Matthew Stafford’s turnover-free performance against Buffalo offered the Los Angeles Rams a needed sign of recovery, even as the defending MVP and his team remain under pressure after an under-.500 start. Stafford completed 40 of 54 throws for 383 yards and three touchdowns in Monday night’s overtime loss to the Bills, posting a season-best 74.1% completion rate while avoiding an interception for the first time in 2026.
What changed for the franchise
Stafford entered the Buffalo game with three consecutive 300-yard outings, but his six interceptions through four weeks had already approached his total from his MVP season a year ago, when he threw eight all season. Through five games in 2026, he has completed 66.4% of his passes for 1,572 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions, with seven sacks, a 7.3-yard average per attempt, an 88.3 passer rating and 0.09 expected points added per dropback.
At the same point last season, Stafford had a 66.7% completion rate, 1,503 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, two interceptions, an 8.2-yard average, a 107.3 rating and 0.17 EPA per dropback.
The Rams’ offense leaned heavily on the quick game against the Bills at SoFi Stadium. Thirty-seven of Stafford’s 54 attempts traveled between zero and nine yards beyond the line of scrimmage or were thrown behind it. Puka Nacua, back after missing two games, was the central target, catching 17 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
That approach helped limit risk and allowed Los Angeles to move the ball in short increments, but it has also highlighted a change in Stafford’s early-season profile. He is only 5-for-20 on passes traveling at least 20 yards in the air, with one touchdown and three interceptions. None of those deep completions has come over the middle of the field.
When Buffalo pressured him Monday, Stafford completed 4 of 12 attempts for 62 yards. He used play-action on 9 of his 13 pressured dropbacks, including eight snaps from under center. His 41.7% downfield throw rate under pressure was his lowest of the season, while 25% of those attempts were thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage, his highest such rate this year.
The Rams have dealt with injuries at wide receiver and have used more tight-end-heavy personnel, factors that can push an offense toward faster throws. Stafford, now 38, also may be making more decisions designed to avoid hits and get the ball out rather than wait for explosive concepts to develop.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen praised Stafford after the game, calling him a deserving reigning MVP, among the finest passers ever, and a tough, humble player whom young quarterbacks should try to emulate. Allen added that he has learned from watching Stafford over the years.
Los Angeles faces larger issues beyond its quarterback. The defense has struggled to make stops, and special teams have not provided consistent support. The Rams are 3.5 games behind San Francisco in the NFC West, and they are the only team in the past decade to sit below .500 through five games immediately after having an MVP-winning quarterback season.
Stafford’s performance against Buffalo showed that he can still dissect a defense, particularly when Nacua is available. The remaining question is whether the Rams can restore more of the vertical passing attack that has defined the Stafford-Sean McVay partnership since 2021, or whether the offense will continue relying on short, high-volume throws.
Players pushing into the MVP conversation
- Falcons running back Bijan Robinson
- Panthers quarterback Bryce Young
- Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs
- Lions quarterback Jared Goff
