The Los Angeles Rams sorely missed Matthew Stafford in their Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers. With Brett Rypien at the helm, Sean McVay’s offense posted only three points in a blowout loss. The performance prompted them to sign a new backup quarterback in former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz.
The impetus for the move was that regardless of Stafford’s status with his thumb injury, the Rams would have serviceable quarterback play in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks. McVay had previously said that Stafford’s status was completely up in the air but that given the quarterback’s toughness, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take the field in Week 11.
Now, as gameday nears, it seems that Stafford may give it a go. McVay and the Rams have been impressed with the progress he has made over the course of the bye week.
“Matthew should be ready to go,” McVay said. “He was out there taking part in individual today. He’s making great progress. We’re operating with the anticipation and expectation that he is going to be good to go. He’ll be pushing through, but we expect him to be able to start and play and do his thing and lead the way this week.”
Stafford being back in the lineup makes things far more interesting for the Rams. At 3-6, postseason contention is unlikely. Especially if the red-hot Minnesota Vikings continue winning games. But the Rams have shown that, despite popular belief, they have no interest in tanking away this season. And with Stafford, the Rams are a far more competitive team.
L.A. is 3-4 in games where Stafford was the quarterback from start to finish and was within shouting distance of the postseason prior to his injury. The Rams also have a fairly easy schedule to finish out the year, save for matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens. The Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants all serve as winnable games for L.A. — with Stafford — the rest of the way.
Stafford: thumb feeling better than expected
Even Stafford was surprised by the progress his thumb made during the bye week. Despite his initial fears being the worst, things have turned out okay with the recovery of the injury.
“Thumb’s feeling better than I thought it would,” Stafford said. “I was a little bit scared in the Dallas game that it was gonna be worse than it was and just happy that it’s not. I’m gonna do everything I can to be out there. I love playing this game and love competing, so I’m gonna do whatever I need to do to be out there.”
