Tag Archives: Matthew Stafford

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Detroit Lions rookie WR Jameson Williams gets Matthew Stafford’s No. 9

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12:21 PM ET

  • Eric WoodyardESPN

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The newest No. 9 for the Detroit Lions is expected to be a lot faster than the old one in the Motor City.

Lions rookie receiver Jameson Williams has officially switched his jersey to No. 9 — Matthew Stafford’s old Detroit number. He shared an image of the uniform on his Instagram account.

Williams originally agreed to wear No. 18 as a nod to Lions great Calvin Johnson, who wore No. 81, by flipping it, but was looking for a single-digit number instead. He reached out to Stafford on his own via text as a courtesy, according to a source.

Stafford didn’t have any issues, the source confirmed. The Los Angeles Rams quarterback wore No. 9 for a dozen seasons in Detroit, where he set numerous franchise records before being traded for Jared Goff and then winning the Super Bowl this past season.

There is no specific timetable on Williams’ return as he recovers from a torn ACL in January during the collegiate national championship game for Alabama. However, the rookie has been in attendance during training camp with a football ever present in his hands. The Lions are being cautious about his return.

“I mean, absolutely — we want get him out there as fast as possible, and is it crucial,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of Williams during minicamp. “It is crucial, but not until he get his strength up. He needs a lot of strength development in that body, his lower extremities — legs, knees, everything. So, until he’s able to stabilize himself, and really get some strength that we feel good about to where he can protect himself … protect that knee, and he can compete, and compete at a high level, we’re not going to put him out there.”

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Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay says Matthew Stafford’s elbow pain ‘abnormal for a quarterback’

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IRVINE, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said quarterback Matthew Stafford’s right elbow pain is “a little bit abnormal for a quarterback,” comparing it instead to what pitchers deal with.

Stafford, who dealt with an elbow injury last season, received an injection in his right elbow during the offseason. He did not throw during the Rams’ spring workouts, saying he and the team were trying to be smart with his throwing arm.

Stafford threw during individual and 7-on-7 drills on Thursday but did not take part in the team reps. McVay said earlier in the week that he doesn’t expect Stafford to do so before the Rams leave Irvine on Aug. 10.

McVay said the Rams’ training staff and Stafford “tried some things in the offseason” with the goal of alleviating some of the pain he was feeling in his elbow. McVay said going into camp the Rams knew they wanted to have a “modified approach and a progressive build.”

“Could he do it? Yes,” McVay said. “Is that the best thing? We didn’t think so. And I think I’ve got a responsibility to try to make decisions that are in the best alignment using medical experts and talking with Matthew. And so all of those things combined led to where we’re at right now. And it is an ever-evolving process, but we are really taking over these next couple weeks, seeing how they go.”

McVay said Wednesday that Stafford’s pain isn’t a setback but is “consistent with what’s been going on.”

“[You] want to try to have him operate in as little pain as possible,” McVay said. “I think anytime that you’ve played as long and are as tough as he is, I don’t know if you’re ever truly pain-free, but the goal would be for Sept. 8 and really looking towards 17 games then hopefully some games after that if we earn that opportunity.

“That’s kind of the perspective and the big-picture approach that we want to be able to take. I don’t know that I would feel as comfortable taking that approach if it wasn’t for the experience that he’s accumulated and knowing how intentional he is about staying up to speed with his mental and his physical work that he can do in the absence of some of the stuff in the team settings.”

McVay said he thought Stafford “looked really good” during practice on Thursday.

“Even in routes on air, in the types of throws where you’re really seeing all parts of the field being activated, that’s a really good thing,” McVay said. “And so I’ve definitely seen improvement. He was making those types of throws before, but being able to just do it in a smart fashion is kind of what we’re really hunting out.”

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NFL draft 2022 – Los Angeles Rams release ‘On the Clock’ film teaser with Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Josh Holloway, Dennis Quaid and more

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11:51 AM ET

  • Jeremy WillisESPN.com

The Los Angeles Rams don’t exactly seem to believe in building through the NFL draft. Their first pick of the 2022 draft won’t come until the third round. The Rams’ GM Les Snead famously has a coffee mug and T-shirt expressing his opinion of draft capital.

But this is Hollywood. There could be a plot twist or a film noir-style surprise coming. Maybe even a plan to assemble a crew to steal the draft in Las Vegas.

The Super Bowl champs released a short film Tuesday titled “On the Clock.” With its own tagline (“The House Always Wins”), the video reimagines the draft as an epic cross between “Ocean’s Eleven” and “The Fast and the Furious.”

