As good as Matthew Stafford has been for the L.A. Rams since they traded for him in 2021, the quarterback has a losing record with the team in primetime. The Rams are 8-9 in primetime in the regular season
with Stafford under center, which ironically isn’t as good of a winning percentage as the quarterback L.A. faces tonight, Baker Mayfield, who went 1-1 in primetime in place of Stafford in 2022.
Stafford needs to help the Rams beat the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football to get back to .500 in primetime since 2021, which in the process will help L.A. maintain a one-game lead in the NFC West as the playoffs approach around the corner. For a player in the driver’s seat for MVP, a primetime win on Sunday would also erase the only other time we’ve seen the Rams in a night game this season, a 26-23 loss to the 49ers, as national voters continue to debate who deserves that honor.
Stafford’s primetime record by season
2021: 4-2
Stafford won his first two primetime games, Week 1 SNF against the Bears and Week 5 TNF against the Seahawks. But then the Rams lost the next two times they were the late game (Week 9 vs Titans, Week 10 vs 49ers) prior to beating the Cardinals 30-23 on Monday Night Football in Week 14.
Stafford had two interceptions in both of L.A.’s primetime losses, compared to 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the Rams’ 4 primetime wins.
Technically, the Rams had one more late game that season and it was a strange one: The Rams were forced to play the Seahawks on a Tuesday evening (4 PM PT) due to Covid-19. They won that one too, 20-10.
The Rams also had a primetime playoff game, beating the Cardinals 34-11 in the wild card round.
2022: 0-2
Just an all around disaster season for the Rams, Stafford’s team lost 31-10 to the Bills in Week 1’s Thursday Night game and then lost 24-9 to the 49ers in Week 4’s MNF.
Stafford had 3 interceptions in the loss to Buffalo and no touchdowns, one interception in the loss to San Francisco.
Stafford missed L.A.’s next two primetime games in 2022.
2023: 1-1
The Rams were not a very popular draw for the NFL after the 2022 season so they only got two primetime games. The Rams lost to the Bengals 19-16 on MNF and beat the Saints late in the year on TNF, 30-22.
Stafford had 2 interceptions in the loss to the Saints but 2 touchdowns in the win over New Orleans.
The Rams played a primetime wild card game and lost to the Lions.
2024: 3-3
A popular team again, the Rams had six more primetime games last year.
Wins:
- 30-20 over Vikings (4 TDs by Stafford)
- 12-6 over the 49ers (0 TD/0 INT)
- 13-9 over the Cardinals (0 TD/0 INT)
Losses:
- 26-20 OT to Lions (1 TD/1 INT)
- 23-15 to Dolphins (0 TD/1 INT)
- 37-20 to Eagles (2 TD/0 INT)
Aside from the loss to the Eagles, Stafford has thrown an interception in all of these primetime losses. He’ll need to avoid mistakes — as he’s been doing all year with a 27/2 ratio — against the Buccaneers on Sunday night.
Then in 2025, the Rams lost to the 49ers on TNF but Stafford had 3 TD/0 INT. He avoided turnovers but the Rams still didn’t do enough to beat Mac Jones and Stafford’s primetime record fell to 8-9 with the Rams.
One more primetime win this week and the Rams will continue to look ready for the bright lights headed into the home stretch.
