By Jared Smola | Updated on Fri, 25 Oct 2024, 8:33 AM EDT
Rams QB Matt Stafford accounted for all 4 of the team's TDs in Thursday night's 30-20 win over the Vikings. He got rolling early with a 5-yard score to RB Kyren Williams on the Rams' first possession of the night. Stafford's most impressive TD came in the second quarter. He spun away from one Vikings defender, ducked under another, and then fired a laser to WR Cooper Kupp in the back of the end zone from 7 yards out. Stafford connected with WR Demarcus Robinson for his third and fourth scores in the second half. He finished 25 of 34 (74%) for 279 yards (8.2 YPA), 4 TDs, and 0 INTs.
2024 Fantasy Football Impact
It's no coincidence that Stafford had his best outing of the season with WRs Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp playing the whole game for the first time this season. Stafford had just 3 total TDs over the first six games of the season, while averaging only 232 passing yards per game.
With the Rams now 3-4 and back in the mix in the NFC West, it's less likely that Kupp is traded. "I'm really glad to have Cooper Kupp back with us and I expect it to stay that way," HC Sean McVay said after Thursday night's win.
That's obviously good news for Stafford, who boasts QB1 potential whenever Kupp and Nacua are on the field. He gets a plus matchup in Week 9 against the Seahawks' 28th-ranked QB defense. The schedule gets tough on paper after that, although teams like the Dolphins and Patriots aren't as strong against the pass as their current numbers suggest.
Jared Smola,
Lead Analyst
Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.
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