The plot: Owner Stan Kroenke, played by Dennis Quaid, must assemble his crew to take down the draft. Snead, played by “Lost” and “Yellowstone” actor Josh Holloway; coach Sean McVay, played by Scott Eastwood; and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, played by “Fast” franchise alum Tyrese Gibson, recruit their crack team.

That team features Kendall Blanton, Terrell Burgess, Aaron Donald, Tyler Higbee, Jordan Fuller, Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, David Long Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Nick Scott, Ben Skowronek and Matthew Stafford.

There are sports cars, Kupp in a high-speed chase and Fuller and Jefferson stealing the show with some comedic chops. The show even has a few draft Easter eggs. Kupp (69th overall selection in 2017), Blanton (undrafted in 2019), Burgess (104th in 2020), Higbee (110th in 2016), Fuller (199th in 2020), Long (79th in 2019), Scott (243rd in 2019) and Skowronek (249th in 2021) were all picked in the third round or later. Stafford and Ramsey came to Los Angeles via trades of first-round picks.



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Super Bowl 2022 – Best moments from the Los Angeles Rams’ championship parade

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5:20 PM ET

  • Kelly CohenESPN

If you were in L.A. on Wednesday, you might have seen everything from a shirtless Aaron Donald to a new version of the famous “HOLLYWOOD” sign as the Los Angeles Rams celebrated their Super Bowl LVI victory with a parade that kicked off early — 11 a.m. PST.

On Sunday, the Rams won their first Super Bowl since they moved back to Los Angeles from St. Louis in 2016, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on L.A.’s home turf at SoFi Stadium.

So yes, there was a lot to celebrate in Southern California this week.

Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp rocked the jersey of another MVP, the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Odell Beckham Jr. sprayed champagne on zealous fans. L.A. native Jay Rock performed at the conclusion of the parade.

Even Tom Brady chimed in on social media, telling Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to hydrate — but with water — throughout the festivities.

Let’s look at the scenes from the party in L.A.



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Super Bowl 56: Live Updates from Bengals vs. Rams

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INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on the Super Bowl:

The Cincinnati Bengals are minutes away from the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

That is if the Bengals can keep Joe Burrow upright.

The Bengals lead the Los Angeles Rams 20-16 through three quarters despite Burrow getting sacked five times in the third alone. It was the first time since at least 2000 that a quarterback has been sacked at least five times in a quarter in the playoffs.

Burrow now has been sacked six times in this game. It’s the fifth time in Burrow’s short career and third time this season he has been sacked at least six times.

The No. 1 pick overall of the 2020 draft now has been sacked a record 18 times this postseason, and he has been sacked 69 times all season.

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Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has become the sixth player to throw for 6,000 yards in a single season.

He joins Drew Brees, who had 6,404 yards in 2011, Peyton Manning with 6,387 in 2013, Eli Manning had 6,152 and Tom Brady 6,113 in 2011 and Dan Marino with 6,085 in 1984. Stafford needed 209 yards to reach 6,000, and he got that with a 16-yard pass to Brycen Hopkins in the third quarter.

Three plays later, the Rams tried their version of the Philly Special with Cooper Kupp throwing to Stafford. But they didn’t connect, and Matt Gay kicked a 41-yard field goal with 6:02 left in the third. That pulled the Rams within 20-16 of the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Cincinnati rookie Evan McPherson has matched Adam Vinatieri for the most field goals in a single NFL postseason.

McPherson made his second of the Super Bowl with a 38-yarder with 10:15 left in the third quarter. That gave the Bengals a 20-13 lead over the Los Angeles Rams as they got points off Matthew Stafford’s second interception.

The rookie the Bengals drafted with the fifth pick out of Florida now has 14 field goals this postseason. That matches the NFL record set by Vinatieri in 2006.

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Super Bowl 56 has turned in favor of the Cincinnati Bengals with two big plays all in the span of the first 22 seconds of the third quarter.

The Bengals scored a touchdown on their first offensive play of the quarter. Joe Burrow moved to his right and then up before throwing deep to Tee Higgins, who caught the ball as Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey fell. Higgins ran to the end zone to finish off the 75-yard TD for a 17-13 lead.

On the Rams’ first play to start the next drive, a pass from Matthew Stafford intended for Ben Skowronek bounced to Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie at the Los Angeles 32.

Evan McPherson hit a field goal to put the Bengals up 20-13.

That interception gives the Bengals eight this postseason, most since the Green Bay Packers had eight in 2010.

