Matthew Stafford suffered a sprained right index finger in the Rams’ wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he will be ready for Sunday’s divisional-round game against the Bears in Chicago, coach Sean McVay said Monday.
“He’s as tough as it gets and will be good to go,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters.
Stafford injured his finger Saturday when his hand hit the helmet of a Panthers player during the Rams’ 34-31 victory in Charlotte, N.C. He played through the issue and passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winner to tight end Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left.
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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 34-31 wild-card playoff victory over the Carolina Panthers.
In his postgame news conference, Stafford said he did not know what happened until he saw video that showed his finger bent backward.
“It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t great. We’ll see what it is,” said Stafford, who was not wearing a brace or splint. “Once the ball’s snapped, the adrenaline’s pretty good so we’ll hopefully just keep going.”
Stafford and the Rams are traveling to a cold-weather region, but Stafford has plenty of experience in those conditions, having played 12 seasons in the NFC North.
Temperatures in Chicago could be in the teens or lower when the Rams play the Bears, who defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-27, Saturday at Soldier Field.
“Seems like it’s going to be pretty damn cold,” McVay said.
McVay said he was optimistic that offensive lineman Kevin Dotson, who has been sidelined for three games because of an ankle injury, would play against the Bears.
“We’re going to really push that thing and see how he feels with the optimism that there’s a good chance he makes it,” McVay said.
Tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) and defensive back Josh Wallace (ankle) also could return after sitting out the last two games, McVay said. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon reinjured his shoulder against the Panthers and will be placed on injured reserve.
While the Rams are preparing for Sunday’s game, defensive coordinator Chris Shula, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase will interview virtually with NFL teams hiring head coaches.
According to reports, Shula will interview for the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders head coaching jobs.
LaFleur will interview with the Cardinals and Raiders.
Scheelhaase will interview with the Cleveland Browns, Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.
“I’m not at all concerned about it being a distraction,” McVay said.
Matthew Stafford remains among the frontrunners for the NFL most valuable player award, though his status took a hit after a three-interception performance in a defeat by the Atlanta Falcons.
On Sunday, the Rams’ veteran quarterback gets a final shot at making his case when he plays against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
“Listen, I’m not too worried about it,” Stafford said when asked whether MVP talk enters his mind.
The balloting is in the hands of others.
“People are going to vote how they want to vote,” he said. “They’re going to say what they want to say.”
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The Rams look to end their two-game losing skid and head into the wild-card playoffs with a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
So Stafford is focused on helping the Rams return to their winning ways.
“I’m just trying to put as good of a season together as I possibly can,” he said.
Stafford, 37, has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 17-year career.
He has passed for a career-best and league-leading 42 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, while leading the Rams to an 11-5 record and third-place finish in the NFC West, the NFL’s toughest division this season.
His main competition seemingly is New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. The second-year pro has passed for 30 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, while leading the Patriots to a 13-3 record and the AFC East title.
The NFL MVP award is voted on by a panel of 50 journalists who regularly cover the NFL, and the panel is assembled by the Associated Press. Los Angeles Times reporters do not participate in voting for awards.
Maye will start Sunday when the Patriots play the Miami Dolphins. If the Patriots win and the Denver Broncos lose to the Chargers, the Patriots will earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round playoff bye.
The Rams and Stafford were on a roll, and held the No. 1 seed in the NFC, until they lost 38-37 in overtime to the eventual NFC West champion Seahawks on Dec. 18 in Seattle. Stafford played well in that defeat, passing for 457 yards and three touchdowns.
But last Monday against the Falcons, Stafford had one interception returned for a touchdown and two more that also cost the Rams in a 27-24 defeat.
Stafford ranks among the top 10 in several NFL career passing categories. But he ranks this season’s statistical performance among his best.
“It’s up there with some of the better ones I’ve played,” he said. “The cool thing about that is I have such a great group around me. … I have great teammates. I try to do my best to get the best out of those guys and help them succeed and help those guys have great seasons and great games as best as I can.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford takes the field before a win over the Detroit Lions on Dec. 14.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Coach Sean McVay said Stafford was a coach on the field.
“Do you elevate the people you’re around and the situations you’re a part of? He certainly does that,” McVay said. “And I think that’s been reflected from guys having their best years around him. He deserves a ton of credit for that.”
