Matthew Stafford, Rams show fight with tough division win over Seahawks
Coming off a loss and caught in an NFC West dogfight, Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams showed great resolve against the Seahawks.
Most people were expecting a shootout between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football but that couldn’t have been more removed from the truth.
The NFC West foes were in a defensive struggle throughout the first half as Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson traded costly interceptions and, after a scoreless first quarter, it was just 7-3 in favor of the Seahawks in front of the raucous Seattle crowd and the much-hyped 12th Man.
It’s no secret that Stafford is relatively new to all of this. After middling with the Lions for years, he’s not experienced the high heat of the NFC West rivalries, one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. And coming off a loss last week to another divisional foe, this could’ve been a spot where he succumbed to the pressure.
He didn’t do that. Stafford opened up the second half with a big drive that included a 68-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson that led to a touchdown and missed PAT to give a 9-7 lead. He then led another drive in which he threw his lone score of the night to Tyler Higbee.
There were certainly fireworks in the rest of the second half as Seattle answered, even after Russell Wilson was forced out due to a finger injury, but Geno Smith came in and played well. Ultimately, though, a tripped-up Tyler Lockett in the final three minutes caused Smith to throw a game-sealing interception that sealed the eventual 26-17 win for the Rams.
Rams fans should be encouraged by what Matthew Stafford and LA put on display in Seattle.
Now, holding off the Seahawks with Wilson out has to be taken with a grain of salt. For as good as Smith played in relief, he’s not one of the five best quarterbacks in the league like the man he replaced is. But even then, it’s hard not to give Matthew Stafford and the Rams their due.
This was clearly a struggle for them early in the proceedings. On a short week after a bad loss, a quarterback in a new environment and still in a fresh offense clearly looked to be pressing. It’s to his tremendous credit that he pulled himself up after a rough first half and got things cooking like he did, especially in Seattle.
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On the record books, this will go down as a win that moves the Rams to 4-1. However, it could be a turning point. We know Stafford is an upgrade from Jared Goff but what remained to be seen was what kind of moxie the veteran would have in this new situation with Los Angeles. In clawing to secure this big win on Thursday night, he showed there should be no doubts about that either.