- Another outstanding game from Matthew Stafford: The veteran quarterback earned an 85.0 overall PFF grade for his performance on Sunday, his second-best mark of the year and the fifth time he’s finished with a grade of 80.0 or higher.
- Stafford has been nearly unstoppable on deep throws: On passes traveling 20 or more yards downfield, he leads the NFL in big-time throws, ranks sixth in adjusted completion percentage and owns the third-highest PFF passing grade.
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Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams kept rolling in Week 9, securing their second straight dominant win. Stafford dissected the Saints defense at every level of the field, continuing his impressive start to the season.
The veteran quarterback earned an 85.0 overall PFF grade for his performance on Sunday, his second-best mark of the year and the fifth time he’s finished with a grade of 80.0 or higher.
At 37 years old, Matthew Stafford is playing some of the best football of his career. His 91.7 overall PFF grade ranks second among all quarterbacks this season, and he’s currently on pace for the highest mark of his illustrious career.
Let’s dive into the film and examine how Stafford and the Rams dominated through the air against the Saints defense.
Right now, defenses don’t seem to have an answer for Stafford. To limit explosive plays, most teams have turned to zone coverage — but that’s been no solution. Stafford owns an 87.8 PFF passing grade against zone, tied for the fourth-highest mark in the NFL.
Beautiful Cover-2 hole shot from the far hash that Stafford makes look easy pic.twitter.com/LMExGjDr2U
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) November 3, 2025
On the Rams’ opening drive, Los Angeles came out attacking through the air, and the Saints attempted to limit explosive plays by employing zone coverage. Stafford still made them pay.
The Rams dialed up a bench concept to the far side of the field — a design specifically meant to attack Cover 2, which is exactly what New Orleans was playing.
Stafford immediately identified the coverage and worked his eyes to the concept side. After confirming that the flat defender wasn’t getting enough depth, he fired a hole shot into the window between the corner and safety. It’s a throw that looks routine for Stafford but is anything but — few quarterbacks are even willing to attempt that far-hash hole shot against Cover 2, yet his elite arm strength makes it look effortless.
The Saints’ zone coverage didn’t hold up, and switching to man coverage presents its own problems. When defenses play man against the Rams, Stafford has shown no hesitation in feeding his top targets — Puka Nacua and Davante Adams — as reflected in his 91.0 PFF passing grade versus man coverage, one of the best marks in the league.
Stafford and Puka are just unfair together pic.twitter.com/VMuTHwBNbU
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) November 3, 2025
When the Saints shifted to man coverage, Stafford and Puka Nacua made them pay immediately. Nacua ran a simple out-and-up, using his speed to blow past the cornerback — and there was never a doubt that Stafford would find him. The veteran quarterback dropped a perfectly placed deep ball in stride for a touchdown.
Stafford has been nearly unstoppable on deep throws all season. On passes traveling 20 or more yards downfield, he leads the NFL in big-time throws, ranks sixth in adjusted completion percentage and owns the third-highest PFF passing grade.
On a pivotal third-and-long, the Saints dropped back into zone coverage — and Matthew Stafford responded with one of the best throws of the season. The play would have been impressive enough if he were looking directly at his receiver, but the no-look element made it special.
Matthew Stafford is such a sicko for this no-look throw pic.twitter.com/8cQ437k76r
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) November 3, 2025
Stafford seems to deliver one of these no-look gems every week, but this might have been his best yet. After recognizing the Saints’ Cover 2 shell, Stafford knew his only real option for a first down was to hit Davante Adams on a dig route. To make that happen, he needed to move the hook defender out of the throwing lane. The checkdown route drew some attention, but the defender wasn’t going to bite unless Stafford sold it.
So, Stafford did exactly that — staring down the checkdown before whipping a no-look laser into Adams on the dig. The eye manipulation froze the linebacker just long enough for Stafford to thread a perfect ball into a tight window and convert a massive first down.
The bottom line
There were plenty of questions about Stafford’s health entering the season, but he’s answered all of them with his play. At 37, he’s performing at an MVP-caliber level, and if he keeps this up, the Rams will remain one of the most dangerous teams in the NFC.
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