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Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 8,167 yards for two franchises, none were with the Los Angeles Rams.
However, as the color commentator for Rams games on Sundays, the former Jacksonville Jaguar and Oakland Raider considers himself a part of the “Ramily,” and he’s backing the Super Bowl hype surrounding the team he works with.
Jones-Drew addressed the Super Bowl talk the Rams are facing on the June 30 edition of “Good Morning Football” on the NFL Network. MJD was asked the burning question on the show: Is there too much hype for the Rams?
“Not at all,” Jones said immediately. “We’re in Los Angeles. What is L.A. known for? It’s the stars. All the people come out – they have all the fancy cars and the fancy toys and the big houses. This is the Los Angeles Rams. They’ve embodied their city. Jalen Ramsey, the top DB. Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford, Cam Akers, Leonard Floyd, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, all the big names. Get them all out there because you know what? They know what it takes to win. You need stars on the football field on both sides to go out there and make plays. As an honorary member of the “Ramily” since I call the Rams games on radio, I can’t wait to call some of these 45 to 50 point games.”
MJD Calls New Rams QB a Top 5 One
One reason behind Jones-Drew’s high optimism for this version of the Rams: Stafford’s addition.
While the Rams witnessed former QB Jared Goff throw for 3,804, 4,688 and 4,368 yards in the last three seasons in Sean McVay’s offense, Goff was swapped for Stafford in January 2021. Jones-Drew himself addressed Goff’s change of scenery, telling the Rich Eisen Show on February 1 that the former L.A. QB “wasn’t up to par.”
The battle-tested Stafford is coming to L.A. with 45,109 passing yards and 282 yards in tow. Stafford once went seven consecutive seasons throwing for more than 4,000 yards, including a scintillating 5,038 yards in the 2011 season.
Yet, Stafford never won a postseason game as a Lion and endured four different coaching changes in his dozen years at Detroit. He also ended up losing his best receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson to an early retirement in 2015, going without him for the next five seasons in the Motor City and the franchise never finding Johnson’s equal. If Stafford is a Hollywood actor, he’s one who has had to settle for box office duds or straight-to-Amazon Prime films because of the lack of a strong, consistent supporting cast around him.
MJD, however, reminded the GMF crew that for some actors, all it takes is the one film that leads to higher success and a career boost. He compared Stafford’s situation to one once struggling actor who is now renowned for starring in one of the longest running movie franchises right now.
“Since we’re talking about movies and Hollywood, I would say this: Vin Diesel wasn’t Vin Diesel until Fast and the Furious. Now we’re on Fast and Furious 9, the greatest saga ever. You need to have that one movie, you need to have that one thing that helps you come out of your shell. I think that is Sean McVay for Matthew Stafford,” Jones-Drew said.
To which MJD later declared: “I think Stafford will definitely be a top five quarterback.”
Hype Train Continues to Move for the Rams
No matter the Rams representative on the NFL Network, from Isaac Bruce to DeSean Jackson to on July 2 Andrew Whitworth, all have never ducked from addressing the Rams’ Super Bowl chatter.
Again, MJD has never suited up for the Rams. But the closet “Ramily” member is another who thinks the team is deserving of having the championship hype around them.
“When we’re talking Rams, be as positive as you want to,” Jones-Drew said.
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