How Detroit molded ‘the toughness of Matthew Stafford’

THERE WERE EIGHT seconds left within the sport on Nov. 22, 2009, when Detroit Lions rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford took a vicious sack from Cleveland Browns linebacker C.J. Mosley.

Stafford laid on the sector in ache earlier than making his solution to the sideline, the place he was checked by the Lions’ medical employees. Because the group mentioned the quarterback’s harm, he heard the Browns name a timeout. The stoppage allowed Stafford to return for the ultimate play, an untimed down after a penalty ultimately zone. Stafford discovered receiver Brandon Pettigrew for his fifth landing — and the winner — to develop into the primary rookie to throw 5 in a sport since 1937.

With Stafford sporting a mic, NFL movies immortalized the play, and it is one which present Los Angeles Rams teammate Cooper Kupp harkens again to.

“It is the embodiment of claiming, ‘Hey, shoot, there is a timeout. I’ve an opportunity to get again within the sport,” Kupp stated. “‘Coach, when you want me, I can throw. I am right here when you want me.’ And with the ability to are available in and do what he did. That is what I consider. And he is embodied that from being a spry little rookie to what he’s now.”

The Lions later discovered Stafford separated his shoulder on the play. He performed two extra video games that season earlier than aggravating the harm. As a result of he would not be cleared for the season finale and wanted minor knee surgical procedure through the offseason, Stafford ended the 12 months on injured reserve.

That toughness Kupp witnessed from afar, he is now seen time and time once more up shut since Stafford got here to Rams in a commerce in 2021. It was molded for 12 seasons with Detroit and has continued in Los Angeles, the place he led the Rams to a Tremendous Bowl victory two seasons in the past. On Sunday night time (8 p.m. ET, NBC), Stafford will probably be again at Ford Subject for the primary time, seeking to finish his former staff’s Tremendous Bowl hopes.

The wild-card matchup with the Rams (10-7) would be the first playoff sport the Lions (12-5) have hosted for the reason that 1993 season. Throughout Stafford’s time in Detroit, the Lions performed in three street playoff video games, all losses. Stafford has a profession common of 277.7 cross yards per sport at Ford Subject, the fourth-highest by any quarterback at a single stadium in NFL historical past, in response to Elias Sports activities Bureau.

“I had lots of experiences there over 12 years,” Stafford stated. “All my daughters had been born there. My spouse and I went by means of issues there that the staff and the town, the group, the city, everyone supported. So I’ve nothing however nice reminiscences there. Clearly did not get it achieved on the sector as a lot as I want we may have. However the those who I used to be fortunate sufficient to know and develop with are those who I am nonetheless shut with in the present day and imply loads to me.”

STAFFORD’S FIRST GLIMPSE into what he believed an NFL quarterback ought to be got here from watching Inexperienced Bay Packers Corridor of Famer Brett Favre.

“He was the man that confirmed up each Sunday it doesn’t matter what was happening,” Stafford stated. “Damaged thumb, did not matter, he was going to discover a solution to be there for his guys.”

So regardless of the accidents in Detroit — and there have been loads — Stafford wished to ensure he was obtainable as a lot as he might be, “attempting to indicate up each single week to be there for the fellows, it doesn’t matter what the report was, what the rating was, the way you had been feeling.”

It is one thing that resonated with Lions offensive deal with Taylor Decker, who performed with Stafford for 4 seasons. One 12 months, Stafford was coping with again and hand accidents late within the season and the Lions had been already eradicated from the playoffs.

Decker heard somebody ask Stafford why he was enjoying by means of the accidents and Stafford reply, “Properly, it is Sunday and I am the quarterback, so I will go on the market and play.”

“That is only a badass factor to say,” Decker stated. “… I feel it sort of set the expectation for me that when you will be on the market and assist the staff, then it’s best to.”

That is how Rams offensive deal with Joe Noteboom felt in Week 4, when he strained his groin towards the Indianapolis Colts. Earlier within the sport, he had seen Stafford strolling gingerly after taking a tough hit, an harm that was finally recognized as a hip contusion. Stafford was shifting with a noticeable limp for the remainder of the sport, his muscle groups shutting down on him, he stated. And so when Noteboom injured his groin, he knew he could not go away the sport, understanding what Stafford “was preventing by means of.”

“To see your quarterback simply push by means of ache like he is achieved in quite a few video games this 12 months, previously, it makes you need to battle for him much more it doesn’t matter what you have obtained happening,” Noteboom stated.

The Rams gained that sport in extra time when Stafford threw a landing to Puka Nacua, the primary of the rookie’s profession. It was one Nacua will not neglect, partly as a result of he felt chargeable for Stafford’s harm.

“It was my man who ran free and hit Matthew within the hip inflicting him to have his hip harm,” Nacua stated. “And I simply bear in mind considering, ‘Wow, Puka. Everyone on the staff goes to hate you. It was your fault that Matthew obtained harm.’ And simply considering in my head, ‘Wow, that was the largest screwup I may have out of all of the issues.’ … However him with the ability to rise up, get again up and battle by means of that sport and do what he did in that sport after which the video games [later in the season], he’s the epitome of toughness.”

