Sean McVay has been laying it on thick with his praise of Matthew Stafford. 

And for a good reason too.

I mean, it’s not like Stafford isn’t a talented quarterback. That’s never been in question. He has a big arm, his accuracy is respectable, and he trusts his receivers. Not to forget, Stafford is tough as nails. So when speaking to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, McVay couldn’t help but gush over his shiny new toy.

“Bro, this dude’s a bad MF-er,” McVay said.

 “Whatever people say about him, as good as it can be, he’s even better than advertised. It makes sense to him. The guy’s ability to see the game, his ability to draw on his experiences, the feeling that he has it’s pretty special and unique. And man, his feel for people, his authentic way of connecting with his teammates, his coaches, this guy, it’s great being around him.”

That’s high praise coming from the fifth-year head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. And honestly, what else was he going to say? After how he and the Rams gave Jared Goff an unceremonious boot out the door, he has no choice but to sell Stafford as the franchise’s savior. McVay might want to pump the breaks, though. Stafford looks good right now in practice. 

However, it’s only practice. 

Similar to Dan Campbell with Jared Goff, McVay’s praise stems from watching Stafford under pressure-less situations. Players across the league aren’t in full pads. Meaningful games have yet to take place.

Heck, it’s only June!

There is currently nothing at stake. And for that reason alone, take McVay’s praise with a grain of salt.

Sean McVay is in for a rude awakening. 

Detroiters know “the real” regarding Matthew Stafford. It’s a movie the Lions played on a loop for the past 12 seasons titled “High hopes and utter disappointment.”

Matthew Stafford failed to deliver in Detroit. In 12 seasons, he led the Lions to zero division titles and zero playoff wins. He’s 0-3 in the postseason and hasn’t scored a touchdown since the first quarter of his second playoff game. 

And this is the guy that McVay is going out of his way to praise? 

After witnessing Jared Goff practice the past few weeks for the Lions, I came away feeling he’s better than advertised in the same fashion McVay feels about Stafford. Goff carried the swagger of a man with something to prove. His throws were crisp, and he looked great going through his reads. On top of that, his chemistry with T.J. Hockenson is glaring. They have the potential to be a problem.  

However, unlike McVay, I (nor anyone else) touts Goff as the Lions’ savior at quarterback, even though he has the resume of one. McVay is selling Stafford like he’ll come in day one and light up the league. People in Detroit are like, “Have you watched a Matthew Stafford playoff game?”

By the time the 2021 season ends, Sean McVay could be right about Stafford. There is a chance that the former Detroit Lion is everything McVay preached, and this some. For McVay’s sake, he better pray he’s right. 

The pressure is coming soon. Over the next two seasons, Stafford can’t be anything less than the praise Sean McVay heaped on him. Otherwise, both of them could get a swift boot out of LA, similar to the one given to Jared Goff. 

On March 18th, the Rams traded Jared Goff, two first-round picks (2022 and 2023), and a 2021 third-round pick to the Lions for Matthew Stafford.

.