Matthew Stafford leads an offense that ranks first in the league in total yards, yet it sputtered badly against the Bears’ defense, which sits near the bottom in the league. The Rams still pulled off a win, but Stafford didn’t look like his usual sharp self under center. Now, the veteran quarterback is opening up about exactly what went wrong in that shaky performance.

“I just wasn’t as crisp as I normally am, and sometimes that happens,” said Stafford on the Week 21 episode of the Let’s Go! Podcast. “Sometimes you’re a pitcher, and you walk out onto the mound, and you go, I got all my stuff, here we go. Other times, you walk out onto the mound, man, the slider’s not breaking tonight, or I can’t locate the four-seamer. Hey, how do we find a way to win the football game? And that’s just the way it is.” 

Stafford has built a reputation as one of the most reliable and consistent quarterbacks over his 17-year career. He boasts a career completion rate of 65% and has topped 70% in five games this season alone. But since the Wild Card round win over the Panthers, Stafford has been battling a sprained finger on his throwing hand, which has thrown off his rhythm. 

That injury clearly took a toll, as Stafford failed to complete even 50% of his passes against the Bears. He finished the game with zero touchdowns and no interceptions, marking it the first time this season that he walked off the field without throwing for a score. Still, the QB emphasized that grabbing the win is what counts most, no matter how ugly the path.

“We’d love to feel perfect and go out there and throw it right where we’re looking every single time, and that’s not the case,” Stafford added. “Found a way to win the football game, found a way to not turn it over, help our defense in spurts when we could.”

Ultimately, the Rams secured their spot in the NFC Championship Game. Now, they face a massive test where the league’s top-ranked offense collides with the number-one defense.

Matthew Stafford maps out a blueprint to topple the Seahawks in the NFC title clash

The Rams now meet the Seahawks for the third time this season, but this time in the high-stakes NFC Championship Game. Seattle’s defense ranks first in the NFL in points allowed per game at a stifling 17.1. Hence, Stafford has laid out a clear game plan to keep things under control.

“You have to have a sustained level of execution when you play those guys, because their goal is to no doubt knock you backwards and create these long yardage situations,” said Stafford on the podcast. “But it’s also, hey, if you’re going to go score, you’re going to have to do it by consistently executing in long drives. And we did that a few times when we played them the last time at their place.”

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The two teams have already clashed twice during the regular season. In Week 11, the Rams edged out a 21-19 victory at home. Then, in Week 16, the Seahawks pulled ahead 37-38 in overtime on their home turf.

During Week 11 at SoFi Stadium, the Rams won despite the offense managing just 249 total yards while their defense surrendered a whopping 414 yards to Seattle. Next, when they met, Rams did lose, but LA piled up 581 yards of total offense. That defeat’s biggest takeaway matches what Stafford highlighted: avoiding those punishing long-yardage situations that kill momentum.

The Rams relied on longer plays during their Seattle road trip, with Stafford averaging 9.3 yards gained per pass attempt. His longest completion went for 58 yards, his second-best mark of the season behind only the league-leading 88-yard throw against the Colts in Week 4.

This season marks the 12th time the Rams have reached the NFC Championship. It’s also their third playoff meeting with the Seahawks, where LA holds a 2-0 record. With Stafford owning his recent failures, the Rams enter this clash determined to extend that dominance.