Matthew Stafford was named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his 17-year career last Saturday, right before he’d play a road playoff game against what he called arguably the best secondary the Rams have faced all season, with Mike Jackson and Pro Bowler Jaycee Horn on the outside.
He turned in a vintage Stafford performance. That is to say, he was dialed in during the script, starting 8-of-8 as he peppered the ball to Puka Nacua. Then he had a stretch in the middle quarters in which he completed just 2-of-12 passes. It coincided with a play where he smacked his throwing hand on the helmet of a pass rusher.
He threw an interception on an underthrown ball, and he nearly threw another that Nacua had to break up in the end zone.
But he turned it up in the fourth quarter, leading two touchdown drives with his team trailing. He capped the first with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Williams after converting on fourth down with a QB sneak. Then he drove the Rams down in the final minutes with sharp passes to Nacua and Davante Adams before hitting Colby Parkinson on a 19-yard touchdown pass in which the tight end skied the ball and spun into the end zone with 38 seconds to play.
This was the 42nd fourth-quarter comeback and 54th game-winning drive of Stafford’s career.
He was productive, composed and clutch despite some mistakes, which is what Stafford has always been.