Why Rams' Stafford is Unstoppable in December

The Los Angeles Rams need two more late-December wins to secure a playoff berth. Luckily for Los Angeles, quarterback Matthew Stafford has been unstoppable in December.

Dec 22, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks on after a penalty during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Since arriving in Los Angeles, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has only lost one game in December. Most teams buy into the idea of peaking at the right time, which is late in the season for teams with playoff aspirations like the Rams.

Seemingly every season, Stafford is his best in December, with the season on the line. Rams head coach Sean McVay expressed his gratitude for Stafford's success in December.

"I think he's clutch," McVay said. "I think he has an understanding where he really thinks like a coach. He understands what's going to be required. How do I need to be able to play this game to help our team? The best part about Matthew Stafford is he has all these amazing numbers and stats that he has put up and he's this special quarterback. He wants to win. I think he understands what it takes, especially in that month when that's such a critical time for you to be able to try to peak at the right time if you're going to get an opportunity to get into the tournament.

"Him being an extension of the coaching staff, and I think making the critical plays when he has to. You look at it, amazing against Buffalo. I don't think a lot of people make the play that he makes to find Colby Parkinson on the seam against San Francisco where they end up bumping the coverage the wrong way on a motion, he finds them. That wasn't the intent of that play, but he recognizes it because of the way he can process it. Hopefully, [we can] keep calling him Mr. December.”

Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp agrees with McVay on Stafford's performance in the clutch in December. Kupp believes Stafford's time with the Detroit Lions help produced a battle-tested quarterback who plays his best football when it matters most.

“I think it's just the years of living in Detroit, facing the cold and all that stuff he’s got to do in Detroit, Kupp said. "It just weathered him. I don't know. We've done a good job over the last few years of finding ways to win in these meaningful times. I’ve been really thankful for most of those years having those be meaningful games as well. I think that's a nod to the coaches, the guys that we've had here, the culture that guys have built here, the process of continuing to grow and continuing to get better, and knowing that the beginning of the season is not who you're going to be at the end. I think we've done a good job of continuing to grow as players throughout the course of the season.”

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