The Los Angeles Rams survive yet another playoff game thanks to Harrison Mevis’ 42-yard field goal in overtime. Quarterback Matthew Stafford clutched up again by leading the game-winning OT drive to advance to the NFC title game. But the veteran knows he was far from perfect today, and he made it known in the post-game presser.

“I definitely didn’t get into a great rhythm today, there’s no question about that… some things that made it tough. Obviously, I could be better,” the quarterback said.

The job still got done. After Caleb Williams hit a fourth-down touchdown pass with 18 seconds left to tie the game, the Rams opened overtime by punting. Chicago briefly flirted with field-goal range before Williams threw an interception to safety Kam Curl.

Stafford took over and methodically moved Los Angeles down the field. The drive hinged on a big third-down throw to Puka Nacua, which set up Mevis’ game-winner and officially ended the Chicago Bears season. Stafford finished with 258 passing yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Still, it wasn’t pretty. Stafford was uncharacteristically off, registering 11 off-target throws. He went 20-of-42, was sacked three times and saw pressure on 37 percent of his dropbacks. Play-action didn’t help much either—he went 0-for-9 there. When he held the ball a beat too long, things got worse.

Nine of his 12 first-half incompletions came on throws that took more than three seconds from snap to release. The Rams escaped, but the offense labored. Through three quarters, they had just 174 total yards, their lowest output of the season, per ESPN.

When Stafford referenced “some things that made it tough,” it’s hard not to think about his hand. He’s been dealing with a sprained finger since the Wild Card win over Carolina, when his follow-through caught a defender’s arm. Head coach Sean McVay insisted the injury wouldn’t keep him out, and Stafford did play.

When asked about the finger, he shrugged it off with a simple, “Great.” But whether it was the finger, the snow, or just an off night, the Rams know they’ll need more from Stafford and the offense next time around. From everyone, really. And the quarterback had a message for his locker room.

Matthew Stafford wants to look forward

Facing fourth-and-goal with 27 seconds left and trailing 17–10, Caleb Williams pulled off something extraordinary. The snap came at the 14-yard line. Pressure arrived almost immediately. Williams drifted back, nearly to the 40, buying time before firing a strike to Cole Kmet for the tying touchdown.

You can nitpick the coverage if you want, but sometimes there’s not much to overanalyze. Matthew Stafford certainly wasn’t interested in doing that afterward. He wants his team to focus on the football that’s still left.

“That’s what football’s all about. Whether you have a great play the play before, a bad play…shoot, I thought it was a great play by our defense, just a better play by Caleb…that happens in football…tough thing at the moment, but we move on. There’s more football to play. We gotta go out there and make sure we do the right things after that,” the quarterback said.

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Because of what followed, Stafford was right, there is more football to play. His overtime drive made sure of that. Still, this wasn’t a flawless afternoon for the Los Angeles Rams. Between the penalties last week against Carolina and the offensive sputtering for long stretches here, there’s plenty on Sean McVay’s plate to clean up.

Now comes the hardest part. Next week, they head into a showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. As the NFC’s No. 1 seed, Seattle will host the conference championship, and it’s a daunting assignment. The Seahawks own the league’s top defense, allowing just 17.2 points per game.

The Rams will be playing for their first Super Bowl trip since the 2021 season, when they finished the job by beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. To get back there, Stafford and company will have to be sharper.