Why Rams Qb Matthew Stafford Is Dennis Allen's Worst Nightmare

Montez Sweat hadn't really heard astir the digit injury suffered by Rams backmost Matthew Stafford connected his throwing hand, aliases astatine slightest he said this.

"I'm not going retired location trying to break his digit aliases thing for illustration that. I'm conscionable trying to impact nan crippled arsenic immoderate different game," nan Bears separator rusher said.

Maybe Sweat should rethink that. The Bears defense tin usage immoderate separator it tin get trying to extremity Stafford and his vulnerable wide receiver operation of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

Stafford has enjoyed peculiar occurrence stinging defenses of Bears coordinator Dennis Allen. It happened erstwhile Stafford was pinch nan Rams and Lions, and erstwhile Allen was protect coordinator aliases caput coach for nan Saints.

• It moreover happened erstwhile Allen was very young arsenic a coordinator pinch Denver and Stafford had been Lions QB for only 2 1/2 seasons. He threw for 3 TDs and 262 yards successful a 45-10 rout of John Fox's Broncos.

• Stafford hit Allen's Saints defense for 3 TD passes and a  148.6 passer standing successful a 35-27 Lions triumph soon aft Allen took complete arsenic protect coordinator from Rob Ryan successful 2015.

• Allen's Saints did negociate to hit Stafford successful 2017 but he still threw for 3 TDs and gutted New Orleans' defense for 38 points. The Saints had to people 52 that time to win.

• Stafford led nan Rams past nan Saints pinch Allen arsenic caput coach successful 2023, 30-22, erstwhile he threw for 2 TDs and 328 yards.

• About nan only clip Allen could really opportunity he sewage nan champion of Stafford was successful 2022 erstwhile they constricted him to 159 yards passing connected 11 of 18, but he still had 2 TDs successful a 27-20 New Orleans victory. The problem was, Staford didn't decorativeness nan game. They knocked him retired for nan play that time pinch a bruised spinal file and Bryce Perkins vanished nan crippled astatine QB.

So possibly that thought Sweat mentioned isn't excessively bad. Just kidding.

"He's a seasoned quarterback, he understands coverages, and he's seen a batch of looks," Sweat said. "He understands wherever to spell pinch nan shot and really to get nan shot retired fast. He's conscionable an all-time awesome backmost and he's been doing it for a agelong clip astatine a bully rate."

Stafford has specified a speedy transportation and throws truthful often successful hit disconnected three-step, five-step drops aliases successful shotgun that it's a situation for nan walk unreserved to impact his throws.

"I mean, nan situation is conscionable not being capable to," Sweat said. "It's beautiful difficult to impact nan backmost erstwhile he's connected clip and getting nan shot retired fast."

Combined pinch Nacua and Adams, arsenic good arsenic a bully complementary group for illustration tight extremity Colby Parkinson, it's easy to spot really nan Rams vanished first successful passing. Both moving backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum had much than 50 targets, arsenic well.

Nacua led nan convention successful catches pinch 129 for a league-high 80 first downs.

“I would conscionable opportunity that he does everything," Bears information Kevin Byard said. "They propulsion him screens, intermediate routes, deeper routes. His hands are incredible. Even nan one-handed drawback he almost made against nan Falcons (rule incomplete), that would person been special.

"But besides he’s a consenting blocker. They nonstop him successful location to excavation retired nan safeties which astir No. 1 receivers aren’t really doing that for illustration that. So it’s conscionable nan toughness that I spot from him and he’s 1 of those guys that for illustration arsenic a moving back, they get amended and amended nan much volume, he much touches they get, truthful I expect them to provender him arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable truthful we’re going to person to cognize wherever he is connected each snap.”

Adams has a league-high 14 TD catches.

“It’s nan technician," Byard said. "I deliberation erstwhile you look astatine nan champion way runners successful nan league, they make each their routes look nan same. Whether they’re moving a 5-yard hitch route, a spell ball, comeback astatine 15 yards, it each looks for illustration they’re going vertical and I deliberation that’s nan toughest thing.

"And he’s truthful bully astatine nan statement of scrimmage. That’s nan logic  why wrong nan 5-yard statement he has each these touchdowns because if Matt Stafford sees him one-on-one he trusts that he’s going to get a bully release, that he’s going to get unfastened and he’s going to put nan shot wherever he needs to be."

The Bears person acquisition stopping Stafford and nan Rams astatine Soldier Field successful past year's 24-18 win. However, nan Bears were playing a different protect strategy earlier Allen, they were adjacent to afloat wellness including cornerback Jaylon Johnson, and L.A. didn't person Nacua owed to injury. Stafford's apical disposable targets were Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell connected that day.

Facing this type of passing attack, and pinch a protect coordinator who has had problem keeping up pinch Stafford's on-time passing game, it's going to almost require Caleb Williams to ray it up again for illustration he did successful nan 4th fourth Saturday, aliases for nan Bears to power nan shot for illustration they did earlier this play against nan Eagles.

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