Key Points:
- Matthew Stafford threw four touchdowns to lead the Rams past the 49ers and improve to 7-2.
- Stafford became the ninth player in NFL history to record 400 career passing touchdowns.
- The veteran quarterback also reached a .500 career record for the first time after 231 starts.
For the second time this NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams and their NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers, faced off on Sunday, this time at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Unlike the first meeting that saw the 49ers win in overtime in Los Angeles, Sunday’s matchup saw the Rams take control early and never relinquish it. Los Angeles went up 21-0 early in the second quarter, and while the 49ers were able to get it within one score a couple of different times throughout the game, the Rams ran away with it in the fourth quarter. The Rams ended up winning 42-26, as quarterback Matthew Stafford put together a masterclass showing.
Stafford, 37, finished the game having completed 24-of-36 (66.6%) of his passes, while throwing for 280 yards and four touchdowns to no interceptions. Stafford has been on an otherworldly run as of late, as he has thrown for four or more touchdowns in his last three games, compiling a 13:0 touchdown to interception ratio.
Matthew Stafford makes history in Rams’ win over the 49ers
In addition to securing the win to push the Rams to 7-2 on the season, which is tied for the second-best record in the NFL, Stafford also made a bit of personal history with the win. As revealed by ESPN Insights, Stafford now has a career record of 115-115-1 as a starter, meaning it took him a record-long 231 games to reach the .500 mark.
“Matthew Stafford just reached a .500 career win percentage for the first time 😮,” ESPN wrote. “At 231 starts, that’s the most starts by a QB before reaching .500 since starts were first tracked in 1950.”
While Stafford has found nothing but success since being traded to the Rams in 2021, his first 12 years in the NFL were spent with the Detroit Lions, who were nowhere near as good as they are these days. After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Stafford compiled a 74-90-1 record with the Lions.
With the Rams, Stafford is 41-25 as a starter, leading the team to a Super Bowl title in the 2021 season.
When speaking to the media after the game about the win and becoming the ninth player in NFL history to record 400 career passing touchdowns, Stafford spoke on how special of a moment it was.
“It’s awesome. It’s super cool,” Stafford said via ESPN. “I’m just such a huge fan of the NFL. I have so much respect for the guys that came before me and played before me and what this league means. To be able to reach milestones like that, there’s a ton of people involved.”
Stafford and the Rams will return home for their next game, as they’ll host the Seattle Seahawks (7-2) in a clash between the NFC West’s top two teams. The game is set to kick off at 4:05 p.m. ET and will air on Fox.