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INGLEWOOD, Calif .– That’s why Matthew Stafford wanted to join the Rams: playing in early season games that mean something, having his team mentioned in Super Bowl talks and not hearing giggles, being a part something so appealing, it commands “must see” treatment by television networks as well as by Hollywood stars.
And that’s why the Rams wanted Stafford badly to trade a former No. 1 overall pick, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick to get him to town: 343 passing yards, four touchdowns, zero. turnaround and a Score of 134.0 in a matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Performing in front of a large crowd which included luminaries such as LeBron James, Jason Sudeikis, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Dr. Dre, Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer, Stafford and the Rams showed up and showed up on their way to a 34-24 victory at SoFi Stadium which kept them unbeaten at 3-0. The performance wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to confirm that there is substance to the hype.
Just as he was in the opener against Chicago and the following week against Indianapolis, Stafford was all Los Angeles wanted and needed. He slowly started to misfire on all but one of his first seven passing attempts, but was electric afterwards, leading six straight goals as the Rams twice built a 17-point lead, the last with 8. : 14 to play.
It wasn’t the first remarkable performance of her 13-year career, but in previous seasons she was overlooked as she served as the football equivalent of: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? Stafford could play out of his mind, but no one paid attention because he was playing for the Lions, who last won a playoff game in the 1991 season.
With Los Angeles, he has a supporting cast not just in attack, but in defense. This unity made life miserable for Tom Brady and the Bucs, who entered the game leading the league in scoring but only managed to reach the end zone twice. Brady had thrown nine goals in the first two weeks, but only managed one touchdown pass in 55 attempts on Sunday. He was constantly harassed, fired three times, and forced to throw repeatedly under duress.
And yet, for all the attention to players, much of the credit for the Rams’ start should go to the front office, which a few years ago began its tendency to go against the NFL in matters personnel acquisition. In a league where first-round draft picks are seen as more valuable than heirlooms, the Rams have used them as a bounty for established playmakers, preferring the known over the unknown or untested. They gave up two No.1s for Stafford, two more for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and a single first-round pick for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who was then traded when they thought they could do even better.
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