Rams' Matthew Stafford 3rd-ranked QB with one issue per NFL coach: 'The system helps him'
Rams’ Matthew Stafford 3rd-ranked QB with one issue per NFL coach: ‘The system helps him’ originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl not long after Matthew Stafford came to the franchise, and after getting close this past season, they’ve reloaded and bolstered the roster with blockbuster moves for another run.
While Stafford might be 38 years old and likely nearing the end of his NFL career, he just won the MVP of the league last year and is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s not just Rams fans saying this, either; it’s those within the NFL.
A poll from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler of NFL coaches, executives, and scouts ranked Stafford as the 3rd-best quarterback in the NFL. However, one NFL coach has one issue, and it’s that Stafford benefits from the system around him.
Rams’ Matthew Stafford gets pushback on top QB ranking thanks to his system
“The system helps him,” one NFL coordinator said. “He has an elite offensive coach and elite weapons. He’s great, don’t get me wrong. He has advantages that some of the other quarterbacks don’t have.”
While this NFL coordinator isn’t outright calling Stafford a system quarterback, he is implying that the veteran QB is benefiting from his system more than others around the league benefit from their own situations.
This makes sense, as the Rams quarterback is in a fantastic environment. Not only does he get to play in a dome on a great team, but he has one of the best coaches in the NFL in Sean McVay.
The Rams’ offensive line is good as well, and the running back duo of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum is good enough that there’s no worry about the run game.
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But the real headline reason why Stafford benefits from his system is his wide receivers. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams might be the best WR duo in the NFL.
Looking at Stafford’s environment, from the playcaller, his receivers, tight ends, running backs, and offensive line, it’s understandable why he might receive this kind of pushback, even from those in the NFL.
Fowler noted that some voters are hesitant to elevate Stafford into the top-2 QBs in the NFL because “His surroundings are clean.”
While this is a good thing for the Rams as a whole, having such a good environment will hurt Stafford’s ranking a little bit.
He might’ve been the best QB in the NFL last year, but there are those in the league who ascribe enough of that success to the system around Stafford based on this ESPN poll.
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