It's been nearly five years since the Rams sent Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick to the Detroit Lions in a blockbuster trade for Stafford. But as much as the two star quarterbacks - and former No. 1 picks in the draft - would like to politely leave it be, they forever will be linked in the greater football consciousness.
The Rams are regarded as a Super Bowl contender - but first they have to make the playoffs. Coach Sean McVay's team can clinch a playoff spot if they defeat the Detroit Lions on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The Rams are 10-3, lead the NFC West and hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC. A win over the Lions would guarantee a playoff spot for the seventh time in McVay's nine seasons.
If you don't agree with the favorite to win the NFL's Most Valuable Player award this season, just wait a week. It has been a wildly topsy-turvy season across the board, and just as there hasn't really been a transcendent team separating from the pack, I'm not sure there has really been a player who fits that bill, either. There's a clear top two for MVP in the betting market with quarterbacks Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford,
It was December 2020, and the Rams were in the midst of their third run to the playoffs in four seasons under coach Sean McVay. Their opponent: the 0-13 New York Jets. There was seemingly no way the hapless Jets could beat a 9-4 Rams team at SoFi Stadium. But the Rams came out flat and lost, 23-20. On Sunday, the Rams welcome the seemingly hapless New Orleans Saints, who arrive with a 1-7 record.
Los Angeles (2-0) have been just as efficient. The Rams started the year with a hard-fought 14-9 victory over the Houston Texans before flexing their offensive firepower in a 33-19 win over the Tennessee Titans. Matthew Stafford has looked sharp, and second-year receiver Puka Nacua has quickly emerged as one of the breakout stars of the league.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has been sidelined because of a back issue, will work out for the first time Saturday before the Rams play the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium, coach Sean McVay said Thursday. Stafford, 37, is dealing with an aggravated disc, and recently received an epidural for the condition, McVay said, confirming what was first reported by NFL Media.