During seven of his 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, Stafford combined with Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson. In 2021, after being traded to the Rams, he helped Cooper Kupp capture the so-called triple crown of receiving: Kupp led the NFL in catches, yards receiving and touchdown catches.
Two years ago, Rams receiver Puka Nacua burst onto the scene with a record-setting rookie season, and this season he is tied for the league lead with 119 catches. Veteran Davante Adams, who is in his first season with the Rams, leads the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.
“Every single time I go play, I feel like I try to help our guys and our coaches and everybody, put everybody in the best position to succeed,” Stafford said.
Stafford, who sat out all of training camp because of a back issue, was never a scrambler in the mold of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. But he continues to make plays out of the pocket and utilizes multiple arm angles to deliver passes.
“I still play with all the same feel and pocket movement and all that stuff that I used to,” he said. “It probably just doesn’t look the same.”
A few weeks ago, Stafford appeared on his way to his first NFL MVP award.
Now he is aiming to bounce back from his performance against the Falcons and help the Rams enter the playoffs with momentum.
“I would love to play perfect in every game, but I’m not a robot and it happens,” he said. “I’m proud of our team and I’m looking forward to another opportunity.”
Their 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, combined with the Atlanta Falcons’ victory over the New Orleans Saints, helped the Rams move up to the No. 5 seed for the NFC playoffs.
The Rams earned a rematch against the No. 4 seed Panthers, who defeated the Rams at Bank of America Stadium in Week 13 but are the only playoff team with a losing record (8-9). They’re seeded higher than the Rams by virtue of winning the NFC South.
Matthew Stafford passed for four touchdowns, Puka Nacua caught a touchdown pass and increased his league-leading receptions total, and the defense was just good enough as the Rams bounced back from losses at Seattle and Atlanta to finish 12-5.
The Seahawks (14-3) are seeded No. 1 and will have a first-round bye. The No. 2 Chicago Bears (11-6) play host to the No. 7 Green Bay Packers (9-7-1), and the No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles (11-6), the defending Super Bowl champions, will play host to the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers (12-5).
Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett was sacked six times in a loss to the Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Stafford started slowly, narrowly avoiding several interceptions, but came on in the second half and finished with a flourish in his last chance to make his case for his first NFL most valuable player award. He led three consecutive touchdown drives after the Rams fell behind 20-16 in the third quarter.
Stafford completed 25 of 40 passes for 259 yards and connected with tight end Colby Parkinson for two touchdowns and Nacua and tight end Tyler Higbee for one each.
Stafford finished with a league-leading 46 touchdown passes and 4,707 yards passing.
Stafford’s second-quarter touchdown pass to Nacua was his 43rd of the season and the 420th of his 17-year career, tying Dan Marino for seventh all time. Stafford took over sole possession of seventh place with a touchdown pass to Parkinson late in the third quarter.
Rams quarterback Matt Stafford passed for four touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Nacua went into the game tied with Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the NFL lead with 119 catches. Nacua caught 10 passes for 76 yards. McBride caught seven passes for 65 yards.
Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a pass and Byron Young, Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Josaiah Stewart and Desjuan Johnson had sacks for the Rams.
The last time the Rams traveled to Charlotte to play the Panthers, on Nov. 30, the Rams’ six-game winning streak ended with a 31-28 defeat that knocked them out of the No. 1 seed.
Stafford had two passes intercepted — ending an eight-game stretch without one — and also was responsible for a crucial delay-of-game penalty and a lost fumble.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young passed for three touchdowns, and the Panthers amassed 164 yards rushing.
But the Panthers will not enter the playoffs with momentum: They lost 16-14 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their regular-season finale, committing three turnovers and rushing for just 19 yards.
The Rams did not come out much stronger Sunday, but by the end of the first half they built a 16-6 lead on three field goals by Harrison Mevis and Nacua’s spectacular, one-handed catch on a fourth-and-one play in the end zone.
Early in the third quarter the Cardinals executed a fake punt that resulted in a 28-yard completion, and then Jacoby Brissett connected with receiver Michael Wilson for a 43-yard touchdown pass that pulled the Cardinals to within three points.
The Cardinals took the lead late in the third quarter on Brissett’s touchdown pass to tight end Josiah Deguara. But Stafford’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Parkinson at the end of the quarter put the Rams ahead, 23-20.
