Matthew Stafford doesn't feel the pressure ahead of the Rams v Cardinals’ matchup
Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford has never won a playoff game, but all are on him going into the Wild Card Round against the Arizona Cardinals.
While many experts in the NFL are pointing to Matthew Stafford as the most pressured quarterback entering Super Wild Card weekend, the Los Angeles Rams’ veteran quarterback is not feeling that burden.
Stafford said Thursday that he’s going into Monday’s postseason matchup against the Arizona Cardinals to “play well”, regardless of the weight of the game.
"Every time I step on the field, I'm proving myself, whether it's a preseason game or a regular-season game, practice, a playoff game," said Stafford, according to ESPN. "I want to go out there and play well. This is just another opportunity to do that."
Stafford succeeded with the Los Angeles Rams
Since the Detroit Lions traded Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff, the 33-year-old has been changing the narrative, becoming the QB with the second-most touchdowns (41) this season, only behind Tom Brady. He’s also tied with rookie Trevor Lawrence for the most interceptions, 17.
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The quarterback has a 0-3 playoff record and all eyes are on him going into Monday’s postseason appearance. His coach Sean McVay, however, doesn’t think he needs a win in a playoff matchup to prove his worth.
"I think that he's got an established résumé," McVay said. "I think that's something you want to be able to do. He was instrumental in leading us to our first divisional title that we've had since '18 and that's a big deal, but now it's the next step. But I think his body of work speaks for itself and I don't think you can just confine it into, 'Oh he hasn't won a playoff game."
The Cardinals vs Rams matchup is set on Monday, 17 January, to kickoff at 8:15 pm ET. Find out where to watch here.
Cardinals vs Rams: live AS USA coverage
You’ll also be able to follow live-text coverage of Cardinals vs Rams right here at AS USA. We'll be building up to the game from about an hour ahead of the start, before taking you through the action as it unfolds.