Sean McVay explains how Matthew Stafford excels in off-script situations
The discussion of a quarterback being able to create in out-of-structure situations is prevalent this week as the Los Angeles Rams will host the Detroit Lions in Week 7. The Rams now have a quarterback in Matthew Stafford that has the ability to excel when plays don’t go according to plan while Jared Goff — who is now on the Lions — was limited in that facet of his game when he was working with McVay.
Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with Goff and the Lions, McVay spoke about Stafford’s prowess to create off-script for the Rams.
“Well, I think it’s good. To me, those are situations where, as coaches, there’s always a timing, a rhythm that you want to see reflected. Now, that’s not how the game is always played. It’s an imperfect game,” said McVay. “And if you can have those situations reveal itself in a manner that’s reflective of, ‘Alright, when we’re on rhythm, when we’re on schedule, let it come to life.’ But I also think one of the beauties of a player like Matthew and some of these other quarterbacks is giving them where you’re distributing the field in a manner that’s reflective of, ‘Okay, if the rush disperses that makes you get flushed, is the field still distributed and can he activate all parts of the field?'”
In the first six weeks of the season, Stafford has displayed an uncanny ability to create plays when the first or second read isn’t available to him. With his supreme arm talent, Stafford has delivered plenty of highlight-worthy throws this season to guys like Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.
Even with McVay being a highly regarded play-caller, he admits that having a quarterback like Stafford does make his life easier in certain moments.
“But I think the best way that I would answer that question is it’s easy because what happens is if I’m wrong, he still has a chance of making it right,” McVay said. “And those are the things you’re looking for. If it’s there in the timing and rhythm, let’s be as close to automatic as possible. But I think the guys that really separate themselves are the ones when it does go a little bit off-schedule, you have the ability to make it right.”
Whenever Goff was the signal-caller in Los Angeles, you would rarely see him create a play off-script. Goff was at his best when everything flowed smoothly and the play went as McVay intended it to.
While Goff did plenty for the Rams in his tenure with the organization, it is crystal clear why Los Angeles made such an aggressive push to replace him with Stafford in the offseason.