Stafford’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Higbee early in the fourth quarter all but sealed the victory. It was his first game back after missing six weeks because of an ankle injury, and his five catches for 91 yards were season highs.
The Rams are getting healthier as they enter the playoffs. McVay said last week that safety Quentin Lake would return from an elbow injury and play against the Cardinals, but the Rams chose to give him one more week. Star receiver Davante Adams was inactive because of a hamstring injury but is expected to be ready for the playoffs. Offensive lineman Kevin Dotson also could return.
Matthew Stafford was voted to the Pro Bowl this season, but the Rams veteran quarterback stopped concerning himself about the recognition more than a decade ago.
In 2011, the then third-year pro passed for more than 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns for the Detroit Lions.
Stafford thought he had a chance to make the NFC roster, but Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Cam Newton got more votes.
“Wasn’t even close,” Stafford said, chuckling, on Wednesday. “So at that point, I kind of reserved myself to just go play, have fun and whatever happens, happens.
“But it is cool to be a part of it.”
Stafford, who also was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023, is a leading contender for perhaps the NFL’s most prestigious award — most valuable player.
Stafford, 37, has passed for a league-leading 4,179 yards and 40 touchdowns, with five interceptions, while leading a Rams team that is 11-4 and currently seeded No. 6 in the NFC going into Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons (6-9) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Rams are averaging 30.5 points and 396.7 yards per game, both tops in the NFL. They rank second in passing (270.5 yards per game) and fifth in rushing (126.3 yards per game).
In last Thursday’s 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Stafford passed for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Yet he was outdueled by fellow Pro Bowl pick Sam Darnold, who led a touchdown drive in overtime and capped it with a game-winning two-point conversion pass.
Stafford is preparing to face a Falcons defense that ranks 14th overall, but eighth against the pass, giving up 195.1 yards per game.
Asked if he was surprised that Stafford has only been voted to the Pro Bowl three times, Rams coach Sean McVay said yes, adding that there were “a lot of layers to the Pro Bowl stuff.”
“You talk to the real football people. … I think he’s seen as a guy that’s one of the best ever to do it,” McVay said. “I think that’s been very well acknowledged this year but I think it’s probably overdue.”
Stafford has “elevated” everybody around him since the Rams traded for him in 2021, McVay said.
“The best part about Matthew is, he’s got this great humility,” McVay said, adding, “What he cares about are the respect of his teammates, his coaches and the people he’s playing against. And I think when you talk to those who know, hes got great respect and admiration for the way that he competes, the way he goes about it and what type of player he is.”
Etc.
Receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) and offensive lineman Kevin Dotson (ankle) are making “good progress,” but McVay did not provide a definitive update on their status for the game against the Falcons. … The Rams opened the 21-day window for cornerback Roger McCreary (hip) to return from injured reserve. McVay said “most likely” that the Rams will open the 21-day window for safety Quentin Lake (elbow) next week to return from injured reserve. Lake is expected to be ready for the playoffs, or possibly for the final game against the Arizona Cardinals. … The Rams are off Thursday. They are expected to practice Friday at SoFi Stadium, and Saturday at their Woodland Hills facility.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Puka Nacua and edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young were voted to the Pro Bowl, the NFL announced.
Stafford, 37, has passed for a league leading 4,179 yards and 40 touchdowns, with five interceptions, for a Rams team that is 11-4 and currently seeded sixth for the NFC playoffs. The Rams play the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night in Atlanta in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Stafford also made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023.
Quarterbacks Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks and Dan Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys also made the NFC roster.
Nacua, a third-year pro, leads the NFL with 114 catches and ranks second with 1,592 yards receiving. He was also voted to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2023.
Young, also a third-year pro, has amassed 11 sacks, which ranks ninth in the NFL. This is his first Pro Bowl recognition.
Verse has 6 1/2 sacks and is regarded as one of the league’s most disruptive forces. He also made the Pro Bowl as a rookie last season, when he was also voted NFL defensive rookie of the year.
The Pro Bowl Games will be held Feb. 3 in San Francisco.
Who’s going to stop the unstoppable offense? Who’s going to score on the persistent defense? Who’s going to outwit the coaching genius?
Who can possibly halt the Rams on their thunderous march toward a Super Bowl championship?
