?

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
2. Joe Burrow, Bengals
3. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
4. Josh Allen, Bills
5. Justin Herbert, Chargers
6. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
7. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
8. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
9. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
10. Matthew Stafford, Rams

Compete level and toughness

Who has the most desire to win? Toughness rolls into it, and our analysts looked at each quarterback’s bounce-back ability and resilience here, along with how well they can take a hit. Physicality is a big trait in this section, too. Compete level also speaks to a quarterback’s command of his offense, leadership qualities and ability to deliver in the clutch. Simply put, you can never count out the players who made this top 10.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

2. Josh Allen, Bills
3. Joe Burrow, Bengals
4. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
5. Justin Herbert, Chargers
6. Matthew Stafford, Rams
7. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
8. Aaron Rodgers, Jets
9. Justin Fields, Bears
T-10. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
T-10. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

…

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2023/8/15/23832439/rams-matthew-stafford-qb-ranking-espn

Stafford was notably snubbed in touch and pocket presence. On pocket presence, former New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum came to the quarterback’s defense:

“Matthew Stafford’s movement traits and instincts in the pocket have allowed him to play at a high level for a long time, so I would have expected him to make the top 10.” per Tannenbaum of ESPN

As for his touch, Stafford has proven that he can throw more than darts with his cannon of a right arm as NFL analyst Matt Bowen notes:

“I was shocked to see Matthew Stafford missing here. Yes, he can throw absolute lasers, but let’s not forgot about his ability to deliver the ball with both touch and pace. It allows Stafford to layer throws over the second level of the defense or drop the ball into a bucket downfield.” per Bowen of ESPN

from the wiki

Stafford in 2021

Stafford passed for the second-most yards in a single postseason with 1,188. He became the first quarterback since Eli Manning to lead a fourth-quarter comeback in a Conference Championship and a Super Bowl in the same playoff season.<sup id=”cite_ref-245″ class=”reference”></sup> He became the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 6,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in the regular season and postseason combined all while leading a team to a Super Bowl victory in the same season.

Shannon Sharpe Top 10 NFC Quarterback rankings.

1. #Bears Justin Fields
2. #Eagles Jalen Hurts
3. #Lions Jared Goff
4. #Cowboys Dak Prescott
5. #Vikings Kirk Cousins
6. #Panthers Bryce Young
7. #Giants Daniel Jones
8. #Saints Derek Carr
9. #Rams Matt Stafford
10.… pic.twitter.com/rGwlMTjPve

— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) August 19, 2023

wv wrote:

Prime-Warner or Prime-Stafford?   I dunno.

To me? It’s Stafford, and that’s without taking anything away from Warner. I just think a healthy Stafford does more. He makes all the plays Warner could, and has the sidearm and no-look passes in his aresenal at the same time, plus is more athletic overall. When he was younger he had a huge arm, a much stronger arm than Warner’s. Stafford is a rare player in the league, not just in Rams history. It’s as if the Rams got Archie Manning in 1978, with a lot of good years left in him.