[
theramswire.usatoday.com] Matthew Stafford not losing faith in Rams receivers after drop-filled night
Cameron DaSilva
November 16, 2021 5:37 am PT
Robert Woods out for year after tearing ACL in practice Friday
A week after playing an uncharacteristically sloppy game against the Titans, the Rams came right back with another terrible performance in their 31-10 loss to the 49ers on Monday night. There weren’t nearly as many penalties, but the self-inflicted wounds were still a big problem.
Specifically, the Rams dropped far too many passes. Tyler Higbee dropped two passes, one that resulted in a pick-six and another that caused the Rams to go three-and-out. Cooper Kupp dropped a ball that would’ve moved the chains on third down, failing to adjust to a pass that was slightly behind him.
Van Jefferson dropped what would’ve been a sure touchdown as well as another deep shot over the middle, missing out on a big gain in the second half. Ben Skowronek had a high pass go through his hands in the end zone, too, and even though it could’ve been put in a better spot, it’s a ball that should’ve been caught.
Despite all those mental errors, Matthew Stafford isn’t losing confidence in his receivers after their drop-filled night.
“Sometimes those things happen,” he said after the loss. “I’ve got a ton of trust in all those guys. I see those guys, the way they work, the way they go about their business week in and week out. I can definitely do a better job of giving them the ball in a better spot so they don’t have to work as hard to make those catches, so I’ll make sure I’m doing my part to try and be better for those guys and give them better opportunities.”
Stafford admitted he was too aggressive on his first interception, a deep ball to Odell Beckham Jr. who had two defenders covering him. But on his second pick where Higbee dropped it and it bounced into Jimmie Ward’s hands, Stafford has no regrets about the throw or the ball placement.
“I’m throwing that ball to Higs just like that every time,” he said. “Uncharacteristic, just something that is hazard of playing the position. Sometimes those things happen. Obviously wish they wouldn’t but I trust all our guys to make those plays and those things just happen.”
According to Pro Football Reference, the Rams have dropped 14 passes this season, which is middle of the pack compared to the rest of the NFL. That doesn’t include Monday night’s six drops, though, so they’ll likely be climbing into the top 10 – which isn’t a top 10 you want to be ranked in.
They’ll have plenty of time to correct these issues with the bye week coming up, and with the Packers being the next team on their schedule, the Rams have their work cut out for them.
