THOUSAND OAKS — The more pats on the back Matthew Stafford receives, the more the Rams quarterback shrugs.
On Wednesday, betting sites showed Stafford as a co-favorite to be the league’s Most Valuable Player, up in a group of contenders that includes past MVPs Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three games. NFL stats rated him between first and fifth in practically every major passing category.
“Yeah, I don’t really think about it too much,” Stafford said when he was asked about the MVP chatter.
That sports cliche, “Don’t get too high or too low,” wears a No. 9 Rams jersey.
To hear coaches and teammates tell it, that might be the intangible reason Stafford is earning those plaudits with the Rams, who are 3-0 going into a battle of NFC West unbeatens against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Stafford’s start hasn’t been as perfect as the Rams’ record suggests, but he has shrugged off the momentary lows too.
One came in the Rams’ 34-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Five of Stafford’s six passes during the Rams’ first two possessions fell incomplete. Then he led the Rams on four straight touchdown drives.
“He’s just so steady,” Rams coach Sean McVay said before practice Wednesday. “There (were) a couple of plays in the beginning of that game that I think he expects to be able to make, but he’s unfazed by it.
“And that’s a reflection of a great player. You show me anybody that’s great at what they do, and I’ll show you somebody that’s mentally tough. And he’s definitely demonstrated that in small parts in these first three games.”
Stafford is 33 and moving on from 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions that must have tested his poise.
He said he wasn’t always this good at handling ups and downs.
“I’m sure I’ve had moments where I wish I’d been a little bit calmer when I was younger probably, but I’ve been able to try to overcome those and learn from them,” Stafford said. “As the quarterback of the team, they’re going to go as I go.
“As long as I’m calm and steady and just on to the next play, whether we just scored a touchdown or had a bad play or had to punt, it’s about what’s next and how we can operate at a high level.”
They – and he – have been operating at as high a level as McVay could have hoped when Stafford arrived in a trade for quarterback Jared Goff and draft picks. Factoring in the three times he has been sacked, Stafford’s 9.4 net yards per pass attempt lead the league. His 129.8 passer rating is second to the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson (133.6).
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said the combination of Stafford and McVay is the key.
“He’s been a tremendous talent in this league for a long time,” Kingsbury said of Stafford in a conference call with Rams beat writers Wednesday. “I think it’s kind of the perfect storm when you put him together with one of the brightest minds in football. You can see what’s happening.
“They have dynamic wideouts, an incredible scheme. With his arm talent and what he can do, as a fan of the position and offensive football, it’s fun to watch him play. Just not when he’s going against you.”
Cue the “MVP!” chants at SoFi Stadium this week?
Stafford might be earning the cheers, but he won’t be leading them.
“I just go out here and try to prepare to play well the next week,” he said. “That’s been my job for the last 12 years-plus, so I just go about it the same way each week, try to be as prepared as I can be going into Sunday.”
NOTES
Running back Darrell Henderson, who missed the Bucs game after injuring rib cartilage against the Indianapolis Colts, took a step toward a return by participating in the Rams’ walk-through practice and working with trainers on the sideline during the portion of full-speed practice that was open to reporters Wednesday. “I think the expectation and the anticipation is that he’ll play (against the Cardinals), but I’m not 100% sure on that,” McVay said. … The Rams claimed outside linebacker Jamir Jones after he was waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers, adding depth at that position. One starter, Justin Hollins, went on injured reserve Tuesday with a pectoral muscle tear, and the other, Leonard Floyd, didn’t practice Wednesday as the team kept trying to manage his sore ankle. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (shoulder) was designated to return from IR, and McVay said he could be activated this week if he handles practices well. … Backup offensive tackle Tremayne Anchrum also was designed to return, but McVay indicated the Rams will be “patient” about activating him.
