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Motor City love still gets showered on Matthew Stafford, even though he’s officially begun his second NFL training camp with the Los Angeles Rams.
Despite being a part of the blockbuster 2021 trade that gave the Rams their future Super Bowl winning quarterback, there are those with Detroit Lions ties who still think highly of their former franchise quarterback — with one of them speaking to Mike Sando of The Athletic on Monday, July 25 about Stafford’s game as a quarterback.
Still Fascinated by Arm
Sando released a column that polled various NFL head coaches, coordinators and other league personnel that categorizes NFL quarterbacks into different tiers.
Based on conversations with coaches and one voter described as someone who was with Stafford in Detroit, the Rams’ Super Bowl winning QB got placed as the first signal-caller in the “Tier 2” group. This means, per Sando and The Athletic, that Stafford is a QB who “can carry his team sometimes, but not as consistently.” Plus can “handle pure passing situations in doses and/or possesses other dimensions that are special enough to elevate him above Tier 3.”
However, despite not being classified as “Tier 1” with names like Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Tom Brady, Justin Herbert or Joe Burrow, this unanimous voter from Stafford’s Lions days still raves about the 33-year-old’s right arm.
“He still to this day has the best arm I’ve been around or seen,” the voter said. “Whether it’s with a system that suits him and a good partnership with the head coach and all that, a Super Bowl ring gets you an upgrade in my book.”
Stafford’s powerful right arm was finally featured in a major market city like Los Angeles. That same arm was also utilized in a high-powered offense constructed through the mind of Sean McVay. That same limb and the change of NFL scenery led Stafford to tie his career-best mark of 41 touchdown passes in year one with the Rams.
But as this anonymous voter with a connection to Stafford pointed out, Stafford’s arm still leaves them in awe. The difference is, that physical attribute got married into a scheme that allowed him to thrive and pursue his first Super Bowl ring.
What Others Said About Stafford
Was the defending Super Bowl winning QB ever thought of as a “Tier 1” member? Sando explained the snub.
“Stafford might have threatened the top tier if he hadn’t faltered later in the regular season as the Rams, thrilled to have a capable veteran quarterback, leaned into a dropback pass offense to a degree that seemed excessive, perhaps exposing Stafford’s upper limits,” Sando wrote.
Sando then spoke with one other unnamed source to further compartmentalize Stafford’s game. The unnamed offensive coach described Stafford as finally finding the right, winning situation.
“I think it’s fascinating,” the offensive coach said. “The whole thing with Stafford, you just felt like here is a guy with all the talent in the world and you get him into a situation with a good staff, a good team, and there’s some consistency there. I certainly was not surprised with how he performed. Any time the head coach is the play caller and you get some chemistry and are on the same page, that’s a huge, huge advantage.”
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