Nine years ago the Denver Broncos added Peyton Manning to their roster and he turned a little above average Denver team into a two time Super Bowl participant and Super Bowl winner in his four seasons in the Mile High City.
Last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added Tom Brady to their squad and he transformed a losing team into a Super Bowl champion in his fist season in Florida.
This year, the Los Angeles Rams added Matthew Stafford to their squad and they are hoping he is the final piece in their first ever Super Bowl win in Los Angeles. There is a difference between Manning, Brady and Stafford. Manning and Brady brought a winning pedigree to their new teams, while Stafford has languished on a Detroit squad that only twice has cracked the playoff field in his 12 pro seasons and never won a postseason game.
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay didn’t give us a peak during the preseason on how Stafford will blend with the talented Los Angeles offense. But, their assumption in Los Angeles is that if Stafford can take a bad Detroit team twice to the playoffs, he can win it all with the talented Rams roster.
We’ll see.
The Rams quest to become the second straight team to play the Super Bowl on their home field begins tonight when they host the Chicago Bears. Chicago is at a make-or-break season for head coach Matt Nagy, who guided Chicago to the playoffs in his first season but has had dwindling returns since.
The Bears also have a quarterback situation that is new to them. One time first round draft choice Mitchell Trubisky, who will always be remembered as the player the Bears chose in the draft before the Kansas CIty Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes, has moved on to the Buffalo Bills. In his place, Chicago will start veteran Andy Dalton, although first round draft selection this year, Justin Fields, is a likely replacement sometime this season.
A pair of quarterbacks with their new team are featured on this Sunday Night Football opener.
Nagy needs to do well to keep his job, and McVay expects this is the year his Rams are ready to win it all.
Heading into this opener, the Rams appear a little overpriced on the point spread. If they win and cover the spread tonight it is an early indicator that the Rams could be special.
We’ll learn a lot by tonight’s result.
Are the Rams for real and a threat to win it all at SoFi Stadium next February?
Are the Bears going to respond for a coach looking to keep his job?
I’ll watch this one without a vested interest.