This Saturday, the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Rams will conclude their preseasons by dealing with off towards one another. Each groups clearly have wonderful quarterbacks: The Texans have 2023 rookie sensation C.J. Stroud, and the Rams have future Corridor of Famer Matthew Stafford. The 2 groups are participating in joint practices this week in preparation.
When requested Thursday about Stafford and Rams head coach Sean McVay — one of many NFL’s most elegant offensive shot-callers — Stroud didn’t go gentle on the reward.
“I’m a superfan of his,” Stroud mentioned of McVay. “The kind of scheme he runs, the way in which he calls it, the way in which he makes use of guys in movement, and only a complete bunch of various issues. He looks as if an excellent man and he simply had some suggestions and pointers and in addition confirmed me a variety of love, which I appreciated. I admire him greater than he is aware of, simply watching movie and getting higher from the stuff that he does in that offense together with Matt and people guys. It’s undoubtedly an honor simply to know that he is aware of me, which is dope.”
Is smart, because the offenses run by McVay and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik have similarities of their condensed formations, a number of run recreation ideas, and route designs that may beat any protection.
As for Stafford, Stroud has been watching him for a very long time. When Stafford was chosen first general by the Detroit Lions within the 2009 NFL draft, Stroud was seven years outdated.
“First, what jumped out to me from him was his toughness,” Stroud mentioned of Stafford. “He’s robust as nails. I bear in mind watching him on ‘Mic’d Up” and he broke his shoulder or one thing bizarre like that and he completed the drive. His shoulder ended up falling misplaced and I respect that as a result of it isn’t simple. Simply how he manipulates guys together with his eyes, his drops, his arm angles — I’ve been a fan of Matthew Stafford for a very long time. I wasn’t making an attempt to be a fanboy at present, however I requested him a variety of questions. I attempted to only be taught, and he was actually trustworthy with me and wasn’t imply, which I admire, so I’m undoubtedly an enormous fan of his. Undoubtedly considered one of my favourite quarterbacks of all time. I really feel like sharing a discipline with him was dope.”
The sport to which Stroud referred occurred on Nov. 22, 2009. Stafford suffered a separated shoulder with eight seconds left within the recreation after a tough deal with by Browns linebacker C.J. Mosley. The Browns known as two timeouts as Stafford lay in ache on the sphere and was checked by the group’s medical workers.
As a result of there was a penalty on the play — defensive move interference known as on Browns defensive again Hank Poteat — the Lions had an untimed down left, and Stafford insisted on staying within the recreation. Stafford then threw the game-winner to tight finish Brandon Pettigrew, and no less than a part of a legend was born.
The Lions gained, 38-37, and Stafford grew to become the primary rookie to throw 5 landing passes in a recreation since 1937, when Ray Buivid of the Chicago Bears did it.
4 rookie quarterbacks have executed it since — Jameis Winston in 2015, Deshaun Watson in 2017, Daniel Jones (no, actually) in 2019… and C.J. Stroud in 2023 towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers final Nov. 5.
As for Stafford, his respect for Stroud is totally mutual, and Stafford went proper to the tape in his head to display why. Stafford had Stroud’s preseason landing move to receiver Tank Dell towards the Pittsburgh Steelers on a dagger idea versus Pittsburgh’s Cowl-3 buzz. The Steelers introduced a two-high look pre-snap, and buzzed security DeShon Elliott down.
Stroud learn all of it like first-grade English.
“It’s likewise for me,” Stafford mentioned of Stroud. “I’m an enormous fan of watching him play. Throws the ball with ease, performs with a extremely calm aggression. His first landing to Tank Dell —letter of the legislation within the preseason this yr. That’s buzz protection proper right into a dagger window. Normally not throwing that ball, however hey, they didn’t play it in addition to they might, and he slot in there for a landing. That’s enjoying ball in an aggressive method, however sensible. I’ll let him know that I believed it was a reasonably candy play. He performs at a extremely excessive stage, particularly for a younger child. They’ve a variety of expertise round him which is a variety of enjoyable to observe, and he does an excellent job of getting these guys the ball.”
(Yet another instance of quarterbacks having recall expertise that simply aren’t regular. Sheesh).
Stroud isn’t the one younger quarterback who views Stafford as a task mannequin — Chicago Bears rookie sensation Caleb Williams wasn’t in any respect happy that Stafford ranked forty second general within the NFL’s most up-to-date High 100 gamers listing.
All of it means so much to the veteran.
“It’s humbling,” Stafford mentioned. “I bear in mind being of their footwear pondering the identical factor about Brett Favre and Peyton Manning once I received to go towards these guys at first of my profession. I’m not placing myself in that very same breath, however the older guys. It was a extremely cool expertise. I’ll always remember enjoying Brett when he was in Minnesota and I used to be in Detroit, and he got here as much as me and was like, ‘Hey man, I’m an enormous fan.’ I’m like, ‘You possibly can’t say that to me, proper? I’m the fan of you. I’ve been watching you play for without end.’ So it’s cool.
“It’s humbling that these guys are paying consideration and as huge of followers as they is perhaps of me, I want nothing however the most effective for these guys. This place is tough. It’s humbling. It’s troublesome. There are ups [and] there are downs. Guys that play this place for a very long time know you need to stick collectively and pull for one another so I’m pulling for these guys.”
You’d should go a good distance out of the realms of actuality to keep away from admiring what Matthew Stafford has executed in his NFL profession, and it’s clear that in his specific mutual admiration society, the younger quarterbacks arising within the league know simply how nice he has all the time been.
