Matthew Stafford spent Monday night adding another line to a resume that already looks stamped for Canton.
Against the New York Giants on the league’s biggest regular-season stage, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback moved up the NFL’s all-time touchdown list, first drawing even with Philip Rivers and then slipping past him before halftime.
Stafford’s second touchdown pass of the game tied Rivers at sixth on the all-time list. Not long after, he hit Davante Adams for the second time on the night, and that 426th career touchdown pass put Stafford alone in sixth place.
The climb is a notable one, but the next rung is a long way off. Brett Favre sits ahead of Stafford with 508, so the Rams quarterback will have to get to 500 before he can even start closing in on the top five.
The milestone came after Stafford was held without a touchdown pass in the Rams’ season-opening loss to the rival San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
Even with that quiet opener, Stafford’s place in the game is already secure. He entered Week 2 with 64,671 passing yards and a 63.2% completion rate across 18 NFL seasons, numbers that only add to the case for a future Hall of Famer.
And the story goes beyond the stat sheet. Stafford, the former first overall pick of the Detroit Lions in 2009, has built a full trophy case that includes multiple Pro Bowl selections, an NFL MVP Award, the 2011 Comeback Player of the Year honor, first-team All-Pro recognition, and a Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LVI.
In Other News...
Rams Win Got Overshadowed By A Strange Giants Sideshow
The Rams Monday night win was supposed to be the main talking point, but one strange sideline sight line quickly pulled attention away from the scoreboard. Giants running back Cam Skattebo was seen shaking his head repeatedly on the field and along the sideline, and the visual was unusual enough to trigger plenty of viewer chatter during a game that was already being closely watched.
Skattebo has already addressed the habit on social media, explaining that sweat can make his helmet pads stick to his face, turning the movement into a practical fix rather than a medical concern. He is back this season after missing last year with a season-ending injury, and against the Rams he handled 12 carries for 36 yards, even if the night ended up producing more curiosity about his routine than his stat line. [Read more 🡒]
OBJ And Stafford Just Revived A Familiar Rams Storyline
After Monday nights win over the Giants, the Rams had more than one reason to feel good about where things are headed. Matthew Stafford was sharp again, throwing for 327 yards and four touchdowns, and the postgame scene quickly turned familiar when he was seen interacting with Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham did not record any statistics in the game, but his presence around the Rams always brings back memories of the connection he built with Stafford during the teams Super Bowl run.
For Los Angeles, it was the kind of night that can keep old possibilities alive in the background while the current team keeps producing on the field. The Giants also left the game dealing with a bigger concern after rookie starter Jaxson Dart went down with a knee injury and did not return, adding another layer to a matchup that already had plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Finally Looked Complete But One Familiar Problem Still Hurt
The Rams win over the Giants on Monday Night Football had the feel of a team starting to put the pieces together. Davante Adams delivered the kind of impact performance Los Angeles had been waiting for, piling up eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns, while Chris Shulas defense looked sharper and more connected than it had earlier in the season. Trent McDuffie also gave the unit a boost with his first interception as a Ram, another sign the group was trending in the right direction.
Still, the game also served as a reminder that one old issue can sour an otherwise clean night. Special teams again created problems, and Kyren Williams added to the frustration with a costly fumble. For a team trying to turn a convincing prime-time victory into something more lasting, those lapses stood out because they were the kind that can undo all the good work around them. [Read more 🡒]