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There was about as much hip-hop as a stadium can hold at Super Bowl halftime, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar splitting a fiery medley of their hits as expected, and a surprise appearance by 50 Cent.

It was a rare Super Bowl halftime show performed in the daylight, but it still had a feeling of a nightclub at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, with a set made up to look like the houses of nearby Compton and South LA.

Dre and Snoop opened the show with “Next Episode” and “California Love.”

50 Cent, not among the announced performers, started his “In Da Club.”

Blige was decked out in silver sparkles and surrounded by backup dancers as she sang a medley of her hits.

Eminem was surrounded by a rock band as he performed “Lose Yourself,” at one point taking a knee in apparent tribute to Colin Kaepernick’s protests.

The set was surrounded by what looked like a lit-up cityscape from above, with classic convertibles and a replica of the sculpture outside the Compton Courthouse.

The crowd had lanyards with LED lights that flashed in coordination with the show’s beats.

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Rams coach Sean McVay isn’t ready to talk about playing the second half of Super Bowl 56 without wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

McVay was asked during his halftime interview about playing without Beckham. The receiver hurt his left leg late in the second quarter, the same leg he tore the ACL in during the 2020 season. McVay didn’t say anything about Beckham’s status, which has been announced as questionable to return.

The Rams coach says they have to make some adjustments and have got to be able to make some plays. McVay said the Rams had some opportunities they didn’t capitalize on.

Los Angeles leads the Bengals 13-10 at halftime. Cincinnati gets the ball first to start the third quarter after winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half.

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The Los Angeles Rams lead the Cincinnati Bengals 13-10 at halftime of Super Bowl 56.

Matthew Stafford has thrown for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He may be without one of his top targets in the second half with Odell Beckham Jr. questionable to return after hurting his left leg with 3:50 left in the second quarter. That’s the same knee Beckham tore his ACL in during the 2020 season. The wide receiver went to the locker room, and he has two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Cooper Kupp has three catches for 40 yards and the Rams’ other TD.

Joe Burrow has thrown for 114 yards for Cincinnati. Running back Joe Mixon threw for the Bengals’ lone TD on a pass to Tee Higgins.

Cincinnati safety Jessie Bates got the game’s first turnover, working his way in front of Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson in the end zone. Stafford rolled out left on third-and-14 and threw deep from around midfield. Officials flagged Cincinnati for unsportsmanlike conduct, not for taunting but for a player wearing a hoodie not in uniform who ran into the end zone to celebrate. That forced Cincinnati to start at its own 10 with 2 minutes left in the half.

Stafford tied for the most interceptions in the regular season with 17. He now has two in the postseason. The only quarterback to have the most interceptions in the regular season and win a Super Bowl was Eli Manning in the 2007 season with the Giants.

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Los Angeles Rams receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an injury to his left leg on a noncontact play with 3:50 remaining in the second quarter.

Beckham was running toward the right side of the field on a crossing route, but it appeared as though his foot got caught in the turf. He dropped a pass thrown by Matthew Stafford and clutched his leg as he fell to the turf.

Beckham was looked at by trainers on the field before being helped off. He was looked at briefly in the medical tent on the Rams’ sideline before heading to the locker room.

Beckham, who was signed by the Rams after being released by Cleveland at midseason, had two receptions for 52 yards. He scored Los Angeles’ first touchdown when he beat Mike Hilton in the right corner of the end zone for a 17-yard score.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have answered the Los Angeles Rams with their first touchdown to pull within 13-10 in the second quarter.

Running back Joe Mixon got the ball and ran to his right before throwing to a wide-open Tee Higgins in the end zone for a 6-yard TD with 5:47 left.

That capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive by the Bengals that chewed up 7:04 off the clock.

After the extra point, Bengals’ fans celebrated loudly chanting “Who Dey!”

Mixon joined some exclusive company as only the fifth non-quarterback to throw a TD pass in the Super Bowl. He joins Trey Burton for Philadelphia against the Patriots in 2018, Antwaan Randle El in 2006 for Pittsburgh against Seattle, Lawrence McCutcheon in 1980 for the then-St. Louis Rams against the Steelers and Dallas’ Robert Newhouse in 1978 versus Denver.

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Matthew Stafford is off to a nearly perfect start, and the Los Angeles Rams have a 13-3 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Stafford capped a 75-yard drive with an 11-yard TD pass to Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp with 12:51 left in the second quarter. None of the Bengals even touched Kupp coming off the line as he was wide open for his 21st TD catch this season, including the playoffs.

