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Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams walks on the field after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams received a lot of additional praise not only after their loss in the NFC Championship Game, but also after the team that beat them, the Seattle Seahawks, won the Super Bowl.
Stafford has finally given his opinion in the offseason pastime “what if” game, projecting himself into the shoes of New England Patriots QB Drake Maye.
The game almost certainly would have gone differently.
Matthew Stafford Gets Honest About Super Bowl
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Fans and media alike have claimed that Stafford and the Rams would have made for a better challenge to the Seahawks than the Patriots, with stats backing up the assertion. The Rams performed better against the Seahawks’ historic defense than any other team.
The game itself was a defensive stalemate for much of the duration.
Stafford noted the game’s lack of visual appeal to casual fans, but added how he viewed the game differently.
“A fan would look at that and go, ‘This is terribly boring.’ And I look at it and go, ‘This is a really good defensive football. Now, are there some plays that could have been made that weren’t made on the offensive side? Absolutely. But I also think part of that is sourced from defenses making you feel uncomfortable,” Stafford said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast on February 9.
“If you want good offensive football and the school board lighting up. That’s not what you got.”
Maye has taken heat in the aftermath of the game, in which he had historically poor production, but also for his struggles in the postseason and the path he had to take to get there. It was really an extension of the MVP debate that raged until the award was announced.
Stafford, who notably had high praise for Sam Darnold, threw for 587 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions against the Seahawks in the regular season, albeit on 57.1% completion.
He had a 374-3-0 line on 62.9% completion against Seattle in the NFC Championship Game.
“I played against that Seattle defense three times this year. And watching them do what they did, that’s who they are. It’s a really physical front,” Stafford said. “I have a lot of appreciation for them and what they do, and their coaching staff.”
Stafford is 6-1 against the Seahawks during the regular season in his Rams career. However, Stafford is now 0-1 against the Seahawks in the postseason with the Rams.
He is 7-4 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs against the Seahawks in his career.
Matthew Stafford Sends Message to Team
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks to the sidelines during warm ups before the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams have not taken their loss to the Seahawks lightly, Stafford included, even after he secured the MVP. He admitted that getting as “close as we did” but not winning the Super Bowl made winning the award “difficult.”
He still took “pride” in the season the Rams had, and said his winning MVP was a “reflection” of everyone involved.
Stafford also added a clear message for the Rams.
“You don’t win that trophy without winning a bunch of football games and playing well as a team,” Stafford said. “There are some things to take from it. But we definitely have to find a way to get better. And make sure that the next year our season doesn’t end quite so early.”
This was the Rams’ best season with Stafford since winning the Super Bowl in 2021. They are among the early favorites for 2026.
Matthew Stafford Put Family First
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams meets with his children on the sideline before the NFC championship game against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams can thank Stafford’s family for their promising outlook in 2026, with the QB underscoring just how much impact they had in his decision to play an 18th season.
He joked about being happy to win MVP so that he did not have to “console” his four young daughters, and that his outspoken wife, Kelly Stafford, “probably would have had a strong opinion” about the matter.
He also laughed at how his daughter Hunter uses the life lessons he teaches them on him.
“They cheered me on, they cheered our team on. They were great supporters all year, and it was so much fun to have them up on stage,” Stafford said.
“I love having them there, and it’s amazing. And I wouldn’t be doing it if they said, ‘Dad, we don’t want to go to the games anymore. We just want to hang out with you on Sunday at home. Obviously, I love playing this game. I’m healthy enough. But if I didn’t have the girls and Kelly behind me, I wouldn’t be.”
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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