Getty Matthew Stafford gets pressured by Joe Tryon-Shoyinka of the Bucs on November 6, 2022 in Tampa.
Those who have followed Shannon Sharpe from his tight end days to his analyst role on Fox Sports 1 knows how blunt he is.
And in an exclusive interview with Heavy on Rams made possible through his partnership with Alka-Seltzer, the three-time Super Bowl champion weighed in on the state of the now 3-5 Los Angeles Rams.
Sharpe Identifies 3 Problem Areas Involving the Rams
The Rams have already matched their loss total from their Super Bowl 56 run after falling in the closing seconds against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-13 on Sunday, November 6.
The defending champs are dealing with a myriad of injuries especially in the trenches. Sharpe, however, sounded like he didn’t want to make the injury pileup as the excuse for why the Rams have underperformed.
“Rams are injured, but so are a lot of teams,” Sharpe told Heavy.
Overall, “The offensive line has under preformed. [Matthew] Stafford has not played well. Also, the defense is not as good as last season.”
Regarding Stafford, his numbers have taken a significant dive from his monstrous 2021 season. The quarterback has thrown just 8 touchdown passes and has thrown that same number in interceptions. He’s only thrown three touchdowns in a game once this season: The Week 2 home win over the Atlanta Falcons 31-27. Since then, Stafford has thrown no more than one touchdown…which includes the current period of Weeks 5 through 9. Stafford has also delivered just one 300-yard outing this season which was the Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
In going back to last season, Stafford threw between 3 to 4 touchdowns in five of the first eight games with the Rams. He also delivered the same number in 300-yard outings.
“Rams do not protect the Quarterback well enough, run the ball well enough and Stafford is not playing well enough to repeat. The defense is not as dominant either,” Sharpe bluntly said.
The defense was widely criticized following the three-point loss to the Bucs. Many analysts and fans questioned the coverages the Rams played with 44 seconds left — which saw the Rams drop their cornerbacks back nearly 10 yards and not playing closer to the Tampa wideouts. Brady effectively went after the sidelines in taking advantage of the extra spacing, helping keep the drive alive for the final Cade Otton touchdown.
Sharpe was additionally critical of the Rams on social media. The NFL Hall of Famer blasted the performance of left guard Bobby Evans, who surrendered two sacks to Vita Vea.
“Rams LG is AWFUL. He needs a couch all he’s doing is watching,” Sharpe tweeted.
He even ribbed a joke about Evans being a backup.
Overall, count Sharpe as one of the staunchest critics of the 2022 Rams.
Sharpe & Alka-Seltzer
Through his deal with Alka-Seltzer, Sharpe is help revising the term “Monday Morning Quarterback.”
“Traditionally, a Monday Morning Quarterback is someone who criticizes you after an event, but Alka-Seltzer’s new campaign is redefining the term. We want to be there to give support and relief to the fans via encouraging words and helpful solutions catered to their post-game symptoms,” Sharpe said. “This football season, fans can say yes all season long, whether that’s going to the game in the cold weather or enjoying themselves during the tailgate. Alka-Seltzer will be there with tips and weekly giveaways, like game tickets, tailgating packages and gift cards, helping them to take on Monday no matter how they feel.”
Sharpe adds he’s used Alka-Seltzer even during his playing career with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. Sharpe and Alka-Seltzer have already helped launch their campaign together on October 31.
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