That puts him in exclusive company. Jerry Rice had 22 TDs in both 1987 and 1989. Randy Moss has the NFL record with 24 TD catches in 2007.

Stafford is 9 of 10 for 127 yards and two TD passes. His passer rating is perfect at 158.3.

Stafford is just the second quarterback with a perfect passer rating through four drives of the Super Bowl since 2000. Matt Ryan also was perfect for the Falcons against the Patriots in 2017.

A botched snap by the Rams on the extra point led to a flurry with the Bengals recovering the ball.

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The Los Angeles Rams lead Super Bowl 56 and the Cincinnati Bengals 7-3 after the first quarter.

Bengals rookie Evan McPherson kicked a 29-yard field goal with 28 seconds left to keep Cincinnati from going scoreless through the first 15 minutes. The field goal was McPherson’s 13th made field goal this postseason, putting him one off the NFL record of 14 set by Adam Vinatieri in 2006.

Cincinnati had first-and-10 at the Rams 11 after an amazing one-handed catch by Pro Bowl receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Offensive Rookie of the Year tracked the ball as he ran downfield covered by three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and caught Joe Burrow’s pass with his right hand for a 46-yard reception.

But the Bengals couldn’t pick up even a yard on three plays before sending McPherson out for the field goal.

This is the third straight Super Bowl where both teams scored in the opening quarter. That had happened twice in the previous 12 Super Bowls.

___

Playing a Super Bowl anywhere near Hollywood means the stars will come out, and they certainly have with the hometown Los Angeles Rams trying to win their first championship in 22 years.

Charlize Theron danced in her seat wearing a Rams ballcap, while Jennifer Lopez sat regally in her seat watching.

LeBron James is at SoFi Stadium with the Los Angeles Lakers having an off day along with Lakers legend Kareem-Abdul Jabbar. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 2020 World Series, is on hand watching his high school buddy Matthew Stafford play quarterback for the Rams.

The crowd also includes country singer Kenny Chesney and actors Sean Penn, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Chris Tucker and Kevin Hart.

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The Los Angeles Rams have the first score of Super Bowl 56.

Matthew Stafford capped the Rams’ second drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Odell Beckham Jr. with 6:22 left in the first quarter. Beckham caught the ball over Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton, then the wide receiver celebrated his TD with a quick moonwalk. Beckham signed with Los Angeles on Nov. 11 after being cut by the Cleveland Browns.

Stafford is 4 of 4 for 47 yards and a 155.2 passer rating to start the game.

The Rams only had to go 50 yards in six plays over 3 minutes, 35 seconds because the defense forced the Bengals to turn the ball over on downs to end Cincinnati’s opening possession.

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Make it nine straight Super Bowls where neither team has scored on its opening drive.

The Los Angeles Rams started on offense and finished with 1 yard thanks to a sack by Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson of Matthew Stafford.

Cincinnati went for it on fourth-and-1 at midfield, and linebacker Ernest Jones broke up Joe Burrow’s pass to turn the Bengals over on downs.

The Bengals are looking to score their first touchdown in the first half of a Super Bowl after being shut out in the franchise’s two previous Super Bowls. Cincinnati scored only 17 points on the opening drive all season, which tied for second fewest in the NFL. They had scored 10 points in the playoffs.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have won the coin toss and have deferred to put the Los Angeles Rams on offense to start Super Bowl 56.

It just may not be the omen Bengals’ fans want.

The last seven coin-toss winners wound up losing the Super Bowl. The last team to win the coin toss and the Super Bowl? Seattle beat Denver in 2014.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford called tails with Los Angeles technically the visiting team. The coin tossed by Billie Jean King came up heads.

King was on hand for the coin toss as the NFL recognized the 50-year anniversary of Title IX enacted in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments providing equal funding for men and women for the first time at high schools, colleges and universities receiving federal funding.

She was joined by the team captains for the California School for the Deaf Riverside Cubs, members of the high school girls flag league of champions and girls youth tackle football players from the Inglewood Chargers and Watts Rams.

King tweeted out video of her practicing the coin toss before kickoff. King wrote “Pressure is a privilege” and she noted the tip to bend her knees actually helped a lot.

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Quickie Mickey” slowed it down for the Super Bowl.

Mickey Guyton, who told The Associated Press this week that she’d earned the nickname for singing “The Star Spangled Banner” in a tight 1:30, sang it in about 1:50 on Sunday before the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals took the field.

Oddsmakers had put the over/under on the anthem length at 1:35.

