PHILADELPHIA – Matthew Stafford might not be one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. However, there is a case for Stafford for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Stafford is 10th in NFL history in passing yards (58,604) and passing touchdowns (370), a list he continues to climb as the games go by. His 46 career game-winning drives and 36 career fourth quarter comebacks also rank fifth in NFL history. It doesn’t hurt Stafford has Super Bowl championship on his resume.
“The arm talent is a strong man, people think about the no-look exit of [Mahomes]Staff have been doing this for a long, long, long time, and especially at a high level,” said Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, who was teammates with Stafford with the Detroit Lions from 2013 to 2019. “So, yeah 36 years old. Man, as you can see, his arm is still like 25 years old, so he’s still swinging that so shout out to Staff.”
The numbers are still there for Stafford, as he completed 66.5% of his passes for 2,557 yards with 13 touchdowns to seven interceptions and a 92.1 passer rating. Still in the top 10 in pass yards per game (255.7) and game-winning drives (2), Stafford continues to play at a high level, even though he’s in year 16.
“Still holding it down at the quarterback position, still playing at an elite level,” Slay said. “He’s still, I think he’s probably still a fifth-best quarterback.”
The Rams offense is certainly one of the most dangerous in the NFL when they have running back Kyren Williams and wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua healthy. Los Angeles is 9-4 in over the last two seasons when all four of those players are on the field. When Nacua returned to the lineup Sunday, Stafford went 13 of 19 for 229 yards and three touchdowns targeting him and Kupp.
The Eagles faced that full arsenal last season, when Stafford finished 21 of 37 for 22 yards with two touchdowns and a 92.4 rating. Kupp had eight catches for 118 yards while Nacua had seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown, but the Eagles won the game.
Reed Blankenship, who played in that game last season, came away impressed with how Stafford has honed his craft.
“One of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever met,” Eagles safety Reed Blankenship said. “They’re a serious team, and their receivers love to block — all of them, including Cooper Kupp.
“When you face a group like that, it’s a challenge. At the end of the day, you have to play, play fast, play hard.”
The Eagles know they are in for a challenge on Sunday. It all starts with Stafford.
“I know a lot of guys here with MVP numbers,” Slay said. “But arm talent and smarts and read coverages and all that great stuff. Staff is up there.”
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