stafford’s legacy

Coming into this season, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a lot of questions to answer. Would a change of scenery and better core players allow him to leave the ghosts of Detroit behind? Could he take the next step and make a deep playoff run? Was he capable of making and winning a Super bowl? He dealt with the pressure of being the savior during his Detroit Lions tenure, but now it was time for him to prove that he could work some magic in Hollywood.

For the most part, he answered the bell and exceeded expectations. The 13-year veteran had the best win-loss record of his career, going 12-5 in the expanded season. He threw for over 4,800 yards, a personal best in nearly a decade, with 41 touchdowns and a 67.2 completion percentage, tying his career highs in both categories. Under his leadership, the Rams won the NFC West and positioned themselves to make a meaningful title run. Stafford would make the playoffs for the fourth time in his career but was still searching for his first playoff win.

In the NFC wild card game, the Rams steamrolled the Cardinals by a score of 34-11. Stafford threw for 202 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions, earning his first career playoff victory. The man who could not get over the hump in Detroit finally proved he could win a big game. In the NFL, though, there is no time for celebration and both the team and Stafford knew their hardest test was yet to come. They traveled to Tampa Bay to take on Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. For a while, the Rams were on fire, but a late collapse put Stafford in a potential game-winning situation with 42 seconds left in regulation.

In true storybook fashion, Stafford secured his signature playoff moment as he led the comeback with two beautiful throws to Cooper Kupp, setting up Matt Gay’s game-winning field goal. This could not have played out better for the team, as they would host the NFC Championship game and have a chance to go to the Super bowl in their own stadium. Their NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, came into town and recent history did not favor the Rams. The 49ers had won six straight games against them and were led by their own star players in Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Nick Bosa. Once again, Stafford had to rise to the occasion or face a devastating playoff exit for a team and city that was yearning for a Super bowl.

It was a rough, low-scoring game but Stafford still managed to throw for 2 touchdowns and 337 yards and do just enough to put the Rams through to the biggest game of them all. The chance to win a Super bowl ring was now staring him straight in the face. Everything that he has worked for led him to this moment: 13 years in the league, long and grueling years with arguably the worst team in the NFL, early playoff exits, and nothing to show for his impressive resume. His numbers certainly do not lie: 323 touchdowns, just under 50,000 passing yards, owner of several Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and NFL passing records, all at 34 years old. If he plays a minimum of another 5 years, those numbers and records will only be greater.

a golden conclusion

There is a long list of legendary quarterbacks who never won a championship, such as Dan Marino and Dan Fouts, and Stafford does not want to be included in that category. In Super bowl 56, he will show the world if he can handle such a big stage. He will tell you that it is just another game and that he is preparing for it like any other week. His family will be watching just like the hundreds of other games with him under center. However, this game puts his career under a microscope and is the one moment that stands between him and immortality. It is to cement his legacy and capture the Lombardi Trophy that has eluded him all these years. A win could earn him the respect he never received, and a loss would deal another emotional wound to this underrated hero. Stafford answered all those initial questions in the regular season but the biggest one remains; can he close the deal in Los Angeles and guarantee his gold jacket and bronze bust in Canton, Ohio?