After yet another jaw-dropping Sunday afternoon at a raucous SoFi Stadium, the answer was clear.
Nobody.
Nobody can spar with the Rams. Nobody can run with the Rams. Nobody can compete with the Rams.
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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
Nobody is talented enough or deep enough or smart enough to keep the Rams from winning their second Super Bowl championship in five years.
Nobody. It’s over. It’s done. The Rams are going to win it all, and before you cry jinx, understand that this is just putting into words what many already are thinking.
The Rams’ second-half domination of the Detroit Lions in a 41-34 win should again make the rest of the league realize that nobody else has a chance.
The Seahawks? Please. The 49ers? No way. The Eagles? They’ve been grounded. The Bears? Is that some kind of a joke?
The Patriots? Not yet. The Broncos? Not yet. The Bills? Not ever.
The Rams trailed by 10 points at one juncture Sunday and then blew the Lions’ doors off in the second half to clinch a playoff berth for the seventh time in nine seasons under Sean McVay, setting them up for the easiest ride in sports.
With a win in Seattle on Thursday night — and, yes, they should beat a team that just barely survived Old Man Rivers — the Rams essentially will clinch the NFC’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
That means they have to win only two games at SoFi to advance to a Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. That means they can win a championship without leaving California, three games played in the sort of perfect climate that gets the best out of their precision attack.
And as Sunday proved once again, they’re good enough to win three essentially home playoff games against anybody.
“I love this team,” McVay said.
There’s a lot to love.
They have an MVP quarterback, the league’s most versatile two-headed running attack, an interior defense that gets stronger under pressure, and the one weapon that no team can match.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is tackled by Detroit cornerback Amik Robertson during the second half Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Is he unbelievable or what? He is Cooper Kupp in his prime, only faster and stronger. He caught a career-high 181 yards’ worth of passes on yet another day when he could not be covered and barely could be tackled.
“He’s unbelievable,” McVay said. “He’s so tough, a couple of times he just drags guys with him … he epitomizes everything we want to be about … he’s like Pac-Man, he just eats up yards and catches.”
Pac-Man? The Rams even score on their old-school references.
In all, it was another Sunday of totally fun football.
They outscored the league’s highest-scoring team 20-0 at one point, they outrushed the league’s toughest backfield 159-70, they racked up 519 total yards against a team once thought destined for a championship.
And they did it with barely a smile. With the exception of Nacua repeatedly banging his fist to his chest — can you blame him? — the Rams are steady and steadfast and just so scary.
”All we want to do is go to work and find a way to be better,” said Matthew Stafford, who likely answered the crowd’s chants by clinching the MVP award with 368 yards and two touchdown passes. “It’s a fun group right now but we understand there’s more out there for us.”
Lots, lots, lots more.
This year a similar column appeared in this space regarding the Dodgers. By the first round of the playoffs, one just knew that they were going to run the table.
“Guys just kept competing, staying in the moment,” McVay said.
This moment belongs to them. One knew it Sunday by the end of the first half, which featured a Stafford interception and a struggling secondary and Jared Goff’s vengeful greatness and a 10-point Lions lead.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes in the first half of a 41-34 win over the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Then the Rams drove the ball nearly half of the field in 30 seconds in a push featuring Stafford and Nacua at their best. Stafford connected with Nacua on a brilliant 37-yard pass in the final moments that led to a Harrison Mevis 37-yard field goal to close the gap to seven.
“Right before that I told the guys, ‘Let’s go steal three,’” Stafford said.
Turns out, they stole a game.
“One of the key and critical sequences,” McVay said of that late first-half hammer, which led to a dazzling third quarter that finished the flustered Lions.
“We never panic,” Blake Corum said. “Because we know … what we have to bring to the table.”
What they’ve increasingly been bringing is a running attack that perfectly complements the awesome passing attack, as evidenced Sunday by Corum and Kyren Williams combining for 149 yards and three touchdowns.
The Lions’ more vaunted backfield of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery? Seventy yards and one score.
“We push each other to the limit,” Corum said of Williams.
Rams running back Kyren Williams stiff-arms Detroit Lions safety Erick Hallett II during the first half Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Potentially disturbing was how one noted Ram may have pushed past his limits, as receiver Davante Adams limped off the field early in the fourth quarter after apparently reinjuring his troublesome hamstring.