“I don’t want to ruin anybody’s sports bets, but let’s just say it’s the Super Bowl, so it most likely won’t be as fast,” the Grammy-nominated country singer told the AP.

She was still faster than the Super Bowl average of around two minutes.

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It’s hot at SoFi Stadium for Super Bowl 56. Just not the hottest ever for this game.

The temperature is 82 ahead of kickoff between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals after having cooled off from 85 a couple hours before kickoff. California has been dealing with a heat wave over the past week with temperatures reaching into the low 90s in the region.

That’s short of the record of 84 set on Jan. 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

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Getting into this Super Bowl at the last minute will mean a big hit to the wallet.

StubHub says the get-in price Sunday was $3,800, a jump of 10% from Saturday, and the average price for tickets sold was $6,136. That’s a dip of 8% from Saturday.

The site still had more than 1,400 tickets available Sunday morning.

Fans from California have bought nearly 40% more tickets over the last 24 hours and also nearly 35% of new tickets sold in that span.

The Cincinnati faithful have been busy with buyers from Ohio accounting for 8% of sales.

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Kickoff at Super Bowl 56 is less than an hour away with both teams warming up on the field at SoFi Stadium.

Joe Burrow is leading the Cincinnati Bengals with Matthew Stafford all decked out in the Rams’ modern throwback white jerseys. This is the first Super Bowl berth for each.

Burrow is the fastest to go from No. 1 overall pick to starting in this game.

Stafford had never won a playoff game before this postseason after the Rams traded for him. Stafford comes in with 49,995 yards passing and 323 TD passes. That’s the most ever for a quarterback making his first Super Bowl appearance. Stafford needs only 209 yards passing to become the sixth player to reach 6,000 in a single season.

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The “Who Dey!” fans are making themselves known inside SoFi Stadium.

The concourses are packed with people with Bengals jerseys and they are outnumbering Rams jerseys by almost a 4-to-1 margin. The most popular jersey is that of Joe Burrow’s No. 9.

The Bengals faithful aren’t waiting for kickoff either. They’re walking around breaking into chants of “Who Dey!” inside the house of their opponent.

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Super Bowl 56 could make history at kickoff before either the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals begin the opening drives.

The temperature two hours before kickoff was 85 degrees with the chance for the gauge to go even higher by the time the ball is kicked off. That would make this the hottest Super Bowl ever, topping the record of 84 set on Jan. 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

California has been dealing with a heat wave with eight locations in the region posting record temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s earlier this week.

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More AP Super Bowl coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL



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Matthew Stafford, Rams defense embody toughness vs. 49ers | Pro Football Talk | NBC Sports – NBC Sports

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  1. Matthew Stafford, Rams defense embody toughness vs. 49ers | Pro Football Talk | NBC Sports NBC Sports
  2. Fred Warner lays controversial, illegal hit on Matthew Stafford during Rams-49ers NFC championship game; NFL world reacts Sporting News
  3. Matthew Stafford handled the pressure, Jimmy G did NOT! – Booger McFarland | NFL Primetime ESPN
  4. Fred Warner expresses regret for hit on Matthew Stafford: “It looks bad” NBC Sports
  5. ‘That’s not the type of player I am’: 49ers LB Fred Warner apologizes for controversial hit on Rams QB Matthew Stafford 49ers Webzone
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Rams Hold on to Defeat Bucs 30-27, in What Could be Tom Brady’s Final Game – NBC Los Angeles

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The Los Angeles Rams are hoping history repeats itself.

Less than a year after Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl on their home soil, the Rams seek a similar destiny in 2022.

On an overcast and muggy winter day, the Rams held on to defeat the aforementioned Buccaneers 30-27 in the NFC divisional round, denying them the opportunity to defend their title, while simultaneously advancing to the NFC Championship game next week.

The Rams victory seemed inevitable for most of the game, but nearly never came to fruition following a furious fourth quarter comeback by Brady and the Bucs. Leading 27-3, Tampa Bay scored 24 unanswered points to tie the game with less than a minute left on the clock. Thanks to the NFL’s receiving triple-crown winner Cooper Kupp, Los Angles was able to march down the field and kick the game-winning field goal as time expired.

“

Los Angeles defeated Tampa Bay for the second time this season, sending Brady and the Bucs home for what could be the final game of the seven-time champion’s storied NFL career.


Mike Ehrmann

Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts after being defeated by the Los Angeles Rams 30-27 in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 23, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

“I haven’t put a lot of thought into it. I’ll just take it day by day and see where we’re at,” said Brady when asked if he was going to retire. “Truthfully guys, I’m thinking about this game and I’m not thinking about the future right now.”

