Stafford can start an MVP campaign in Week 1 of season…

Matthew Stafford can start an early MVP campaign in Week 1 of the 2024 season

[ramblinfan.com]

Lou Scataglia



LA Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford is plenty talented enough to win the MVP award. Can the veteran QB take the hardware home in the 2024 NFL Season? Through three years as a member of the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford has accumulated a 24-17 record, 10,938 yards, 75 touchdowns, 36 interceptions, and a 95.8 passer rating.

Stafford finished eighth in MVP voting in 2023. Now set to enter his age-36 season, Stafford may not have much time left as a high-end starter in the NFL. He's borderline elite and really showed the rest of the league that he's got a lot left in the tank last year. Now set to enter the 2024 NFL Season, Stafford may also be running out of time to rack up more personal accolades.

He's got just two Pro Bowls, even though he's deserving of many more, but does have a Super Bowl title and is rapidly rising on some all-time QB rankings like passing yards and passing touchdowns. As we head into the 2024 season, he's got a stud second-year WR in Puka Nacua, a now-healthy Cooper Kupp, and what may be a top-5 offensive line on paper.

The Rams also loaded up a bit this offseason in an effort to launch back into the Super Bowl window, and in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season, Stafford has a great chance to get a very-early bump in the NFL MVP race. He's facing off against the again-remade Detroit Lions defense, which features a plethora of new bodies in the secondary.

The Lions did add some nice talent in the secondary, but it may take them some time to find their footing and develop some chemistry. This could lead Stafford and the Rams offense to having quite the prolific day. I've predicted that Stafford is going to throw for four touchdown passes in Week 1. It may seem like a lot, but across his entire NFL career, he's averaged 29 touchdowns per 17-game season.

Stafford has never been afraid to throw the ball all over the field, and more broadly, Stafford's future Hall of Fame candidacy could ride on him winning an award like an MVP. To me, Stafford is without question a HOF quarterback, as he was underrated for all those years in Detroit and somehow still underrated today.

However, with only two Pro Bowl and a TD:INT ratio that isn't at least 2:1, there could be some holes in his future bid to Canton. To me, Stafford could absolutely slam the door on his future Hall of Fame candidacy by winning the NFL MVP award in 2024. I firmly believe he can do it, and the Week 1 game against the Lions is a great place to get an early jump.