Matthew Stafford's third touchdown pass of Monday night moved him into a tie for sixth place on the NFL's all-time passing touchdowns list, and it staked the Rams to a 14-0 lead over the Giants, per ProFootballTalk.
The record book has one small argument to settle. PFT reported the tie for sixth. AOL's account of the night said the touchdown pushed Stafford past Philip Rivers for sole ownership of the spot. Both versions agree on the substance: only five men in league history have thrown more touchdown passes than the Rams' quarterback. That's the neighborhood now.
Where the Giants' night went is right there in the box score. Jameis Winston finished 11-of-27 for 111 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, a 37.7 passer rating. Malik Nabers, the receiver this offense is built around, caught one ball for one yard on four targets. Cam Skattebo needed 12 carries to get 36 yards. When the opposing quarterback is completing 41 percent of his throws and the No. 1 receiver has a single yard, a 14-0 deficit is less a lead than a verdict. Los Angeles closed it out 28-6, and Aaron Donald had three tackles in his return to an NFL field.
Stafford's climb is the story of the modern passing era compressed into one career. He arrived as a No. 1 overall pick in 2009, spent a dozen years in Detroit on teams that couldn't protect him or surround him, then got traded to Los Angeles in 2021 and found out what a functioning roster looks like. The counting stats that once looked like a ceiling turned into a runway.
Here's the part worth arguing about. Stafford is 38, and the names ahead of him belong to Brady, Brees, Manning, Rodgers and one more. He is not catching the top four. What he can do is stop sharing sixth. If the Rams' offense looks anything like it did Monday night, he should finish this season holding that spot alone, and the gap to fifth is close enough to be a real 2027 conversation. That's my call, and I'll wear it.