As plenty of questions surrounded Brady’s future after the game, there were plenty of questions about Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford before the postseason even began. Despite being ranked alongside Brady statistically among the greatest quarterbacks of his generation, Stafford had yet to win a playoff game in his 13-year NFL career.

Despite exorcising some of those demons in the Rams 34-11 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Wild Card Game, Stafford doubters did not believe he could vanquish the greatest quarterback of all time in Brady.

But Stafford prevailed in the highly anticipated quarterback duel of aging veterans. The 33-year-old threw for 366 yards and two touchdowns, even rushing for a score in his battle with Brady.

The 44-year-old Brady threw for 329 and a touchdown in the loss.

The Rams will now host the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers for the third time this season at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. The rival 49ers have defeated the Rams six consecutive times, with their last win coming on Dec. 30, 2018.

“It’s a big challenge,” said Stafford on facing the Niners. “Hopefully it’s one of those games where it’s heavy blue and yellow and we have a nice loud crowd that makes it tough on them. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

The Rams jumped out to an early 10-point lead after Stafford found backup tight end Kendall Blanton on the play-action, for a a seven-yard pass for the game’s first score.

Los Angeles then broke the game open at the start of the second quarter when Stafford found Cooper Kupp wide open for a 70-yard touchdown pass that put the Rams ahead 17-3.

“Coach got us in a great call. We got the coverage that we wanted,” said Kupp of the touchdown. “We got a two-on-one on the front side safety. Matthew [Stafford] did a good job hanging in there, giving me an opportunity for the run after the catch. I felt like my best opportunity to was to cut back there and I was able to get in the end zone. My legs felt a little heavy on that one though.”

The Rams kept the Bucs out of the end zone in the first half, but missed an opportunity to go up 27-3 when Cam Akers fumbled the ball on the one-yard line, killing all momentum heading into the locker room.

But the Rams got the ball back to start the second half, and marched down the field, capping off a six-play, 28-yard drive with a QB sneak for the score and a 27-3 lead.

The lead was eerily reminiscent of Super Bowl LI, when the Atlanta Falcons led Brady and the New England Patriots 28-3. Brady rallied for the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history and nearly did it again on Sunday.

Leading 27-6, Kupp fumbled and gave Brady and the Bucs the ball back in their own territory midway through the third quarter.

“It’s obviously tough,” Kupp said of the fumble. “You obviously try and to limit them as much as you can and to be in that moment, obviously you feel like you let your team down and put the defense out there in a terrible spot, you never want to do that. Literally, before that drive, we were preaching ‘ball security, ball security’ and that’s something I can’t do.”

Seven plays later, Leonard Fournette, who was activated off the IR before the game, ran the ball into the end zone and suddenly Brady and the Bucs were down just 27-13.

“I came in at halftime and told them, ‘We’ve been down before,'” said Fournette of the 27-3 deficit. “You have to take whatever you want, especially in this game. Nothing is given.”

The fourth quarter was packed with plenty of action as both teams fumbled on back-to-back plays. First it was Brady who fumbled after a strip sack by Von Miller.

Then a botched snap flew over the head of Stafford and was recovered by the Bucs.

The Rams became the first team in NFL history to lose four fumbles in a game they were leading by 20 or more points, yet still managed to win the game. It was also the first time a team committed four turnovers and still was able to defeat a Tom Brady-led team.

“Having four turnovers is absolutely something we have to clean up,” said Rams’ head coach Sean McVay. “But my favorite part is guys stayed together. Nobody flinched, nobody blinked.”

Brady showed why he’s the G.O.A.T when he delivered a dime to Mike Evans down the sidelines for a 55-yard touchdown pass that cut the game to 27-20 with just over three minutes left in the contest.

“After I hit Mike [Evans] on that deep one that was a pretty good feeling,” said Brady of the touchdown. “We were right in it at that point.”

The Bucs completed the comeback after Akers second fumble of the game gave Tampa Bay the ball back in their own territory. Fournette ran to the corner of the end zone to tie the game at 27-27. The Bucs ran off 24 unanswered points in the second half.

“I just tried to make a play to help the team,” said Fournette of the game-tying touchdown. “This whole week has been a very difficult week for me. Two days prior to the game my cousin got killed. I was just trying to keep everything together. I’m just happy I had a chance to go out there and fight with those guys.”

