EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Matthew Stafford has played Aaron Rodgers too many times over the years to wax poetic about any single showdown.
The results have also been decidedly one-sided, with Rodgers having won 13 of their 17 meetings, all while he was a member of the Green Bay Packers.
But this one is a bit different — the teams have changed, and so have the cities and circumstances.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) reacts after catching a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Stafford, the longtime Detroit Lions quarterback now in his fourth year with the Rams, will face Rodgers, in his second season with the New York Jets, on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“It’s always a good battle,” Stafford said. “A ton of respect for him. (A) great player in this league, an all-time great, has unbelievable talent and has accomplished a bunch. It’s always a challenge going against him.”
The last time they squared off, Rodgers’ Packers topped Stafford and the Rams 36-28 at Lambeau Field. Rodgers won the last of his four NFL MVP awards that season, while Stafford led Los Angeles to its second Super Bowl victory in his first season with the franchise.
This time around, Stafford is looking to lead the Rams (8-6) to their fourth straight victory and help them maintain their lead atop the NFC West standings. Meanwhile, Rodgers and the Jets (4-10) are playing out the string in what has been a dismal season.
“It’s two greats and two guys that I look at as Hall of Famers,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.
Stafford has been a major reason for the Rams’ late-season surge. He hasn’t turned the ball over in Los Angeles’ past five games, his longest streak in 16 years as an NFL quarterback. The 36-year-old Stafford is also among the league leaders with 3,463 yards passing.
“Matt’s one of my all-time favorite competitors to go against,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “Just a lot of fun battles over the years, just a lot of respect for him. He plays the game the way I totally respect.
“He’s as tough as they come. He’s savvy, he’s smart, he’s gritty, he’s competitive.”
The 41-year-old Rodgers struggled with leg injuries early in the season after being limited to four snaps last season because of a torn Achilles tendon. But he also has come on lately, throwing for 628 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in his last two games. Rodgers is also two touchdown passes from 500 for his career.
“He’s a hell of a player and does a great job,” Stafford said. “He’s still doing a really good job for them. He played fantastic in the last couple of weeks. He looks to be healthy, moving around and doing his thing.”
Frozen tundra
The Rams are coming to New Jersey to face the Jets in much colder weather than they’re used to in Southern California.
Forecasts are calling for temperatures to be around 25 degrees Fahrenheit (but sunny) at kickoff Sunday — with the wind chill making it feel even colder as the game goes along.
“You have any ideas? Maybe we can get a cold machine out here, go get some cold plunge or something like that,” McVay said of preparing for the cold. “I think when the guys get out there, obviously the ball handling is a little bit different just based on the temperature, but they do a great job of being able to stay warm in between series and then when you’re out there, usually, it takes care of itself.
“They have to play in it, too, and we’ll handle it the best we can.”
Dazzling Davante
Stafford might’ve had a little déjà vu when he watched highlights from the Jets’ win at Jacksonville last Sunday.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) scrambles away from Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker (44) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Davante Adams had a breakout game that was capped by one of the best performances in NFL history.
The star wide receiver caught nine passes from Rodgers for 198 yards and two touchdowns, but had 135 of those yards in the final four minutes of the game — the most by any player in that span in a game this century, according to ESPN Research.
“Definitely felt very, very similar to the way we used to get it rolling,” Adams said, referring to his eight seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay.
Big Rig Hig
Tyler Higbee is the most productive tight end in Rams franchise history, and he plans to play the first game of his ninth NFL season against the Jets.
Higbee badly injured his knee in last January’s playoff game at Detroit, and it kept him out of competition for 343 days. While he has never made a Pro Bowl, Higbee has been a leader and a dependable target for Jared Goff and Stafford throughout his career.
Applying pressure
The Rams’ talented young defensive front will be ready to harass Rodgers after LA ended a two-game sack drought last Thursday by dropping San Francisco’s Brock Purdy three times.
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Edge rusher Jared Verse could use a big finish to the regular season to burnish his credentials as the presumed front-runner for the NFL defensive rookie of the year award, while nose tackle Kobie Turner sacked Purdy twice in his latest outstanding game.
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AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham contributed to this report.
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AP NFL:
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/nfl/2024/12/19/rams-matthew-stafford-and-jets-aaron-rodgers-square-off-in-a-showdown-of-familiar-foes
