Matthew Stafford Plays with Hip Injury, Los Angeles Rams Win at Colts in OT; QB OK?

In terms of health? Matthew Stafford wasn't quite right for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. But he did enough in overtime to beat the Colts on Sunday, 29-23. ... and now talks about being OK for next week.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was dealing with a hip injury, throughout part of Sunday's Week 4 OT win at the Indianapolis Colts, a thriller in which he tossed the game-winning walk-off TD to rookie sensation Puka Nacua for a 29-23 decision.

Somehow, Stafford muddled through this ... and plans to do it again next week.

“The hardest part was was just kind of shutting down the leg a little,” Stafford said after the game. “Just kept going, knew it was going to be one of those things that was pain-slash-function. As long as I could keep it warm on the sideline, keep the function going, I was gonna stay in there.”

Injured Stafford beats the Colts in OT / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

after the game. “Just kept going, knew it was going to be one of those things that was 'pain-slash-function.' As long as I could keep it warm on the sideline, keep the function going, I was gonna stay in there.”

"Pain-slash-function''? That's a fine description ... and it might come into play in Week 5, too, as Stafford insisted that he expects to play against the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles next week.

That could be in part adrenalin talking; this win was Stafford’s 43rd game-winning drive in a fourth quarter or overtime, according to ESPN Stats and Info, the most in the league since Stafford's NFL arrival in 2009. ... and the Rams are a surprisingly solid 2-2 as they continue to "remodel'' but not "rebuild.''

Stafford finds Nacua for his first career TD to win it for the Rams in OT! 🐏

📽️: @NFL pic.twitter.com/mxMWkyWmaf

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 1, 2023

And of course, Stafford's talent - and toughness - are central to that 2023 effort.

“I know (he) was kind of banged-up throughout the course of the game,” said head coach Sean McVay. "You could see it was really difficult. ... but he was just gutsy. He was resilient. That’s what he’s always been and that’s who he is ...

"Man, you don’t take it for granted.''

The Rams built a 23-0 lead in the first half on the strength of a pair of Kyren Williams' TDs, and Stafford had 133 passing yards in the first quarter alone. The Colts, keyed by rookie QB Anthony Richardson, eventually scored 23 unanswered points to push the game to OT ... at which point it became Stafford Time.

“When you’ve got a guy like him at the switch, you know you’re always in a game,” McVay said. “No matter what happened before — I think one of the things that is as powerful about him as anything is he just responds ... He is an ignitor that elevates everybody around him.”