WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was without his top target heading into Monday Night Football against the Giants. Wide receiver Puka Nacua (hip) was inactive as Los Angeles was looking overcome an unproductive Week 1 through the air.
Despite his absence, Stafford still finished the game with 327 yards passing with four touchdowns. Much of that output comes as a result of the trust in the players he's throwing the ball to, no matter who's on the receiving end of his pass.
"Obviously, I have a ton of respect for Puka as a player, he's an unbelievable player and has been ever since he stepped foot in this league, love having him out there when he's out there. But when he's not, it's next man up," Stafford said on Wednesday. "Certain things that he does at a high level that maybe move down the list a little bit on things that we might run. But once the play's called and things that we do, I trust all those guys to go out there and execute at a high level."
Although wide receiver Davante Adams led the charge with 195 yards and two touchdowns, there were eight total players that connected with Stafford on Monday night. Rather than relying entirely on one player, Stafford spread the wealth throughout the offense.
"That's the best thing, whether he's in or not, I think that's important," head coach Sean McVay said postgame on Monday, when asked about spreading the wealth in the pass game. "We got a bunch of guys that we have a lot of confidence in."
The variety of players — a mixture of wide receivers, tight ends and running backs — that recorded a reception proves both the versatility of the Rams offense and the versatility of the individual players on the roster to impact the game in whatever facet is needed.
"It was a really good day, and I think Matthew read what the coverages dictated and got the ball where it was supposed to go," McVay said "... We're at our best when everybody gets involved. I think that's what good teams do."
Continuing on the Rams' top usage of 13-personnel from last season, multiple tight ends became involved as both blockers and receivers on Monday night. Tight end Terrance Ferguson led the position group with 54 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, while Colby Parkinson added two receptions for 15 yards and Davis Allen had one reception for 7 yards.
Running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum also recorded three combined receptions with Williams finding the endzone on a 10-yard route that started in the backfield with a chip block. Adams became Stafford's most reliable target with Nacua out while wide receivers Tutu Atwell and Konata Mumpfield also got involved with a reception apiece.
"It's just all hands on deck, everybody understanding you just gotta step in the room," Mumpfield said about the wide receiver room's response to Nacua being out with injury. "Obviously he's a big a part of our offense, so just had to tap into the little details."
From a defensive standpoint, Stafford also recognizes the challenge it can bring to have to defend every player as if they could make a play on the ball. So even with Nacua out, to distribute the ball to as many different places as possible is always the goal, as Stafford assumes is the case throughout the NFL.
"You probably ask most teams, when they're at their best, everybody's touching the football," Stafford said on Wednesday. "If you're looking at from a defensive standpoint, you feel like you have to defend everybody. ... We are at our best when everybody's touching the rock."
Whether or not Nacua is on the field for Sunday Night Football against the Broncos remains to be seen, but Stafford and the McVay-led offense have immense trust in players all over the field to step up — and emphasizes that they're at their best when as many of those players are involved as possible.
