Rams Reacts: Fans believe Matthew Stafford is the team’s MVP of Week 1

The Los Angeles Rams had a strong offensive showing against the Seattle Seahawks, especially through the air. While wide receivers Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell both went for 119 yards each, contributing heavily to the team win as well, Matthew Stafford was voted first by fans in the Rams Reacts survey for MVP of the game with 42% choosing the QB as their most valuable player against the Seahawks.

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Stafford looked great with a new clean bill of health, after fighting injury through out all of last season with elbow and neck issues. The veteran QB was chucking the ball deep and showing off his rejuvenated arm strength, with a 44 yard completion to Atwell, a 25 yarder to rookie Nacua and a 30 yard toss to tight end Tyler Higbee. He was accurate and decisive, and all of it was done with out his favorite target Cooper Kupp. The idea of getting Stafford and Kupp back on the field together again in a few weeks has to be exciting for fans.

The offensive line came in second for the game MVP voting, and for good reason. They allowed zero sacks and made Stafford a clean pocket to step up into the entire game. After so much was said last season about LA’s lack of success on the offensive line, the team trusted in the process they could retool the line combination without making crazy moves through free agency. In fact, four out of the five Rams starting offensive linemen vs Seattle, we’re starters last year - rookie Steve Avila being the only one who wasn’t.

Things like this, along with the success of the Los Angeles coaching staff to be able to trust in unproven players like Nacua and Atwell, shows the team has confidence and a clear belief in what they are doing. In turn, it seems to be making the fans believe too, with 89% saying they are confident in the direction the team is headed.

The Rams also land second in voting, with 22%, when NFL fans were asked which 1-0 team is a legit contender. Only the Green Bay Packers finish ahead of LA, after their 38-20 win over the Chicago Bears.

I would argue that based on Sean McVay’s coaching experience, and the fact the Rams were playing a 2022 playoff team, not the Bears - who traded away the first overall pick this past draft - that Los Angeles should be view as the most legit contender on this list.