How many times has Matthew Stafford played in the Super Bowl? How many rings has he won?
At 34 years old the Rams' Matthew Stafford is about to play in the Super Bowl for the first time. We take a look at who the QB is and how he got here.
When kickoff occurs in Sunday's big game it will mark the first time that the Rams' quarterback is playing in a Super Bowl. The question that remains is how will he do?
Who is Matthew Stafford?
Drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 to the Lions, Stafford didn't enjoy a great deal of success during his time in Detroit. It should be noted, however, that his lack of success was more related to the franchise's ineptitude, rather than a lack of ability on the QB's part. Indeed before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams, Stafford would end up as the Lions' all-time leader in completions (3,898) passing yards (45,109), passing touchdowns (282), and quarterback wins (74). More over according to his team profile, Stafford would go on to become the fastest quarterback in NFL history to 20,000 passing yards (71 games), 30,000 passing yards (109 games), and 40,000 passing yards (147 games). He also has the most consecutive seasons with 550+ passing attempts (eight), the most pass attempts in a season (727) and is the only quarterback in the league's history with 700-plus attempts in a season.
Has Matthew Stafford won a Super Bowl ring before?
Short answer? No. While it may be hard to believe, considering the aforementioned numbers that he's put up over a lengthy career, this is actually the first time that Stafford will be playing in a Super Bowl. At 34 years of age the Rams' play-maker is the 6th oldest quarterback to make a Super Bowl debut. The Rams' play maker will need all of his experience and know how if he's to lead his team to victory of a Bengals team that has proven to be both resilient and dangerous. That is of course without mentioning his direct rival and a player who is almost ten years his junior, Bengals' QB Joe Burrow.
Will experience help Matthew Stafford?
When it comes to numbers the reality is simple, Matthew Stafford has approximately 10 whole seasons worth of experience more than his opponent Joe Burrow. Will that give him an advantage in their matchup? Who knows, but it certainly doesn't hurt when considering that there have been 19 Super Bowls contested between debutantes and when it comes to wins, the older quarterbacks have traditionally been victorious. From Manning to Unitas in the 50s, it's only been in recent years that younger QBs have managed to get the better of their older counterparts. For the moment all we can do is wait and see!