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It is beyond exciting to write about a great quarterback, if you get the privilege to write about the NFL. By all accounts, when the LA Rams traded for Matthew Stafford in January, they got received a great quarterback.
Talk has been worthless though and the only thing that will make a definitive statement about Stafford’s true abilities will be witnessing what he does on the field. We’ve now had eight quarters worth of opportunities to watch Stafford throw — something that Bucs head coach Bruce Arians considers to be like a night out at the movies — and he’s somehow exceeded most expectations in the early going.
Most won’t consider this book closed until well after we’ve seen the mark that Stafford leaves on the playoff Rams, but here are 10 stats from Twitter that show how he’s done so far with the regular season Rams.
#1 - Matthew Stafford is fourth in the NFL in EPA/play
Estimated Points Added per play. Stafford ranked third after Week 1, and he’s third after Week 2. Will he move up or down after Week 3?
EPA/play leaders through Week 2 (https://t.co/hiai8IYwWc):
— Mike Kennedy (@MikeKennedyNFL) September 21, 2021
1) Tyrod Taylor, 0.555
2) Patrick Mahomes, 0.541
3) Teddy Bridgewater, 0.468
4) Matthew Stafford, 0.447
5) Jimmy Garoppolo, 0.426 pic.twitter.com/Aw7KzaTOyK
#2 - Only 2 QBs have had more money bet on them to win MVP this year
Tom Brady and Josh Allen. That Josh Allen money isn’t looking so hot through two weeks, either for bettors or the Bills.
Top 5 most NFL MVP money since September 1 (via @BetRivers)
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) September 21, 2021
1. Tom Brady
2. Josh Allen
3. Matthew Stafford
4. Patrick Mahomes
5. Kyler Murray
#3 - Only Baker Mayfield has a higher EPA per play action dropback
Per Kevin Cole on Twitter, Stafford has the highest second EPA on play action. Stafford is second in the NFL in play action passing yards through two games.
Baker Mayfield and Matthew Stafford are the only two quarterbacks generating more than 1 EPA per play-action dropback
— Kevin Cole (@KevinColePFF) September 22, 2021
#4 - Matthew Stafford is second in the NFL in yards after catch per completion
Thank you, Cooper Kupp!
Shanahan and McVay both scheming up the YAC, per usual. Top 2 NFL QBs in YAC/completion through 2 weeks…
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 23, 2021
1. Jimmy Garoppolo: 8.1
2. Matthew Stafford: 7.5
#5 - Stafford LOVES throwing to Cooper Kupp
Over 38% of his attempts this year have gone towards Kupp, who has been targeted 21 times in two games. Will Stafford continue to look that way or mix it up as the season goes on?
38% of the passes that Matthew Stafford has thrown for the #Rams have gone to Cooper Kupp! That’s bonkers
— Matt Williamson (@WilliamsonNFL) September 22, 2021
#6 - The Lions have lost 19 straight and 26 of their last 27 games without Matthew Stafford on the roster
Detroit went 0-8 without Stafford in 2019, his first game action missed since 2010, but the stat here is that the Lions also went 0-16 the year before drafting Stafford and are 0-2 this season. Adding in one game from 2007, that’s 19 straight losses. However, they’ve also lost 10 in a row just in games that Stafford hasn’t started.
Jared Goff, by the way, is 0-9 without Sean McVay.
The Detroit Lions have lost 19 straight games and are 1-26 in the last 27 games without Matthew Stafford on the team
— Sam Kell (@samkell_13) September 23, 2021
#7 - Stafford is fourth in Completed Air Yards per Completion
Stafford is airing it out, and doing a great job of it. That’s a new sight in LA.
Most Completed Air Yards per Completion:
— ProFootballReference (@pfref) September 22, 2021
1. Daniel Jones - 9.2
2. Russell Wilson - 8.4
3. Derek Carr - 8.0
4. Matthew Stafford - 7.9https://t.co/YKlCMxpEvd
#8 - Stafford is second in Average Depth to Throw over the last 2+ years
Again, Matthew Stafford has the strength, talent, zip, and decision-making to go downfield as much as any QB in the NFL.
Top 5 in avg depth to throw since start of 2019 per @sportradar:
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) September 22, 2021
1. Jameis Winston 10.1
2. Matthew Stafford 9.3
3. Russell Wilson 9.0
4. Deshaun Watson 8.9
5. Ryan Tannehill https://t.co/1ldWOur41M
#9 - Stafford has actually played much different than his predecessor this year
Though Stafford and Goff has some similar totals, the rate stats show that the Rams are in much more secure hands with Stafford.
Attempts:
— Mr. RamFanAshton (@RamFanAshton1) September 22, 2021
Stafford: 56
Goff: 93
it took Goff nearly 40 more throws to get less yards and 4 more turnovers then Stafford
Goff isn't a bad player talent wise, just makes way too many mistakes https://t.co/rd1x8t8jfO
#10 - Matthew Stafford ranks 1st in DVOA
And is highly ranked in other things too, as you can now see.
Sample size too small, but in an effort to paint a more complete picture of Matthew Stafford's relative performance so far, his QB ranks given various valuable metrics:
— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) September 21, 2021
DVOA 1st
DYAR 2nd
AY/A 2nd
Traditional rating 3rd
QBR 4th
TD% 6th
PFF 7th
Sack% 8th
INT% 17th (with 1 INT) pic.twitter.com/B4rGImyIkx
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