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THOUSAND OAKS — Tom Brady vs. Matthew Stafford is the backmost duel everyone wants to spot and nary 1 wants to speech about.
“It’s truly the teams going astatine it wherever I consciousness (excited),” Stafford said Wednesday, downplaying the upcoming idiosyncratic intrigue.
But travel on. It’s aged GOAT vs. caller Ram. Seven-time Super Bowl victor vs. the champion striving for the trophy. The backmost who turned the Buccaneers into champions successful his archetypal play successful Tampa Bay vs. the backmost trying to execute the aforesaid magic successful his archetypal twelvemonth successful L.A.
As the Rams and Buccaneers began signifier Wednesday for their crippled Sunday day astatine SoFi Stadium, they couldn’t truly fell the anticipation. For a showdown betwixt a brace of 2-0 teams. And for High Noon (OK, precocious 1:25) betwixt gunslingers Stafford and Brady.
Rams violative coordinator Kevin O’Connell said helium ever stops to ticker Brady.
“I’d beryllium lying if I said, erstwhile they’re connected TV, you’re not watching to spot however they’re going to activate each those (receiving) weapons with him moving the show,” O’Connell said.
Bucs manager Bruce Arians said helium ever watches Stafford lukewarm up earlier their teams play.
“He tin marque each propulsion from each angle,” Arians told L.A. writers connected Zoom. “He’s truthful talented, and I emotion to ticker truly talented guys.”
Yet erstwhile asked astir the existent contention betwixt the 44-year-old Brady and 33-year-old Stafford, the Rams rehearsed the aged routine: Quarterbacks don’t play one-on-one. The crippled is 11 connected 11.
That was Stafford’s enactment excessively erstwhile helium was asked astir the game’s billing arsenic a backmost matchup and however helium sees it.
“Obviously, not that way,” Stafford said. “We’re going against a large defence that’s playing astir arsenic bully arsenic immoderate defence successful the league the past year, twelvemonth and a half. It’s 2 teams that are playing bully shot close present going against each other. I’m excited astir it. Big situation for us.”
Nor would Stafford admit it if he, the archetypal wide draught prime by the Detroit Lions successful 2009, ever thinks astir what his vocation mightiness beryllium similar if he’d landed with a susceptible franchise arsenic did Brady, the 199th prime by the New England Patriots successful 2000.
“No, no, I don’t deliberation astir that benignant of stuff. I effort to beryllium arsenic contiguous arsenic I perchance can,” Stafford said. “I’ve got a ton of respect for what he’s done successful the past and, shoot, what he’s doing close now.”
What Brady and Stafford person done successful the past is hard to compare, the rosters astir them being truthful different. Brady’s teams person gone 232-69 successful the regular play and 34-11 successful the postseason with him starting, Stafford’s 76-90-1 and 0-3. Stafford has passed for somewhat much yards per game, 273.7-263.6. Brady has the borderline successful yards per pass, 7.5-7.3, and vocation passer rating, 97.4-90.3.
They – oregon their teams – person met doubly earlier erstwhile some were healthy. The grounds is 1-1: The Pats won, 34-9, successful Foxboro successful 2014 erstwhile Brady, passing for 349 yards, outperformed Stafford. The Lions won, 26-10, successful Detroit successful 2018 erstwhile Stafford, completing 12 of his archetypal 13 throws, outdid Brady.
Last season, Rams backmost Jared Goff roseate to the situation successful a 27-24 triumph implicit Brady and the Bucs successful Florida.
Chances are that again connected Sunday, the winning squad volition beryllium the 1 whose backmost has the amended afternoon.
If that’s Stafford, against a Super Bowl-caliber defense, it volition springiness him credibility successful the relation of this year’s Brady.
“We person not talked astir that,” O’Connell said of the anticipated duel, and we’re each escaped to judge it. “But conscionable knowing the types of quarterbacks who are going to beryllium astatine the crippled connected Sunday, it’s hard not to deliberation astir it similar that.”
McVAY GOES HOME SICK
Rams caput manager Sean McVay came down with a tummy bug Wednesday and went location from the team’s installation earlier signifier truthful helium wouldn’t infect anyone other connected the staff, a squad spokesperson said. McVay tested antagonistic for COVID-19.
Sounds arsenic if the Rams had a productive signifier with the coordinators moving it.
“We emotion having him around,” Stafford said of McVay. “He’s large energy, a large communicator, sets the code for us. But we’re professionals. We’ve got to spell retired determination and get our enactment done.
“Hopefully he’s feeling amended tomorrow.”
FRESH START FOR KISER
Linebacker Micah Kiser’s up-and-down vocation with the Rams ended Wednesday erstwhile helium was signed disconnected their signifier squad by the Denver Broncos.
A fifth-round draught prime successful 2018 from Virginia, Kiser mislaid the 2019 play to a torn pectoral muscle. He returned to commencement 9 games past year, won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week grant successful Week 2 and led the squad successful tackles earlier a genu wounded successful Week 11 ended his season. He was beaten retired for an wrong linebacker spot this summer.
Teams tin motion players from different teams’ signifier squads but indispensable spot them connected the 53-man progressive roster.
NOTES
Running backmost Darrell Henderson (ribs) and extracurricular linebacker Leonard Floyd (ankle) missed signifier Wednesday. The Rams expect to cognize aboriginal successful the week if Henderson tin play Sunday. An ankle occupation outgo Floyd a week of signifier successful August. … Outside linebacker Chris Garrett was activated aft 19 days connected the COVID-19 reserve list. The Rams present person cipher connected the list, which is for players who trial affirmative oregon person adjacent interaction with an infected person. … The Bucs placed wide receiver Antonio Brown connected the COVID-19 list, truthful he’s improbable to play Sunday.
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