Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford did not mince words.
The Rams are coming off a disappointing loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and they will be without Myles Garrett for at least the next four games.
“Nobody wanted to come over and succeed, and play all the games, and play at a high level, and do all the things he’s been able to do for a long time more than him. This is just a blip in the radar, a little bump in the road he’ll work diligently to come back from as soon as he possibly can. As far as what of a blow it is to our team, obviously, he’s as good a defensive player as there is in the league when he’s healthy and ready to roll,” Stafford said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast on September 14.
“It’ll be a collective effort to kind of pick up where he is not there. But at the same time, we all just have to play a little bit better. Obviously, we can help on the offensive side of the ball, scoring points and doing the things that we’re supposed to do, too. Football is a great team game. This will be an opportunity for us to prove that for a few weeks now, as he’s recovering.”
There are significant concerns about Garrett and his health, both over past instances and his future on the field.
Stafford completed 60% of his passes for 155 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception in the Rams’ 27-7 season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He did not stop there when speaking on the Rams’ offensive shortcomings in Week 1.
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Asked directly if the travel or any other non-game factors contributed to the Rams’ demise, Stafford remained candid.
“I think it’s hard to know, but we felt good going into the game. Hindsight, I’m sure people will sit there and go, ‘Well, of course, the 49ers did it right, because they won the game, and won the game handily.’ But football is about what’s played in between the lines in my mind, and we had plenty opportunities to go out there and make this game a better game for us.
“I fully believed in our plan, and I know the 49ers probably believed in their plan. And it was, hey, who’s going to go out there and execute in those 60 minutes? They obviously did that. They deserve a lot of credit.”
Stafford called the outing “disappointing.”
“Every time you step out there, you want to score every time you touch the football,” Stafford said, citing the Rams’ 14-9 win over the Houston Texans in Week 1 last season.
“Did some really nice things [after last season]. So, there’s a lot of time left. Obviously gonna have great urgency in finding a way to make sure that we score a whole lot more than 7 points. A lot to learn, and a lot to fix.”
(via Yahoo Sports Daily)
Stafford and the Rams led the NFL in total and scoring offense during the 2026 regular season.
That surely gives them confidence heading into “Monday Night Football” in Week 2 against the New York Giants that they can and likely will turn things around offensively, while they hope the defense can find its footing until Garrett returns.
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