Stafford/Mayfield narratives

[leoram]

I'm curious how my brothers and sisters on this board process these two narratives. Obviously, as Rams fans...we all believe Stafford is the far superior QB. Nevertheless, we have all seemingly taken offense to the notion that his Lions days shouldn't be the dominant evaluation because he played for a terrible team.

Unlike Mayfield, Stafford never had the running game the Browns employ. However, doesn't that style of offense change the dynamic of a gunslinger QB? I suppose we could go back in history to find better comps...Archie Manning, Steve Bartkowski, Ken Anderson?

The point I'd like to discuss is how we differentiate apologizing for Stafford's lack of success in Detroit from Mayfield's experience in Cleveland. Could he better QB than we know?

 

[norcalramfan]

I've wondered if his coaches were holding him back, if he would have better success with a different coaching scheme.

 

[Ramer]

Jeff Fisher says that's hogwash (blue fonts)

I've wondered if his coaches were holding him back, if he would have better success with a different coaching scheme.

Jeff Fisher says that's hogwash (blue fonts)

 

[Jacobarch]

Jeff Fisher says that's hogwash (blue fonts)

Jeff Fisher says that's hogwash (blue fonts)

"Heck, we'll fix that"

 

[KA210927]

They have had very different paths. The only similarity is they both were on bad teams but what they did on those teams was not similar.

Stafford had over 4000+ passing yards in 8 out of the last 10 years before moving to LA (including a 5000+ season). Baker has never once thrown for over 3827 passing yards.

Baker is young enough to still land in a spot and have a decent career but he hasn’t flashed top 5 QB talent like Stafford has.

 

[rdlkgliders]

I am somewhat undecided about Mayfield, at times he seemed to just misread the field. Watching some all 22 he seems to miss easy throws and choose the wrong target IMO. He may be a post-draft trade candidate too.
He is a UFA next year and if he stays in Cleveland for the season his value should drop, who knows what happens but you know there will be some desperate teams.
At the end of the day, I don't see the Rams ponying up the 15-20mil for him to sit behind Stafford for a couple of seasons if that is what is being implied.

 

[simonblaze]

My analysis: Baker Mayfield is a clown and Stafford isn't

 

[Ramrocket]

^^^^^^
This

 

[leoram]

I am somewhat undecided about Mayfield, at times he seemed to just misread the field. Watching some all 22 he seems to miss easy throws and choose the wrong target IMO. He may be a post-draft trade candidate too.
He is a UFA next year and if he stays in Cleveland for the season his value should drop, who knows what happens but you know there will be some desperate teams.
At the end of the day, I don't see the Rams ponying up the 15-20mil for him to sit behind Stafford for a couple of seasons if that is what is being implied.

Absolutely not implying the Rams should have anything to do with Mayfield.

Im just wondering if we are guilty of hypocrisy by applying different standards from one QB to the other because one is a Ram and the other isn't. But I'm seeing a couple good arguments here

 

[Flint]

I can see how people would want to make the comparison, both guys played on poorly run franchises and weren’t given the support they needed. Although cleveland was supposed to contend the last year or so. There are also a lot of differences between the 2, Stafford still put up numbers when the Lions were terrible, hence the “Statt Padford” nickname, Mayfield has been mostly ok even when he had Chubb, Landry and Obj. One of the biggest differences to me doesn’t really involve football, people really seem to like Stafford and root for him to do well and Baker has always had an adversarial side to him, always had a chip on his shoulder, always hit back at critics, teammates or coaches. So when Stafford finally got his shot ex teammates and Lions fans were behind him.
Mayfield can still be successful in the right situation but I don’t think he has the kind of ceiling a Stafford has. That throw in Tampa and the one in the SB are why Stafford was brought here.

 

[CanadaRam]

One huge difference between Stafford and Mayfield is what their teammates think of them.
Do not think that Stafford ever had issues within the locker room, Mayfield does.

Don't think that Mayfield fits the We not Me.

 

[CanadaRam]

More interesting topic to me is Carr vs Stafford.

Similar to Stafford a year ago, Carr has never won a playoff game. Carr just signed another lucrative contract.
I don't see Carr at the same level as Stafford. Don't think the Rams win the SB with Carr.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

Honestly I haven't watched him enough to have an unbiased opinion. I just know that he's a troll target for social media.

