Los Angeles Rams

Can Matthew Stafford and the Rams live up to the preseason hype?

Updated Sep. 7, 2021 7:05 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Rams have quite a bit of buzz around them heading into the 2021 NFL season.

After finishing 10-6 a season ago and losing to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round, Rams general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay pushed all their chips to the middle of a table and made a big play on offense.

On Jan. 31, the Rams agreed to acquire quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions in exchange for Jared Goff, two future first-round picks and a 2021 third-round pick.

The trade become official March 18, when the league's "new year" began.

In 12 seasons in Detroit, Stafford shattered the franchise's all-time passing records, throwing for 45,109 yards and 282 touchdowns. The No. 1 overall pick by the Lions in 2009, Stafford compiled a 74-90-1 record in 165 starts for Detroit.

The 33-year-old Stafford ranks 16th in NFL history in passing yards and TDs, and among active players, he's fifth in those categories, behind Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan.

On the opposite side of the ball, the Rams return a largely intact defense that ranked No. 1 in points (296), yards (4,511) and passing touchdowns allowed (17) a season ago.

They re-signed edge-rusher Leonard Floyd to a four-year deal and kept Darious Williams in-house at cornerback opposite one of, if not the best corners in the league in Jalen Ramsey.

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Under McVay, the Rams have put up a 43-21 regular-season record and made the playoffs in three of four seasons, including an appearance in Super Bowl LIII in 2018.

It hasn't been all rosy for the Rams this offseason, though. Their first-round pick in 2020, running back Cam Akers, was expected to be the starter after leading the team with 625 rushing yards in 13 regular-season games last year.

His 2021 season ended before it began, however, as the 22-year-old RB suffered a torn Achilles tendon and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.

Nevertheless, hopes for the Rams are sky-high this season.

Look no further than NBC Sports' Peter King, who predicted not only a Super Bowl win for the Rams but also an MVP award for Stafford, with the potential for him to be the first QB to eclipse 6,000 passing yards in a season ⁠— albeit with 17 regular-season games.

Should those expectations be tempered? Nick Wright of "First Things First" said he understands the hype around Los Angeles, but he suggested pumping the brakes a bit.

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Chris Broussard also said he thinks expectations for Stafford & Co. might be too lofty, especially in terms of going deep in the postseason.

Stafford made the playoffs three times with the Lions but went 0-3 in those appearances. In Broussard's eyes, that could spell trouble.

"This is a guy that has made one Pro Bowl," Broussard said. "This is a guy who, in 12 years in the league, has never won a playoff game. … The talent is there. But is he ready in Year 1 with all this pressure … to take this team to the Super Bowl when he's never tasted victory in the postseason? I think not."

On "The Herd," Colin Cowherd took a deep dive into how oddsmakers reacted to the Stafford-for-Goff swap.

"Here's what Vegas thinks about Matt Stafford," Cowherd said. "… So last year, Matt Stafford won five games in Detroit, and then he leaves and goes to L.A. and that terrible Jared Goff goes to Detroit. You know what Vegas has the Lions over/under at this morning? Five [wins].

"… The Rams won 10 games last year with terrible Jared Goff … Stafford's in, the over/under total in Vegas on the Rams is 10.5 [wins]. … So let's take him out of the transformative category."

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Colin Cowherd isn't buying Matt Stafford as the savior for the Rams I THE HERD

Colin Cowherd breaks down the hype around Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.

The NFC West widely is considered the toughest division in the league this year, with four playoff-capable teams in the Rams, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals.

Los Angeles hopes Stafford will be the one to elevate the Rams above the rest of those divisional foes.

Whether that's to a wild-card berth, a division title or beyond remains to be seen.

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