The Los Angeles Rams were nearly on the wrong end of a major upset in their wild-card game against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, and quarterback Matthew Stafford had an intense message for his teammates before he orchestrated a game-winning drive.
Stafford completed 24-of-42 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the Rams’ 34-31 road win over the Panthers. The veteran quarterback played his best football when L.A. needed him most, completing 12-of-15 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. The Rams were trailing 31-27 when Stafford threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson that proved to be the game-winner.
When the Rams got the ball back trailing 31-27 with under three minutes remaining, Stafford had a great way of pumping up his teammates.
Matthew Stafford delivered a ‘cold’ message
According to star wide receiver Davante Adams, Stafford urged his Rams teammates to “go snatch these guys’ hearts.”
“That was pretty cold, just to hear that,” Adams told reporters after the game, via the Rams’ official website. “And I actually literally smiled in the moment, because I thought that was like one of the most gangster things you could say in that moment, honestly. And to hear him say that, and the look on his on his face, and then throw the touchdown, and then the look on his face after that, was just MVP stuff.”
Stafford then went 6-for-7 for 71 yards on the go-ahead drive. The 37-year-old overcame an early interception and played virtually mistake-free football after the first quarter in what turned out to be an unexpected shootout.
A boost to the MVP resume?
The AP NFL MVP Award is a regular-season honor, and Stafford is the favorite to capture it. He and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye have gone back and forth as the betting favorites to win the award in recent weeks.
Voters are not supposed to take postseason games into account, but it might go against human nature to ignore Stafford’s late-game performance against the Panthers. Maye will have a chance to (unofficially) state his case further in Sunday night’s playoff clash with the Los Angeles Chargers, but it is no surprise that Stafford has Adams’ vote.
Stafford was announced on Saturday as an AP First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his 17-year career. The nod follows a regular season in which he had 4,707 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions. All of that bodes well for his chances of winning his first ever NFL MVP Award.