How Matthew Stafford has lifted the Rams with his toughness, durability

THOUSAND OAKS — The push for an NFC Wild Card berth has become a war of attrition. The teams vying for playoff spots forced to sift through injuries at football’s most crucial position as the margin for error grows thinner.

That’s why, in a year where quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown for 3,648 yards and 23 touchdowns, it’s his availability — Stafford has started 14 of 15 games, to this point — that has given the Rams the edge over their opponents as they hold the No. 6 seed.

“Matthew’s the ultimate competitor,” offensive tackle Rob Havenstein said Wednesday. “He wants to be out there whether he’s banged up, feeling good, whatever.”

While the Rams have surged, winning five of their last six games behind Stafford’s brilliance, their opponents have limped through the second half of the season. The current No. 7-seeded Seattle Seahawks (8-7) have had to rely on backup Drew Lock. The Minnesota Vikings (7-8) lost Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles injury, cycling through four starters this season, and currently sit on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in. Saints QB Derek Carr, the prey of the Rams’ defense in their 30-22 win during Week 15, has battled shoulder, back and head injuries throughout this season, electing to play through the pain in his first season in New Orleans.

Look forward to this Sunday, and the Rams face yet another opponent, the New York Giants, whose playoff hopes once clung to the shoulders of third-stringer Tommy Devito and have now decided to return to Tyrod Taylor as its starter.

The Rams found themselves in a similar spot just last season. Stafford missed the final seven games with a spinal cord contusion, as they sputtered to a 5-12 finish.

“It was really tough,” Stafford said. “I don’t enjoy missing any time, extended time. So being able to be out here and playing again, and playing at a decent clip is a lot of fun.”

Not only did the Rams struggle to string together victories, but it’s little things, like the cadence, a quarterback’s tendencies, his positioning on snaps and in the pocket, that Havenstien noticed changed with John Wolford and Baker Mayfield under center.

Like Stafford with the Rams, Mayfield’s stability has helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7) prosper in 2023, needing only one more win to clinch a playoff spot and lock up the NFC South. The majority of teams jostling with the Rams haven’t experienced that luxury.

“It’s just a blessing to have a guy like Matthew stay healthy and lead the team,” running back Ronnie Rivers said. “It’s something that I take for granted.”

Rivers felt that the Rams “showed glimpses” last season. In 2023, the Rams are flourishing behind a consistent rotation at offensive line and the dynamism of Stafford.

That’s not to say he’s had a clean bill of health.

Stafford has played through lingering pain in his right thumb, according to head coach Sean McVay.

In Week 4, when the Rams faced the Indianapolis Colts, Stafford expressed a discomfort in his hip, but didn’t let it prevent him from leading the Rams to a 29-23 overtime victory. That same week, offensive tackle Joe Noteboom strained his groin mid-game — he went on to miss the next two games — but seeing Stafford battling inspired Noteboom.

“(Noteboom’s) saying, ‘Hey, I gotta finish this game for Matthew. If he’s playing through this, then I can certainly do that.’” McVay said.

That mental fortitude was instilled in Stafford during his early years in Detroit.

“No matter what the record was, what the score was, how you were feeling,” he said, “The guys that were around me were just trying to show up every single week.”

Even before that, he revered quarterback Brett Favre, who “was the guy that showed up every Sunday no matter what,” Stafford said.

At a time when health at the quarterback position is at a premium, Stafford is offering a model of consistency for the Rams. He’s present and lively. Vibrant as a leader, in the locker room after practice conversing with McVay and wide receiver Cooper Kupp about their approach this week, developing a connection with wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson over the last four games, available during the crucial home stretch, the one he wished to contribute to last year, but couldn’t.

“He told us, ‘Hey, you ever see me on the ground, just help me up and we’ll keep this thing going,” Havenstein said. “If you’re a quarterback, to have that type of grip, that type of competitiveness, it raises everybody up.”