Getty Matthew Stafford has one strong backer for 2021: NBC analyst and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms. Simms said on his "Unbuttoned" podcast on June 16 that the new Los Angeles Rams quarterback will thrive in his new home.
Matthew Stafford has a strong backer in his transition to the Los Angeles Rams in Chris Simms, and the NBC analyst boldly predicted that he will get the last laugh on how Stafford will fare in L.A.
“I’m really ready for him to crap on some people this year,” Simms declared on the “Chris Simms Unbuttoned” podcast released on June 16.
Simms, who has been with NBC since 2017, relentlessly defended Stafford on the latest episode.
“You say what you want, I don’t give a damn. Go ahead, start the hate right now. You know who’s going to get the last laugh when you start the hate right now? Me. Because he’s on a team now and everybody’s going to see what he’s really worthy of this year,” Stafford said. “So I’ll get the last laugh.”
Simms Compares Stafford’s Arm Strength to Elite NFL QB’s
Simms is a big believer in Stafford’s arm strength, verbally illustrating on his podcast where Stafford’s right arm ranks in the league right now.
“He still has one of the greatest game-changing arms in the history of the NFL and still one of the most explosive arms in the NFL right now at this moment. That’s where it starts,” Simms said. “He does things with his right arm that very few people in this league can do. It’s in the echelons of Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen. He makes them look so routine at times.”
Simms acknowledged that the 13-year veteran is not the perfect, ideal quarterback. But demanded that critics stop blaming him for his winless playoff record in the Motor City.
“Is he perfect? No. But I think a lot of the problems Matthew Stafford had were team related, people around him-related, offensive scheme-related and we’re in this era of blaming it on one guy. And of course we know, I don’t like that,” Simms said.
Simms: ‘Stafford is a Big-Time Improvement’
In February, Simms appeared on NBC Sports’ “Brother From Another” sports show to break down the swap of QB’s between Stafford and Jared Goff. While Simms said he respects Goff’s career in L.A., he called Stafford’s addition an upgrade at the signal-caller spot.
“You can certainly win with Jared Goff. There’s no doubt about that. We’ve seen that. He’s proved that. I respect him a lot. He is tough with dealing with a broken thumb and all that issues,” Simms began. “But, I do think this is a big-time improvement for the Los Angeles Rams football team. For me, Stafford is twice as good as Jared Goff at half the price.”
Simms additionally believed during the guest spot that Stafford’s new head coach Sean McVay will find ways to cater to the new Rams QB, saying “That’s where I think you’ll see the offense get more dangerous and explosive. Those play-actions and bootlegs, McVay is going to be able to design some different route combinations and things with a guy like Matt Stafford who truly is one of the greatest throwers in the history of the NFL. That’s going to open their offense up a little bit and open McVay’s playbook up too.”
Simms has a series unveiling the top 40 QB’s for the upcoming season. He’s placed Stafford at No. 8 overall, ahead of the seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady who came in at No. 10.
Simms is certainly fired up about Stafford being a Ram. He thinks the change of scenery will spark Stafford.
“As you can tell, I hold the guy in high regard,” Simms said. “He’s played through injury, he’s always getting beat up, he’s always getting hit. Pass protection was never something that was popular there in Detroit. They had issues across the board when he was there.”
Lastly, Simms backed the claim that Stafford has more talent to work with, concluding “It’s going to be an adjustment. But it’s going to be where he’s just going to go ‘Wait, I don’t have to be crazy here. We’ve got Aaron Donald. We have Jalen Ramsey. We’ve got a defense. We can run the ball. I got a coach, a team around me, it’s not all about me.’ I think it will be a relief of not having to do it all himself and having a support system.”