If he wins another Super Bowl, Matthew Stafford will boost his resume and could lead to his eventual election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, the veteran Rams quarterback continues to climb the NFL’s all-time passing list.
On Sunday, when The rams To travel to Soldier Field to play the Chicago Bears, Stafford needs 223 passing yards to surpass Eli Manning and move into 10th place in his career in passing yards.
During a 16-year career with the New York Giants, Manning won two Super Bowls and threw for 57,023 yards. Stafford, in his 16th season and fourth with the Rams, has thrown for 56,801 yards.
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Manning, who is eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time, threw for 366 touchdowns, which ranks 10th all time. Stafford has thrown for 359.
Stafford, 36, is coming off another clutch performance in the Rams win 27-24 over the San Francisco 49ers. He engineered a fourth-quarter touchdown drive and the game-winning field goal drive for his 36th comeback victory.
Stafford is tied with Drew Brees for fifth on the all-time comeback list, trailing only Tom Brady, the leader with 46, Peyton Manning (43), Ben Roethlisberger (41) and Matt Ryan (38), according to profootballreference.com.
“Whenever you bring up players like Drew Brees, who did incredible things in this league for so long, I’m honored to be in the same group,” Stafford said Wednesday before practice. “So I have a lot of respect for him and who he was as a player.”
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Brees led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl title to cap the 2009 season. Stafford, who played 12 seasons for the Detroit Lions before being traded in 2021, led the Rams to Victory in Super Bowl LVI in his first season with them.
Fourth-quarter comebacks are great, he said.
“It means your team can count on you in those moments,” Stafford said, before jokingly adding a caveat. “They’re not that good either: It means you were down, so play better in the first three.”
“Football is a funny game sometimes. One great quarter can erase three bad ones. So take advantage of every opportunity you can. It’s hard to go out and play four perfect quarters.”
Stafford’s performance against the 49ers was impressive considering the Rams were short on star receivers. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.
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The Rams trailed by 14 early in the game and by 10 at the end.
“That patience and ability to take one play at a time was key and critical to the poise that came through,” coach Sean McVay said of Stafford.
Stafford connected with receiver Tutu Atwell for a 50-yard pass that set up Kyren Williams’ touchdown run and Joshua Karty’s game-tying kick conversion. Tight end Colby Parkinson was called for a pass interference penalty that helped set up Karty’s game-winning field goal.
Etc.
Kupp is no longer in a cast on his injured left ankle. Kupp, who remains out indefinitely, and receiver Nacua (knee), who is on injured reserve, went through rehab drills with trainers after the Rams’ dress rehearsal. … Cornerback Darious Williams (hamstring) is eligible to return from injured reserve after the Rams play the Bears, but McVay did not provide a timetable for when he would be designated to return. “He’s making good progress,” McVay said. “As far as when he’ll be able to return, I haven’t decided yet.” … Tight end Davis Allen, who sat out against the 49ers because of a back injury, returned to practice and was limited, according to the injury report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.