Could Resting Matthew Stafford Come Back to Bite the Rams?

The Los Angeles Rams are resting Matthew Stafford in the season finale against the Seattle Seahawks, but is that the best idea for the team?

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) prepares for the game, Sunday, December 22, 2024, at East Rutherford. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams have already wrapped up the NFC West division with one week of football left to play, but they technically still have a lot up for grabs.

A win by the Rams against the Seattle Seahawks in the season finale would likely allow them to play the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

A loss means they would have to go on the road and face either the Detroit Lions or Minnesota Vikings, which seems like a much more daunting task.

And yet, Los Angeles is resting Matthew Stafford versus the Seahawks, which is certainly a risky decision given what's at stake.

No disrespect to the Commanders, who have been impressive this year, but hosting Washington in the opening round would probably be the best-case scenario for the Rams.

Not only that, but Stafford has not been playing his best football in recent weeks.

Los Angeles has failed to put 20 points on the board in each of its last three games, and much of that is due to Stafford, who hasn't touched 200 yards passing since the Rams' massive win over the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 8.

Stafford has also completed less than 60 percent of his passes in two of the last three contests.

Quite simply, the 36-year-old hasn't been good, and you would think Sean McVay would prefer to get his veteran quarterback—and the offense in general—into more of a rhythm heading into the playoffs.

Nevertheless, McVay understandably seems to value health and rest over momentum, so he has decided to roll with Jimmy Garoppolo for Week 18.

Perhaps it will end up being a good decision in the end. Maybe Stafford actually needs some time off as a refresher. But you can't help but feel that the Rams could be shooting themselves in the foot by passing up on the opportunity to face an inexperienced Commanders squad.

Whatever the case may be, Los Angeles is one of the hottest teams in football right now, having won five straight and nine of its last 11 with the postseason approaching.

We'll see if McVay's strategy pays off later in the month.

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