Getty Image / Matthew Stafford
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has seen it all. He’s played in 230 NFL games in his career and been apart of nearly every scenario imaginable.
That experience paid dividends on Monday night in the Rams’ NFC Wild Card Round playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. Matthew Stafford showed off a genius quarterback IQ play to avoid a sack.
Here’s the play. Take a look.
INCOMPLETE PASS OR TOUCHDOWN⁉️
Rams QB Matthew Stafford was hit as he threw by Blake Cashman who then returned it for a touchdown.
The play was further reviewed and overturned to an incomplete pass.
— Last Take™ (@TheRealLastTake) January 14, 2025
Stafford was about to be sacked for a big loss in the 2nd quarter, and on the field, it was called a fumble. Blake Cashman picked it up and ran it in for a touchdown that would’ve tied the game up at 10. Instead, Stafford deftly flipped the ball forward for an incomplete pass. While many wanted intentional grounding, the officials ruled that Puka Nacua was in the area.
Many on social media thought it was a brilliant play.
Genius play by Stafford
— UPenn ‘28 (@UPennSportsLvr) January 14, 2025
Absolutely brilliant manipulation of the rules there by Stafford. Can’t believe it hasn’t happened before.
— Adam Drovetta (@ADrovetta) January 14, 2025
Others thought that it should’ve been ruled intentional grounding and was against the spirit of the game.
Intentional grounding rules need to be changed somehow, that’s so obviously not meant to be a pass to anyone
— Gary Treeman (@PurpyNFL) January 14, 2025
Should probably be a component of intentional grounding that involves "the quarterback cannot see where he is throwing the ball or who he might be throwing the ball to"
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) January 14, 2025
Bottom line, this was a brilliant play by Matthew Stafford.