Getty Matthew Stafford meets with Tom Brady following their December 26, 2020 meeting in Detroit.
Matthew Stafford isn’t exactly Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay, or Lance Zierlein. But the Los Angeles Rams quarterback delivered his own NFL scouting report of the man he will soon share the field with this Sunday: Tom Brady.
Following the Wednesday, September 22 practice, Stafford told L.A. reporters that the 44-year-old Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback can still sling it and proclaimed “he can do it all.”
“I know he likes to talk about what pick he was and all the stuff. The guy throws it about as good as anybody in the league still,” Stafford said at the 2:40 mark of the video. “I mean, coming out of the hand, he throws it great. He’s mechanically as sound as anybody. He’s on time, great anticipation, ball placement. Just got a ton of spin, got a ton of juice on it, still can throw it down the field. I think back to the playoff game in Green Bay, right before the half when he hits a 10 down the side. That’s a heave in Lambeau and drops it on him. He can do it all. You think about it, from the pocket, that guy’s as good as it gets.”
When Stafford & Brady are on the Field
Reminder: These two will not physically face off against one another. However, when both QB’s get together, it’s Brady’s team that has had the better end of the series.
Since 2010, Brady’s team have gone 3-1 against Stafford-led clubs. Stafford’s lone win over a Brady-guided team? It came on September 23, 2018 in Detroit when Stafford went 27-of-36 for 262 yards and threw two touchdown passes in the 26-10 home win at Ford Field.
Last year, however, went the way of Brady and the Bucs: A 47-7 drubbing on December 26, 2020 at Stafford’ home turf. It was also a game where Stafford was limited to just three passing attempts after sustaining an ankle injury.
Stafford sent the reminder himself that he’s going against the Bucs’ defense, not TB12.
“Obviously, not that way,” Stafford said when asked if he’s viewing this as him against Brady. “Going against a great defense, it’s probably about as good as any defense in the league.”
Bruce Arians Shares his Praise for the Rams’ QB1
Bucs head coach Bruce Arians happens to be a fan of Stafford over the years. In fact, he told the L.A. media on Wednesday that he’s gone out of his way to watch Stafford throw during pregame warmups.
#GoBucs HC Bruce Arians on Matthew Stafford & pre game: “I love watching him throw. I probably come out and watch him, get a feel for the surrounding too. Do all the things you do for pregame in a new stadium, find all the clocks and things and see whatsup with the new place.”
Cool quote from Bucs HC Bruce Arians on Rams QB Matthew Stafford:
“I think he’s one of the few guys… I like going out and watching warm up because he’s got such a tremendous arm and I have a ton of respect for him.”
Arians even told Gary Klein of the L.A. Times that he would sometimes leave the locker room early just to see No. 9 warming up. Arians said of Stafford “He can make every throw from every angle. He’s just so talented, and I love watching really talented guys.”
Several fans may hype this game up as Stafford vs. Brady. But while Stafford is aware of the kind of QB Brady is, the Rams’ signal-caller looks beyond that pairing.
“It’s two teams that are playing good football right now going against each other and I’m excited about it,” Stafford said. “It’s a big challenge for us. They’ve obviously won a bunch of games here recently and have a bunch of talent on their team. So, we’re going to go out there and play our best football.”