THE HIP INJURY wasn’t the one harm Stafford performed by means of this season — and positively not essentially the most severe throughout his time in L.A.

Not lengthy after successful Tremendous Bowl LVI, Stafford had an injection to assist with an elbow harm that Rams coach Sean McVay referred to as “slightly bit irregular for a quarterback.” Stafford didn’t throw through the offseason program and was restricted throughout coaching camp because the Rams tried to get his elbow in an excellent place to start out the 2022 season.

When his elbow was lastly beginning to really feel the very best it had all season, Stafford took a tough hit in New Orleans in Week 11 and was evaluated for a concussion. He was finally recognized with a spinal wire contusion and missed the remainder of the season.

This season, 4 weeks after the hip harm in Indianapolis, he injured the UCL in his proper thumb in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys after hitting his hand on the sector whereas making an attempt to catch a 2-point conversion. He missed six quarters (two in Dallas after which the Rams’ loss to Inexperienced Bay) and had the bye week to heal.

“I do not suppose anyone actually realizes the severity of the thumb problem and what he was enjoying by means of and what he nonetheless is continuous to have the ability to play by means of,” McVay stated in late December. “There is a purpose why whenever you take a look at the respect that he is garnered across the league and you bought all these superlatives you can actually point out, however I feel one of many coolest issues that anyone can say a few soccer participant is, hey, they’re mentally and bodily robust, and that’s precisely what this man is.”

And after Stafford’s return — Week 11 towards the Seattle Seahawks — he performed his greatest soccer of the season, main the Rams on a 6-1 run to clinch a playoff spot. Throughout that span, the Rams offense scored at the very least 28 factors in 5 straight video games, and Stafford threw 14 touchdowns and one interception.

“A variety of instances veterans as they grow old, will take a break day all through the weeks and stuff, particularly after they’re coping with stuff, however he is discovering a solution to get on the market and follow and push by means of it,” Rams backup quarterback Carson Wentz stated. “And I do know I respect the heck out of it. The fellows, they see that stuff. They see your leaders of the staff which are pushing themselves and pushing their our bodies the way in which he does.”

Cleveland defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz noticed Stafford’s success — one thing he was very conversant in as his head coach from 2009 to 2013 — up shut once more in early December, when the Rams hosted the Browns. Stafford threw three touchdowns in a 36-19 victory.

“It’s best to get higher with age,” Schwartz stated of Stafford’s progress. “And normally what’s occurring is, identical to everyone, your thoughts and your expertise are carrying, however generally your bodily abilities are declining. With Matt, his arm expertise remains to be the identical. Now that he is wholesome and throwing the way in which that he throws, it is actually spectacular to look at.

“We had been on the unhealthy facet of it a couple of weeks in the past. He can simply hand balls to receivers, no cushion in any respect, simply hand balls to him and he removes it fast, makes it arduous to sack. All that have, you are not going to throw something at him he hasn’t seen earlier than. All that is kind of helped him play the way in which he has this 12 months.”

STAFFORD’S MENTALITY IS what stands out to defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.

“I am unable to inform you what number of instances we have come off after a giant play, a landing drive, a protracted drive and he simply seems at me, ‘I obtained you,'” Morris stated. “And that’s reassuring as all get out. And it is a type of issues the place you need to have the ability to repay him. It is like we obtained to make this play for him.”

Morris factors to the Rams’ divisional spherical matchup towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the 2021 playoffs. Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady drove down the sector twice within the fourth quarter to tie the rating in a sport that the Rams had led 27-3. However on the ultimate drive, Stafford threw consecutive passes of 20 after which 44 yards to Kupp to arrange the successful area objective.

“That is the toughness of Matthew Stafford: not blinking, all the time being locked and loaded, able to go,” Morris stated.

And though rookie nostril deal with Kobie Turner hasn’t been round Stafford for lengthy, it is one thing he has seen a number of instances this season.

“There’s lots of instances mentally the place one thing would not go your manner,” Turner stated. “Even being a younger participant, there’s instances early on within the 12 months the place one play would not go your manner and also you begin to spiral slightly bit and it will possibly get uncontrolled and it’s a must to actually regroup. For him, it is simply one thing occurs, ‘OK, the subsequent play, that is the look that they gave me. That is the place I tousled at. Let’s go get it again.'”

And it is not simply obvious inside a sport. After beginning 3-6, Los Angeles gained seven of its final eight video games to finish the season and nabbed the NFC’s No. 6 seed.

“He is unfathomable,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur stated. “It doesn’t matter what occurs, he can all the time bounce again from it and he would not all the time must bounce again, however inevitably it is the NFL and he is enjoying the toughest place in all sports activities so there are going to be some not nice issues or issues he needs again, and he simply learns from it inside the second and simply retains on swinging.

“Each week I am in awe slightly bit extra from him and I do know his teammates are too … when he is on the market you all the time really feel such as you obtained a shot within the battle.”

ESPN’s Jake Trotter and Eric Woodyard contributed to this story.