With just 40 seconds left in the game, the Bucs were preparing to go to overtime, but the Rams would have the last word. Stafford completed two deep passes to Kupp to get them into field goal range. That’s when Pro Bowl kicker Matt Gay, who was cut by the Bucs in 2019, drilled the game-winner as time expired.

The 2021 campaign hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the Rams. After a 7-1 start to the season, the Rams acquired Miller and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for the second half of the season. Instead, they dropped three consecutive games to the Titans, Niners, and Packers, appearing too look more like a pretender than a contender. But then they ran off five consecutive victories to right the ship down the stretch.

Now, after two straight wins against worthy opponents in the postseason, the Rams have their foot on the gas and could become the second straight team to play a Super Bowl on their home field with Super Bowl LVI scheduled for February 13 at SoFi Stadium.



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Who had the better sprint on Los Angeles Rams’ score

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6:26 PM ET

  • Lindsey ThiryESPN

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    • Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times
    • Previously covered the Falcons
    • Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball

The Los Angeles Rams’ opening drive of the second half appeared to be on life support when Matthew Stafford dropped back, facing third-and-10 from his own 25-yard line. That was until Stafford went through his progression and finally spotted veteran receiver DeSean Jackson deep down the field, all alone.

Stafford threw a 75-yard bomb to Jackson, as Bucs safety Mike Edwards caught himself moving forward and fell to the turf, only to recover and watch Jackson make the catch. Jackson slowed before the goal line, almost taunting the defensive backs who he left in the dust. His touchdown put the Rams up 21-7, with 14:02 to play in the third quarter.

Jackson celebrated on the sideline with coach Sean McVay, who sprinted at high speed himself to deliver a chest bump to his speedy veteran receiver, only days after McVay vowed to get him more involved in the offense.

Jackson is the ninth player in NFL history with at least 10 75-yard touchdowns, while Stafford has three passing touchdowns of 50 yards or more this season, tying the Rams’ total had the 2019 and 2020 seasons — combined.



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Matthew Stafford starts Rams career with long touchdown pass to Van Jefferson

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1:44 AM BST

  • Lindsey ThiryESPN

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    • Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times
    • Previously covered the Falcons
    • Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Welcome to L.A., Matthew Stafford!

A play-action rollout resulted in Stafford airing it out to Van Jefferson, as the second-year receiver sprinted behind the defense, dove to get the ball and got up when he wasn’t touched. The 67-yard touchdown bomb gave the Los Angeles Rams a 7-0 lead over the Chicago Bears in the first quarter.

Stafford’s 67-yard touchdown pass is tied for the longest completion on an opening drive in his career. He also had a 67-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson on the opening drive of a Sept. 8, 2014 game between the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants.

Stafford strutted his way down the field in celebration, while defensive lineman Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey erupted on the sideline.

Stafford continued to let in fly in the third quarter. After hitting Jefferson with the touchdown pass to open the game, Stafford opened the second half with a 56-yard bomb to receiver Cooper Kupp, who caught the pass in stride without a defender within 10 yards to give the Rams a 20-7 lead.

For the first time in his career, Stafford has multiple passing touchdowns of more than 40 air yards in a single game



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Detroit Lions dealing Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles Rams for Jared Goff, picks, sources say

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10:04 PM ET

  • Michael Rothstein

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    ESPN Staff Writer
    • Previously covered University of Michigan for ESPN.com and AnnArbor.com
    • Also covered Notre Dame for Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

  • Lindsey Thiry

    Close
    ESPN
    • Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times
    • Previously covered the Falcons
    • Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is heading to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for quarterback Jared Goff and a multitude of draft picks, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday night.

The Lions will receive a third-round pick in 2021, a first-round pick in 2022 and a first-round pick in 2023 in what is the first exchange of former No. 1 overall picks in the common draft era (since 1967). The deal cannot be made official until the start of the new league year on March 17.

Following news of the trade, the Rams’ Super Bowl odds for the 2021 season moved from +1800 to +1500 at Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill.

It’s the first big move made by new Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who was hired earlier this month from the Rams, for whom he was the director of college scouting. That was Holmes’ role when the Rams traded up from the No. 15 selection to take Goff first overall in the 2016 NFL draft, making a splash in their return to L.A. after 21 seasons in St. Louis. The Rams will not make another first-round selection until at least 2024.

A source told ESPN the Lions had interest from seven or eight teams offering first-round picks as compensation for Stafford. Though the deal for Goff won’t necessarily preclude the Lions from taking a quarterback in this year’s draft, Goff told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington on Saturday night that he spoke with new Lions coach Dan Campbell, and that Campbell made clear through his message that Goff is in the Lions’ plans for the future.

