Rams QB Matthew Stafford's interceptions seem overblown

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with five interceptions, but suggestions that he is in decline seem overblown. 

“You want to have those at a minimum, but I also want to make sure that it’s a fine line between not allowing him to compete at a high level," Rams coach Sean McVay said Wednesday about interceptions, per Yahoo! Sports. "[W]e want to be smart but aggressive.”

It's a small sample size, but Stafford still seems to make smart passing decisions. His completion percentage ranks fourth best in the NFL among players with at least 25 pass attempts (72.7 percent). 

In Week 2, the 34-year-old led the Rams (1-1) to a 31-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, completing 27-of-36 passes for 272 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. His passer rating was 100.7, one of 13 quarterbacks to break 100 in Week 2.

In 2021, Stafford led all quarterbacks in picks (17). However, he threw 601 passes and had an interception percentage of 2.8 percent, which is not inordinately high. For comparison, the interception percentage for Buffalo's Josh Allen in 2021 was 2.3. Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes was 2 and Tampa Bay's Tom Brady was 1.7.

In Week 1 against the Bills -- ranked No. 1 in ESPN's power rankings -- Stafford was intercepted three times, but Buffalo clearly has one of the league's top defenses. In Week 2, the Bills dominated the Titans and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, limiting him to 123 yards passing and recording two interceptions.

Better days will come for Stafford, who gets an easy Week 3 matchup Sunday against the Cardinals (1-1). Arizona has allowed the second-most passing yards this season (604) and has zero interceptions.