On the occasions when he joined his teammates on the practice field at Loyola Marymount University this summer, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford usually was in the ear of new receiver Davante Adams.
Nursing an aggravated disk in his back, Stafford was missing valuable practice time with the three-time All-Pro Adams, signed as a free agent five months earlier. So when Adams came off the field after a series of reps, the pair would dissect. Stafford would make a suggestion, or say he would alter his approach because he liked how Adams ran a play. Or, if the second-team offense was on the field, Stafford and Adams would turn and point to the video replay on the sideline and discuss.
With Stafford back in practice the past two weeks, they have returned to work on their chemistry on the field. But they will lean on those mental reps too as they prepare to make their debut in the season opener Sunday against the Houston Texans.
“Every time we’re stepping out on the grass together, we’re getting better. I’m learning him, he’s learning me, we’re talking about what we want to do on certain plays. So all the time that we’ve had on the grass and frankly off the grass has been valuable time,” Stafford said. “He’s a smart guy, he’s been around for a long time. He’s played the game at a high level for a long time. So the conversations that we have are smart, they’re on the point and we’re moving on.”
It’s not like Stafford and Adams have only gotten two weeks of work together before game prep started this week. When Adams signed his deal with the Rams in March, he quickly got to work on the verbiage Stafford and the Rams use in their offense. Adams had played in a similar scheme with the Green Bay Packers under former Rams coordinator Matt LaFleur, but still needed to speak the Rams’ specific dialect.
And the pair worked together during OTAs, though Adams missed part of that time for a personal commitment. Those spring workouts are pass-heavy by nature without pads on, so that was a significant amount of reps for the pair to work through.
“I thought that was great for them to be able to get that rapport,” head coach Sean McVay said. “And then since Matthew’s been back out here, I mean, these guys see the game through a very similar lens. So it’s been awesome. That was kind of the goal in mind.”
As practices and meetings turn from scheme installs to game planning for opponents like the Houston Texans, the number of meaningful on-field reps dwindles. So the two have to rely in part on their 29 years of combined experience in the NFL.
That helps bridge the gap with players like Stafford and Adams who are both known for their improvisation. Adams caught his share of no-look passes from Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, so Stafford won’t surprise him with that trick.
And both have a feel for when Adams can unleash the way he plays with route timing within the confines of the offense.
“We talk about it a lot as an offense of understanding where you fit in and how you maybe activate it on a certain play versus a certain coverage and then on that same play versus a different coverage, you might be helping your teammate out a little bit more,” Stafford said. “He’s a smart guy, he understands that. When those times come to use those unique skills that he has, he’s done a heckuva job doing that.”
And Stafford and Adams have done the best they can with the circumstances they were dealt this summer, even if there is still some room to grow as the games start to matter this weekend.
“We both have experience in this type of offense, so it can only help. But it doesn’t do everything for you. Obviously you need to be able to get out here and be on the grass,” Adams said. “The timing will continue to get better, but I think we’re in a good place.”
NOTES
Left tackle Alaric Jackson (blood clots) practiced in full on Wednesday, as expected.
Outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart has been cleared from concussion protocol and was not listed on Wednesday’s injury report, indicating a full practice participation.