The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super 56 23-20, coming from behind in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. It was a feel-good ending for quarterback Matthew Stafford, whom the Rams acquired in the offseason from the Detroit Lions hoping he would help push them to the next level that Jared Goff couldn’t.
It was mission accomplished, as Stafford played a solid game to get the win. He completed 26-of-40 pass attempts for 283 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. One of the interceptions was a desperation heave to the end zone with Van Jefferson as the nearest target. The other one hit his receiver, Ben Skowronek, in his hands and a defender intercepted it off the drop.
All in all, it was a great night as Stafford and the Rams came away as champions. Many people were pulling for Stafford after spending the first 12 seasons of his career with the Detroit Lions, making the postseason only three times.
Many people believe Stafford is on the path to the Hall of Fame now that he has secured a Super Bowl victory with the Rams. If he can remain healthy and continue producing at this clip, he will finish his career in the top-10 of numerous statistical categories.
That sounds like a Hall of Fame resume, but not everyone believes he is worthy of a gold jacket. One person opposed to the idea of Stafford being a Hall of Famer is Richard Sherman. Sherman slammed Stafford, picking apart his career and doesn’t believe he is worthy of a spot in Canton.
While Sherman makes some valid points, such as Stafford only making one Pro Bowl, no All-Pro teams or MVP consideration, a lot of those accolades have team success baked into them. Playing for as downtrodden a franchise as the Lions are will hurt how some players are perceived.
In his first season with upgraded talent around him, Stafford won a Super Bowl ring. There is nothing higher to achieve in the NFL than that, as Stafford took advantage of the opportunity presented to him.
Stafford’s career also isn’t over. He looks like he has plenty of juice left with the Rams and if he goes on to win a second or third Super Bowl, the argument is a moot point. Judging a player’s Hall of Fame credentials before his career is over makes little sense, but it is hard to argue against Stafford being on a Hall of Fame path.
