Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had one of the worst performances of any passer in the NFL's opening week, as the San Francisco 49ers stifled his efforts, leaving him little room or time to throw. Stafford was one part of an overall offensive issue that head coach Sean McVay has vowed to fix. However, in a league that changes its narrative weekly, Stafford's national acclaim dipped as his contemporaries put on a display.
In CBS Sports' NFL quarterback power rankings, Stafford dropped four spots from No. 1 to fifth place. Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen all eclipsed the reigning MVP.
The 2025 NFL MVP, along with the rest of the Los Angeles Rams, rode the struggle bus in their 27-7 defeat Down Under against
the San Francisco 49ers. It looked like the entire Rams roster was sleepwalking after arriving in Australia shortly before kickoff against a San Francisco team well acclimated to the Southern Hemisphere. He threw for 155 yards and an interception on 15-of-25 passing, which snapped his streak of 17 consecutive games with a passing touchdown. There's much to clean up in Week 2.
The Rams entered the red zone multiple times in the opener, opting for a rushing attack over their usual passing strategy. Davante Adams, Stafford's No. 1 target in the red zone, did not factor into the Rams' strategy, leading to the end of his 17-game touchdown pass streak.
The Rams will have their home opener this Monday against the New York Giants. Stafford has thrown a touchdown in every home game since Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Matthew Stafford drops in QB power rankings after poor Week 1 outing