 

[blackbart]

How many people give this any thought at all? Hypocrisy???

Mayfield is like 31 other starting QBs in the league who don’t play for the Rams for me. Happy to see them not doing great things.

 

[Jorgeh0605]

My brother and i came from the same parents. He sucks, i don’t.

The difference is when you listen to how players and coaches talk about these guys. Nothing but praise for the talent Stafford has.

Also, Lions didn’t bench Stafford. The situation isn’t the same. Browns moved on from Mayfield, Stafford moved on from the Lions. That should tell you alot.

 

[VARAM]

Bad team=Bad QB
Good team=Good QB

 

[Merlin]

The beauty of sports is it's up to the players to maximize their individual talents. Sure a great coach will use them best and put them in great situations, but boil it down and the rise and fall of teams is largely related to rosters of players improving and worsening in their play for a range of reasons every season. Some guys get content, some get older and shittier, some get better.

Mayfield there's people who are sitting on predictions like always who want to be right. They want to see him fail and right now should be feeling pretty good about themselves. But he's going to have something to say about that no matter how this thing goes down.

What Mayfield should do is "retire." Then try to influence the team to move him somewhere he can get to work building his game. He needs a lot of work. Only questions are where does he end up and is he willing to do the work to be great. I have no idea what his deal is, but just like with Wentz and Goff who were two previous high picks that got cast off by their teams this league isn't gonna wait forever for you. Being a QB you get special considerations to include a bigger check and more blame/credit but you gotta produce.

 

[AvengerRam]

Baker Mayfield molests…Australian shepherds?

 

[Angry Ram]

I'm curious how my brothers and sisters on this board process these two narratives. Obviously, as Rams fans...we all believe Stafford is the far superior QB. Nevertheless, we have all seemingly taken offense to the notion that his Lions days shouldn't be the dominant evaluation because he played for a terrible team.

Unlike Mayfield, Stafford never had the running game the Browns employ. However, doesn't that style of offense change the dynamic of a gunslinger QB? I suppose we could go back in history to find better comps...Archie Manning, Steve Bartkowski, Ken Anderson?

The point I'd like to discuss is how we differentiate apologizing for Stafford's lack of success in Detroit from Mayfield's experience in Cleveland. Could he better QB than we know?

Narratives.

See its odd to me that narratives are molded for each QB.

Remember when MS was traded? Lots of people, including right here on this board, said he was only a stat guy. Empty calories. I.e., Stat Padford. The narrative was he couldn't take Detroit to the playoffs, and if he did, could not win it. In Detroit, it was MS fault.

But for Jared, everything needed to be perfect. Prefect line, perfect run game, perfect WRs, perfect defense, and perfect defense. He had most of those, and even tho it was so obvious he was stagnant in development, Jared was given every pass in the book.

Narratives.

Why is it OK for Joe Burrow to dress like a fool, but when Cam Newton does it, he's the selfish, look at me, prima donna QB? They both have had the same career paths thus far.

Narratives.

It was fine for Deshaun Watson to whine and complain about not being involved in personnel, but if Baker Mayfield had an issue with the play calling, he's a douche? What?

Narratives.

Why was it OK that some players are allotted the "oh he was 21 and did a stupid thing, I did plenty of stupid things in my early 20s" but others aren't?

Narratives.

Justin Herbert is given all the praise in the world, but he has yet to make the playoffs. Why is he so heralded but with a guy like Carson Wentz, who's only fault was he got hurt in their SB year, gets taken to the woodshed?

Narratives.

I could go on and on. To my knowledge, Baker hasn't done anything off field. He's done what? Frustrated with the play calling? IIRC Todd Gurley calling his team's offense middle school was acceptable.

Commercials? Do they really bother people that much? Remember when Robert Griffin III had a shit ton of endorsements, branding, and commercials the moment he was drafted? Everyone loved him. Apparently all that was OK from him, but God forbid Baker Mayfield show up in a commercial.

The Browns were the darling team in 2020. Hell, people loved Myles Garrett smacking around Mason Rudolph in 2019.

Browns were darlings. Except Baker Mayfield. Ok then. Dude has performance issues on field for sure but that can be said for any QB.

Narratives.

 

[dieterbrock]

Baker Mayfield also was a bit of headache in college, transferred from T Tech to Oklahoma after he was benched, so he does have a bit of a history of "not getting along"
Never heard a peep of that about Staff