SEATTLE — In the first three weeks of the 2021 NFL season, new Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed seven of 11 passes of 20 or more air yards for 321 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a league-leading passer rating of 146.8. Not bad for a guy acclimating to a different offense and new targets. But this started to turn in the Rams’ 37-20 Week 4 loss to the Cardinals last Sunday, and though Arizona’s newly tough defense had a lot to do with it, something was different about Stafford’s deep-ball accuracy, and it was fairly obvious even without the benefit of Pro Football Focus’ metrics — which indicated that against Arizona, Stafford completed just two of five deep passes for 55 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 41.7. Quite the reversal of fortune.
Stafford would have had two deep interceptions in that game had this play not been negated by a roughing the passer penalty.
Bummer this play was wiped out by a roughing the passer call. Isaiah Simmons gets the hit on Stafford, ball sails, and Arizona Cardinals rookie Marco Wilson (@MJW_era) shows off his 43.5" vertical on what should have been his first career interception. pic.twitter.com/7UV0BS5wI5
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) October 7, 2021
And this deep overshot to Van Jefferson — yes, a deep throw to Stafford’s left — was par for the course.
In the first half of the Rams’ game against the Seahawks, Stafford tried deep passes to three different receivers — Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Van Jefferson. Each was to Stafford’s left, and each was an overshot.
Matthew Stafford's three deep overshots in the first half. Three different receivers (Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods), all to Stafford's left. He had two more overthrows to his left in the second half — the fifth came right before the 68-yarder to DeSean Jackson. pic.twitter.com/iQyBgw7NvD
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 8, 2021
Even the 68-yard deep completion to DeSean Jackson with 9:27 left in the third quarter, which came after Stafford’s fifth deep misfire to his left in this game (an attempt to Kupp) was more about Seahawks safety Jamal Adams’ blown coverage than anything else.
Jamal Adams vs. DeSean Jackson is a brutal mismatch with the ball in the air pic.twitter.com/WSgaQY4K8K
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 8, 2021
After the Cardinals game, Stafford didn’t mention any kind of injury; just that he needed to be more accurate on the deep stuff.
“Yeah, I think I just didn’t make enough plays,” he said. “There was some opportunities early in that game for us to score points and, you know, for me to make some throws and I didn’t make those. It’s obviously disappointing. I don’t want to not make those throws. I want to make those for our guys and for our team. I just got to go back and be better. I’m going to have another opportunity. The good thing is we play again on Thursday. So I won’t have to sit and think about this one too long. It will be a big challenge going into Seattle here in a couple days. A lot to learn, a lot to unpack, like you said.
“But I think it boils down to early in that game, missing some opportunities, whether it be on third down or in the red zone to score some points against a team that, frankly, was going to be scoring some points on offense. A really talented group they have over there. And we knew it was going to have to be one of those games where kind of blow for blow, maybe at a certain point. And we put our defense in a bad spot earlier there not coming away with some points.”
Well, Stafford didn’t have a lot of turnaround time to marinate in the issue, but the issue is still definitely there. Perhaps Stafford or Sean McVay will have further insight after the game.
