Why Matthew Staffords sore throwing arm makes Rams slow start even more painful
Sean McVay gave about as honest an answer as he could when someone asked about the bag of ice on Matthew Stafford’s right arm after the Rams defeated the Chargers 24-9 on Sunday. McVay acknowledged Stafford is experiencing soreness in the arm, with all signs pointing to his elbow as the trouble spot.How sore? And does Stafford feel it when he reaches back to throw a football? McVay figured the guy with the ice bag could give a better answer.“You’ll have to talk to him about that,” McVay said Monday.“He’s had some soreness there.
I think he’d be better equipped once you guys talk to him to answer that.I can’t attest to stuff that I’m not necessarily aware of.”McVay gave Rams fans no reason to panic.
He did, however, leave them with a question they’d much rather have settled after a win their team badly needed.Is that sore arm something everyone has to worry about the rest of the way?Put that bag on just about anybody else in the locker room and the conversation probably sticks to the game.Put it on the throwing arm of a 38-year-old quarterback whose team spent the early part of the season digging itself a hole and you start doing the math on how many more Sundays the Rams need that arm to get them through.Maybe Stafford will tell us it’s the price of doing business.
You play quarterback in this league long enough and there are probably things you ice on a Sunday that you forget all about by Wednesday.There’s room for that explanation.
There’s also a pretty good reason McVay left it to Stafford to offer it.The part McVay can speak to is how much flexibility the Rams have to do something about it.That’s where some of those games they let get away are starting to hurt all over again.Give the Rams a couple of those wins back and imagine the conversation if Stafford were to tell McVay the elbow could use a week.
You look at the standings, look at the schedule and at least give some thought to getting him to watch from the sidelines for ...