Matthew Stafford looked like anything but the NFL MVP frontrunner during the first half of Monday’s game.
Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams went up against the Atlanta Falcons on this week’s edition of “Monday Night Football.” But the veteran quarterback Stafford very much had a first half to forget at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.
In the second quarter, Stafford was attempting to connect with receiver Konata Mumpfield on a 3rd-and-3 play but overthrew him and found the waiting arms of Falcons safety Jessie Bates III instead. Bates then took it all the way to the end zone for a 34-yard pick six.
JESSIE BATES III BACK THE OTHER WAY 💨
— ESPN (@espn) December 30, 2025
Falcons lead 14-0 over the Rams on ESPN and the ESPN App pic.twitter.com/SQeaJrmM2A
That was not all from Stafford though as he also got picked off on the opening play of a Rams drive later on in the second quarter. Stafford floated in a deep ball for receiver Xavier Smith and got it intercepted instead by Falcons safety Xavier Watts.
Another @AtlantaFalcons INT!
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025
This time Xavier Watts takes it away.
LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/LzHgpq98QU
The wretched first half by Stafford helped the Falcons take a surprise 21-0 lead over the Rams into halftime. Stafford was also promptly brutalized with memes over social media (with most of the jokes centering on how Stafford had seemingly thrown away his MVP case).
Matthew Stafford with a chance to lock up MVP pic.twitter.com/KzPvWZcpF6
— GhettoGronk (@GhettoGronk) December 30, 2025
Matt Stafford with the MVP on the line pic.twitter.com/kyYsSinbvt
— Underdog (@Underdog) December 30, 2025
Matthew Stafford when he has a chance to win MVPpic.twitter.com/M48tVsbfgn
— The Steelers F***ing Suck (9-7) (16-12-9) (@AdamQuraishi1) December 30, 2025
Stafford quite literally throwing away his MVP to a year 2 QB pic.twitter.com/mKr9xkhiLb
— jaden (@JadenAFC) December 30, 2025
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the other leading candidate for NFL MVP, just turned in a five-touchdown drubbing of the New York Jets on Sunday. With the Rams also blowing it during their last game on “Thursday Night Football” against the Seattle Seahawks (which even resulted in a coach firing), many feel that Stafford’s MVP case is now all but cooked.
