{"id":1004116,"date":"2026-09-18T12:12:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T12:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/1004116\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T12:12:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T12:12:17","slug":"matthew-stafford-reveals-why-monday-night-football-still-gets-him-fired-up-at-38","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/1004116\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew Stafford reveals why Monday Night Football still gets him fired up at 38"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 38 years old, and playing in his 18th NFL season, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford <\/a>has seen just about everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u2019s played through injuries, crossed oceans, survived Detroit, and won a Super Bowl in Los Angeles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And yet, there is still something about the bright lights of Monday Night Football that still gets him excited.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI love playing on Monday nights,\u201d Stafford said on Thursday as the Rams prepared to host the New York Giants in their home opener at SoFi Stadium. \u201cMonday Night Football has always meant something in this league. We all grew up watching it and it\u2019s fun to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For Stafford and the Rams, Monday night also offers something else: a chance to rinse away the bitter taste of Melbourne.<\/a><\/p>\n

Matthew Stafford had a Week 1 against the 49ers that he and the Rams would probably like to forget. Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Rams returned from Australia last weekend after a forgettable 27-7 Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in which Stafford and the Rams offense were never able to build a rhythm or find their footing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Stafford, they didn\u2019t sustain drives, didn\u2019t execute, performed poorly on third downs, and weren\u2019t efficient enough. The loss left Stafford searching for answers during the long flight home and had head coach Sean McVay wishing he was in the movie<\/a> \u201cMen in Black.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to be present now and move forward,\u201d McVay said of the loss in Melbourne. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like you try to do the \u2018Men in Black\u2019 thing where you say, \u2018all right, I don\u2019t remember what happened.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

McVay of course is referencing the Neuralyzer, the memory-wiping device from the movie that Will Smith\u2019s character famously refers to as the \u201cflashy thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks for a pass during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers, Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Thankfully for McVay and the Rams, Monday Night Football offers a familiar stage and an opportunity for redemption against the New York Giants.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThose guys, they play with their hair on fire. They really get after it,\u201d said McVay of the Giants defense. \u201cWe have to match that or exceed that energy and that edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are drawbacks to playing Monday night, of course. Stafford has been around long enough to understand the bill eventually comes due.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, the scheduling part of it is a little unique and a little difficult,\u201d Stafford said. \u201cYou get an extra day on the front end, but it cuts into the following week and your recovery time for the next game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford runs onto the field before an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. AP Photo\/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake<\/p>\n

At his age, recovery isn\u2019t exactly a footnote. Stafford has taken thousands of hits, thrown thousands of passes and accumulated enough NFL mileage to make Monday night feel like just another day at the office.<\/p>\n

Except it isn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s still Monday Night Football. The nationally televised game when everyone is home from work and ready to watch some football. The theme music hits, the stadium lights burn brighter and for three hours, there\u2019s only one game that owns the stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stafford grew up as a kid from Texas watching those games and dreaming to be a part of them. Nearly two decades into his own NFL career, and he\u2019s still fortunate enough to play in them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And frankly, after what happened last week in Australia, he couldn\u2019t ask for a better stage to hit the reset button.<\/p>\n

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