The Los Angeles Rams saw their record slip under the .500 mark this weekend, and the team is scrambling to figure out solutions to the problems that have plagued their offense in recent games. Head coach Sean McVay addressed the media following the Rams’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and stood by his quarterback Matthew Stafford in his evaluation of Los Angeles’ performance.
“I think he’s doing everything he can,” McVay explained. “I think he needs more help. I think guys got to play better around him. We’ve got to be able to help him be able to give himself a chance to sit on his back foot just passed even a hitch on some things. But I love Matthew Stafford. I’ll ride with that guy to the end of time. He’s continuing to do everything in his power to try to help our team move the football, score points, and we got to be able to help him out more.”
Stafford was sacked five times in the effort, and was under constant pressure from the Cowboys’ defensive line, seeing defenders in his face nearly every time he threw the ball. He managed to eclipse the 300-yard passing mark, and found receivers Tutu Atwell and Cooper Kupp for big plays, but was largely held at bay in the matchup.
Los Angeles’ running game wasn’t doing Stafford any favors, either, as Rams running back Cam Akers was held under 40 rushing yards and failed to score on any of his 13 touches. Their defense, too, proved to be a porous mess, allowing Cowboys back Tony Pollard to run wild and average more than ten yards per carry.
Greenhorn quarterback Cooper Rush only had to complete ten passes for just over 100 yards to win Sunday’s game. With the context of the beatdown, it is no wonder that McVay found Stafford to be the least of Los Angeles’ concerns in his postgame analysis.