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Matthew Stafford showed he's the perfect fit for the Rams and one throw in his first game had NFL fans buzzing

Sep 13, 2021, 22:31 IST
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Matthew Stafford. Harry How/Getty Images
  • Matthew Stafford's jump to the Los Angeles Rams was the biggest move of the NFL offseason.
  • On Sunday night, Stafford only needed a few plays to show he was the right man for the job in LA.
  • Stafford found Van Jefferson for a 67-yard score to open the season and stayed hot all game.
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The Matthew Stafford era has begun in Los Angeles, and Rams fans could not be happier.

The Rams opened their season against the Chicago Bears at home on Sunday night - the first packed house for SoFi Stadium.

The Rams did not disappoint, jumping out to an early 7-0 lead when Stafford connected with wide receiver Van Jefferson for a 67-yard touchdown on the home team's very first drive of the game.

Stafford took the snap, faked a handoff, rolled to the left, reset his feet, and fired an absolute cannon to Jefferson, who was waiting wide open downfield.

For Rams fans, it's an inspiring preview of what could be in store this season.

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The Rams acquisition of Stafford was the biggest move of the offseason and looked like a match made in heaven on paper.

Los Angeles was still only a few years removed from a Super Bowl appearance and had the pieces in place to make another run but needed a quarterback upgrade after another mediocre season from Jared Goff. Stafford had wasted another year as one of the NFL's best passers with a Detroit Lions team trudging towards another rebuild. Put the two together, and some magic was possible.

Stafford met with Rams head coach Sean McVay thanks to a chance encounter while vacationing in Mexico, a bromance was born, and just days later, the deal was done.

While it's only one game, Stafford's performance on Sunday was indicative of just how much fire he could bring out of the Los Angeles offense.

Stafford finished the game with 321 yards passing and three touchdowns, leading the Rams to an emphatic 34-14 win over the Chicago Bears. His performance earned him high praise from his new teammates.

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"His command, his swag, everything was great," said cornerback Jalen Ramsey. "That's like a debut that probably should go down in history, just the way he played, his swag. I'm not all into the stats all the time, but his stats was probably crazy, too. I mean, that was just a debut that was nice."

"We only threw it 26 times, but he certainly made the most of those plays, and I thought he did a great job," McVay said.

The road won't be easy for the Rams in the NFC West, the only division in football where all four teams opened their season with a win, but Stafford's game on Sunday showed that Los Angeles' big bet on him has a real chance to pay off.

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