To lose him for the playoffs would be devastating, as he frees up space for Nacua and is almost an automatic touchdown from the five-yard line and closer.
Then again he’ll have a month to heal. And the Rams still have a bruising array of tight ends led Sunday by the touchdown-hot Colby Parkinson, who caught 75 yards’ worth of passes and two scores, including one inexplicable touchdown in which he clearly was down at the one-yard line.
The Rams got lucky there. But even if the right call was made, they would have scored on the next couple of plays. The way the Rams attacked, they could have been scoring all night.
“You knew that it was going to be that kind of game where there was some good back-and-forth,” McVay said. “You needed to be able to know that points were going to be really important for us, and our guys delivered in a big way.”
Just wait. By the time this season is done, McVay’s guys will have delivered a trophy representing something much bigger.
The only questions now: Can they hold onto the No. 1 seed in the NFC and have home-field advantage for the entire postseason. And will receiver Davante Adams be fit for the stretch run?
The Rams clinched a playoff spot on Sunday with a 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions before 74,701 at SoFi Stadium in a game that featured Adams’ fourth-quarter departure because of a left hamstring injury.
Matthew Stafford outdueled Jared Goff, Puka Nacua continued his torrid receiving pace and the Rams defense shut down the Lions in the second half as the Rams improved their record to 11-3 and ensured their seventh playoff appearance under ninth-year coach Sean McVay.
It was a huge victory for a Rams team that will be tested again Thursday night when they play the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle.
The Seahawks (11-3) defeated Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Seattle, setting up the Thursday night showdown. The Rams currently hold the tie-breaker over the Seahawks because of their Nov. 16 victory over the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.
Can they capture home field throughout the playoffs for the first time?
They advanced to the Super Bowl in the 2018 and the 2021 seasons without the benefit of playing every playoff game at home.
The Rams finish the regular season with games against the Seahawks, a road trip to Atlanta and a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.
As expected, the victory over the Lions (8-6) did not come easy.
The Rams overcame an early interception and 10-point deficit late in the second quarter.
Adams, who has been nursing a hamstring issue, left the field for the locker room and did not return to the game after appearing to suffer an injury early in the fourth quarter.
McVay said Adams’ injury “didn’t look good” and wasn’t sure if Adams would be able to play against the Seahawks.
Stafford came alive in the second half, leading three consecutive scoring drives in the third quarter to give the Rams a 34-24 lead.
Stafford kept alive his drive for the NFL most valuable player award by completing 24 of 38 for 368 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception.
Nacua, coming off a performance against the Arizona Cardinals that earned him NFC offensive player of the week honors, caught nine passes for 181 yards. Adams caught four passes for 71 yards.
Tight end Colby Parkinson caught two touchdown passes, Kyren Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Blake Corum also scored on the ground.
Defensive lineman Kobie Turner had a key sack for a defense that gave up three touchdown passes and several big plays in the first half, but neutralized Goff for most of the second.
Goff and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown started fast and helped the Lions take a 24-17 lead.
Stafford had a hand in that, throwing a ball into the waiting arms of Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who returned the interception 58 yards. On the next play, Goff found St. Brown for a touchdown.
Williams’ two short touchdown runs gave the Rams the lead midway through the second quarter. But Goff connected with St. Brown for a short touchdown and then hit Jameson Williams with a 31-yard scoring pass to put the Lions ahead, 24-14.
The Rams cut the deficit to seven points when Harrison Mevis closed the first half with a field goal.
The Rams opened the second half with another field goal to cut the Lions’ lead to four points.
The defense then forced the Lions to go three and out, forcing them to punt for the first time.
Stafford put the Rams ahead with a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson to give the Rams a 27-24 lead.
Turner’s sack of Goff helped set up another punt, and it took Stafford only 52 seconds to engineer another touchdown. He connected with Nacua for a 39-yard gain, and Blake Corum extended the lead with an 11-yard touchdown run.
The Lions kicked a field goal midway through the fourth quarter to trim the Rams’ lead to seven points, but Stafford’s second touchdown pass to Parkinson gave the Rams a 14-point lead with just under five minutes left.
David Montgomery’s short touchdown run late in the fourth quarter cut the lead back to seven.
Goff completed 25 of 41 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns. St. Brown caught 13 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
