AFC Scout on Rams' Matthew Stafford: 'Some Feel He'll Let You Down at Some Point'

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford's rough two-game stretch isn't a surprise to some people within the NFL.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, one AFC scout said there's a feeling that Stafford will "let you down at some point."

"Maybe that's true, maybe not. ... He still has the ability and the smarts and the system to [change that narrative]," the scout added. 

The marriage between Stafford and the Rams got off to a fantastic start for the first eight games. He was playing at an MVP level with 2,477 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions with a 68.9 completion percentage. 

Los Angeles was 7-1 after a 38-22 victory over the Houston Texans on Oct. 31. The offense was averaging 35 points per game at that point. 

Over the past two games, though, Stafford has 537 yards passing with two touchdowns, four interceptions and is completing 64 percent of his attempts. The Rams have been held to a total of 26 points in losses to the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers. 

This has been a hallmark of Stafford's NFL career. He often played very well during his 12 years with the Detroit Lions, but there were stretches when he could fall into bad habits. 

Prior to joining the Rams, the best season of Stafford's career was in 2011. The 33-year-old threw for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns to lead the Lions to the playoffs with a 10-6 record. He had a three-week stretch from Week 9-11 with nine interceptions. 

Monday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers came three days after Robert Woods tore his ACL during practice. That may have led to Odell Beckham Jr., who just signed with the team on Thursday, playing before he had a full grasp of the playbook.  

Los Angeles has a bye this week, which couldn't have come at a better time. It gives everyone on the team an opportunity to reset. Beckham will have more time to get acclimated to the offense and work with Stafford. 

As long as Stafford plays closer to the way he did for the first eight games, the Rams will continue to be a Super Bowl contender. 

Their first test coming out of the bye will be a huge showdown with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Nov. 28.