When asked following Detroit’s final game of the 2020 season if he thought it was his final game with the Lions, Stafford said he did not want to get into hypothetical situations. Soon after the season concluded, Stafford went to Lions team president Rod Wood and mentioned a trade might be best for both sides.

Stafford, 32, will leave Detroit as the team’s all-time leader in every passing category. He is No. 16 all time in NFL passing yards (45,109) and passing touchdowns (282), No. 18 in attempts (6,224) and No. 14 in completions (3,898). His career passer rating of 89.9 is No. 21 all time, and his 144 interceptions are tied for No. 66 all time with Joe Flacco and Steve Bartkowski.

Stafford is No. 4 all time in passing yards per game (273.4), behind just Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees and Andrew Luck. He also is second all time behind Luck in attempts per game (37.7) and is fourth in completions per game (23.6) behind Brees, Mahomes and Matt Ryan.

Stafford came into the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Georgia and became Detroit’s starter immediately. Injuries, including a separated shoulder, hampered his first two seasons in the NFL, but he went on to start all but eight games for Detroit since the start of the 2011 season.

When he had to miss the final eight games of the 2019 season due to fractured bones in his back, it ended a streak of 136 straight starts — at the time the sixth-longest consecutive starts streak for a quarterback in NFL history.

Stafford has dealt with a multitude of ailments over the years, including injuries to his ribs, ankle and right thumb last season. He also played in 2018 with fractures in his back and a proximal interphalangeal joint dislocation of the middle finger of his throwing hand in 2016, among other things.

While the Lions never won the NFC North with Stafford as their quarterback, he kept them largely competitive over the past decade as the team’s first draft pick after Detroit’s 0-16 season in 2008. Stafford had eight seasons of 4,000 or more yards passing and a 5,038-yard season in 2011, when he also threw a career-high 41 touchdowns. Stafford has thrown at least 20 touchdowns in every full season of his career — and at least 10 interceptions, as well.

Stafford already has friends and a place to stay on the West Coast: Stafford owns an estate in Newport Coast, southeast of Los Angeles in Orange County, and he is a childhood friend and former high school teammate of longtime Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.

Although the Rams didn’t confirm the trade, their official Twitter account tweeted at Kershaw, asking him: “Have you heard from an old friend today?”

Stafford has won just five of 16 matchups against his new division opponents in the NFC West. Goff, meanwhile, has won four of six against the NFC North.

Goff, who turned 26 in October, leaves L.A. after five seasons, including four under Rams coach Sean McVay, and with a 42-27 record. He made seven winless starts as a rookie under former coach Jeff Fisher, before the Rams hired McVay, who was known for his offensive acumen and ability to develop quarterbacks. McVay and Goff flourished in their first two seasons together, winning back-to-back division titles and an NFC championship.

The Rams awarded Goff a four-year, $134 million extension with $110 million guaranteed after he led the Rams to a Super Bowl LIII appearance. However, the offense never appeared the same after a 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots in that Super Bowl, as the Rams fell from a top-scoring team to an average unit over the past two seasons.

Issues between Goff and McVay became apparent during the 2020 season despite a 10-6 record. After a 23-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12, McVay publicly called out the quarterback for three turnovers and demanded that the issue improve. Over the past two seasons, Goff ranked second in the NFL with 38 turnovers.

McVay opted to start undrafted free-agent backup John Wolford in a wild-card playoff game at the Seattle Seahawks despite Goff telling his coach he would be ready to play 12 days removed from surgery on his throwing-hand thumb. Wolford was forced to leave that contest in the first quarter because of a neck injury, and Goff, the only available backup, passed for 155 yards and a touchdown in the 30-20 win. After the game, Goff expressed disappointment that he did not start.

A week later, in a divisional playoff at the Green Bay Packers, McVay was forced to start Goff with Wolford sidelined because of his neck. Goff passed for 174 yards and a touchdown in a 32-18 loss.

After the Packers game, when asked if Goff was his quarterback, McVay said, “Yeah, he’s our quarterback, right now.”

Earlier this week, Rams general manager Les Snead did not provide a public vote of confidence for Goff when asked multiple times about the quarterback’s future with the Rams.

“Moving on from Jared Goff, that’s … the money we’ve invested in him, that’s not easy to overcome,” said Snead, who added later that “anything can be done” in a cap-based system.

The Lions will face the Rams next season at SoFi Stadium.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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