Matthew Stafford Gets Strong Words From Davante Adams After Rams Win

Matthew Stafford delivered another strong performance in his MVP-caliber season, guiding the Los Angeles Rams to their ninth win of the season in a 34-7 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stafford completed 25 of 35 (71.4%) passes for 273 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions in Week 12, giving him a 2,830-30-2 line on 66.5% completion.

He also received strong praise after the contest.

Davante Adams Sends Strong Message About Matthew Stafford

Stafford drew telling comments from Rams teammate and wide receiver 

“Caught Davante Adams before he headed out and asked him his reaction to the ‘MVP’ chants for Matthew Stafford tonight. He lit up: ‘Hey, they’re just calling a spade a spade.’” 

“Says Stafford – still the usual killer – is also playing with a joy they all feel and return.”

Adams caught five passes for 62 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving him a three-score lead over 

“He’s done a hell of a job when he’s been matched up one-on-one with guys, winning all sorts of routes,” 

Adams cited the week of preparation following a disappointing outing in Week 11.

It was against the Seattle Seahawks. He scored a TD but caught one of his eight targets for 1 yard. Adams and Stafford’s connection continues to pay off for themselves and the Rams.

Sean McVay Praises Matthew Stafford-Davante Adams Connection

Rams head coach Sean McVay

“These are two great players that are just accumulating experience in the midst of this season, and they’ve got such great football acumen. And then, they’ve got the rare ability to be able to – it’s one thing to understand and to talk about it. But then, they have the ability to be able to bring it to life. And so, it’s been special,” 

“They’ve been awesome. And really, I think Matthew’s been awesome with all of his skilled players. But especially Davante has been cool. I think he’s making great decisions, I think he’s got great rapport with his skilled players, I think he’s seeing the field really well, and I think he’s understanding where are those times and places [to take chances].”

McVay said Stafford has been “incredibly smart but aggressive,” and is like a “fine wine” because he is “getting better with age” and is in “total command.”

McVay joked, “I think he’s going to play for about 10 more years now. So, that’s – but no. He’s doing great. I just think that he’s in command, I think he’s got a lot of trust in his teammates, I think there’s just a good rapport, and we want to keep stacking them.”

McVay said he is “really happy for Stafford” and that the Rams will look to keep it going.

Could Dolphins Move On from Tyreek Hill?

After their bye week, it seems as if the 

Miami Dolphins have found a new offensive identity. Most importantly, an offensive identity that could mean the moving on of one of their star wideouts.

After a season-ending injury, Tyreek Hill’s status for 2026 and beyond certainly looks bleak. This all circles back to offseason discussions surrounding Tyreek Hill and a potential Miami exit. His future with the Dolphins has grown ever more uncertain over the past couple of weeks as the Dolphins have thrived in their life without him. One must also consider the cost of keeping Hill financials wise as well. 

If Miami designate him as a post-June 1st release, they would be able to save 36 millions dollars of cap space and only eat 15.6 million worth of dead money

. Still, going back to the offensive shift, no matter what the Dolphins look like next year, they could already be preparing for life without him.

Emergence of a New Ground-and-Pound Identity

Consider the stats for the Dolphins in their past couple of games offensively. After losing Hill in Week 4, the Dolphins proceeded to lose three of their next four. During that skid though, they seemed to tap into a new offensive identity. In the first four games of the season, the Dolphins just has 292 rushing yards. In their three game losing streak sans Hill, they rushed for 255 yards, and since his injury, have rushed for over 100 yards four times. Without Hill as a decoy, the run game has successfully set up the passing game. The addition of a 6th O-lineman, it truly has opened up new avenues for the Fins to explore.

A Future Without Hill Becomes More Realistic

GettyHill could be moved after a shift in the Dolphins’ offensive game plans

Furthermore, in their last three games, two of which were wins, the Dolphins rushed the ball 83 times, including a season high 32 times in their upset win over the 

Bills. It is clear that despite the fact the team could have a wholly different look by next year, the success of the team this year and maybe beyond stems from the run game.

Still, Hill himself has said nothing is off the table, including retirement, after such a significant injury. “I’m at the point now where I need to have a conversation with mom, family, everybody. Wherever my mind is at the time, the decision will be made, but I know right now, I haven’t had time to live in the moment,” 

Hill said after his injury. It seems as if the decision will come when fully healthy, but the Dolphins could also have a say in his future should they hold out on him until June. For now, he remains a huge risk as a potential trade candidate and teams will most certainly want to see him look good on a field before taking any action. Still, what with a shift in the offensive mindset of the team, no one can truly say that Tyreek Hill will remain in Miami for much longer. Especially after such a gruesome injury.

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