Don't Worry About Matthew Stafford Despite Struggles in Practice vs. Raiders
By Peter Dewey
Matthew Stafford tossed three interceptions during the Los Angeles Rams’ joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders, but it’s way too early to hit the panic button.
Stafford, the Rams’ prized offseason acquisition, admitted that he wished he could have some throws back, but the growing pains should be expected while he learns a new offense and gets acclimated to his new receivers.
“They did a nice job getting the ball back from us a couple of times,” Stafford said. “I made a couple of poor decisions that I wish I had back. That’s practice. Some of the new stuff that we’re putting in and I wanted to make sure I get reps at it. I have to do a better job of making sure we end up with the ball after every play. That’s everybody included, so I have to do a better job of that.”
Rams head coach Sean McVay has been adamant that Stafford won’t play in the preseason, but it hasn’t affected the veteran’s odds to win MVP (+1500) or lead the league in passing yards (+900, fourth in the NFL) at WynnBET.
For fans that want to see Stafford protect the ball more, even in these joint practices, McVay said that they hadn’t game planned for the Raiders and that he was actually glad Stafford took some chances.
“I thought it was a good job by them being able to play visual on the quarterback,” McVay said. “And then a couple of them were tipped balls that really didn’t have anything to do with him.”
Offseason football can be a slippery slope, as players can get hyped up during practice or be considered bust candidates. It honestly all depends on what happens in game action, and with a veteran like Stafford, the bad practices will be few and far between in preparation for the season.
Los Angeles, who is a +180 co-favorite to win the NFC West, is hoping that Stafford can improve a passing game that ranked 13th in the NFL with Jared Goff under center last season.
This is Stafford’s first chance in his career to play for a contender, so it will be interesting to see if he really is a difference maker, or if some of the Detroit Lions’ struggles these past few years should have landed on him as well.
Can Stafford lead the Rams to the playoffs in 2021? Get in on the action with the WynnBET app.