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Why is Matthew Stafford's deep ball a problem all of a sudden?
Doug Farrar
October 7, 2021 10:49 pm ET
SEATTLE — In the first three weeks of the 2021 NFL season, new Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed seven of 11 passes of 20 or more air yards for 321 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a league-leading passer rating of 146.8. Not bad for a guy acclimating to a different offense and new targets. But this started to turn in the Rams’ 37-20 Week 4 loss to the Cardinals last Sunday, and though Arizona’s newly tough defense had a lot to do with it, something was different about Stafford’s deep-ball accuracy, and it was fairly obvious even without the benefit of Pro Football Focus’ metrics — which indicated that against Arizona, Stafford completed just two of five deep passes for 55 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 41.7. Quite the reversal of fortune.
Stafford would have had two deep interceptions in that game had this play not been negated by a roughing the passer penalty.
Bummer this play was wiped out by a roughing the passer call. Isaiah Simmons gets the hit on Stafford, ball sails, and Arizona Cardinals rookie Marco Wilson (@MJW_era) shows off his 43.5" vertical on what should have been his first career interception. pic.twitter.com/7UV0BS5wI5
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) October 7, 2021
And this deep overshot to Van Jefferson — yes, a deep throw to Stafford’s left — was par for the course.
In the first half of the Rams’ game against the Seahawks, Stafford tried deep passes to three different receivers — Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Van Jefferson. Each was to Stafford’s left, and each was an overshot.
Matthew Stafford's three deep overshots in the first half. Three different receivers (Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods), all to Stafford's left. He had two more overthrows to his left in the second half — the fifth came right before the 68-yarder to DeSean Jackson. pic.twitter.com/iQyBgw7NvD
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 8, 2021
Even the 68-yard deep completion to DeSean Jackson with 9:27 left in the third quarter, which came after Stafford’s fifth deep misfire to his left in this game (an attempt to Kupp) was more about an underthrow putting safety Jamal Adams in conflict than anything else.
Jamal Adams vs. DeSean Jackson is a brutal mismatch with the ball in the air pic.twitter.com/WSgaQY4K8K
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 8, 2021
After the Cardinals game, Stafford didn’t mention any kind of injury; just that he needed to be more accurate on the deep stuff.
“Yeah, I think I just didn’t make enough plays,” he said. “There was some opportunities early in that game for us to score points and, you know, for me to make some throws and I didn’t make those. It’s obviously disappointing. I don’t want to not make those throws. I want to make those for our guys and for our team. I just got to go back and be better. I’m going to have another opportunity. The good thing is we play again on Thursday. So I won’t have to sit and think about this one too long. It will be a big challenge going into Seattle here in a couple days. A lot to learn, a lot to unpack, like you said.
“But I think it boils down to early in that game, missing some opportunities, whether it be on third down or in the red zone to score some points against a team that, frankly, was going to be scoring some points on offense. A really talented group they have over there. And we knew it was going to have to be one of those games where kind of blow for blow, maybe at a certain point. And we put our defense in a bad spot earlier there not coming away with some points.”
Well, Stafford didn’t have a lot of turnaround time to marinate in the issue, but the issue is still definitely there. After the game, he told FOX Sports’ Erin Andrews that during the game, the index finger on his throwing hand popped out, and Stafford adjusted it back into place.
“Popped it out and I don’t really know how to be honest with you,” he said. “Yeah, just looked down and it was on the left a little bit, threw it back in. Our guys did a great job, gave me a little tape. Was able to just kinda keep it warm and keep playing.
“I felt pretty good. Felt like it was functioning enough. Little swollen, but they kept [the wrap] on it and I just went out and played.”
So, if injury was the issue, Stafford wasn’t letting on. And McVay gave no credence to any injury issues in his postgame press conference.
McVay says he does not have an update on Darious Williams (ankle). He says he was aware of an issue with Matthew Stafford’s finger but couldn’t expand much on it. Adds (upon question) that he didn’t believe there were any other issues entering the game (asked bc missed throws).
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) October 8, 2021
Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs, who played with Stafford in Detroit from 2015 through 2019 and intercepted his former teammate tonight, told me after the game that whatever the issue was, Stafford would figure it out.
“I think… one thing I’ll say about [No.] 9 is that he’s a tough fella. Even if he’s going through some things, he missed on some throws, and there are some throws he’d probably like back… he knew those deep balls weren’t some of his greatest throws. If it is something, you guys will know it. If not, he’ll get it fixed. I know that guy, I love that guy. He’ll be alright.”
If he’s not, it will require a re-thinking of a vertical passing game that was supposed to be the New Big Thing with Stafford on board.
