The Los Angeles Rams expected a smoother finish, but the road turned bumpy again in Week 17. The 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons stung. It felt heavier because it looked familiar. Missed chances. Late mistakes. And afterward, Matthew Stafford did not dodge it. The veteran quarterback stepped forward and owned the night.

To begin with, the numbers told a rough story. Stafford finished 22 of 38 through the air. That is 57.9 percent. He threw for 269 yards. He added two touchdowns. However, three interceptions flipped the night. The Rams could not recover. Against the Falcons, those turnovers kept swinging the momentum the wrong way. And after the final whistle, Stafford made it clear he knew exactly where the night slipped.

“I just didn’t play well enough,” Stafford told reporters. “Nothing they did, to be honest with you. Same kind of stuff that they’ve been doing all year. We just didn’t execute well enough. I obviously didn’t play well enough, and that’s what it is.”

However, he didn’t just take the accountability; he also shared how the offense struggled in the game:

“We got a couple of things going on offense in the second half, but just turned it over too many times.”

Late in the 2nd half’s fourth quarter, the Rams forced a punt. But then it didn’t go as planned. Matthew Stafford pressed on fourth down and threw a costly interception. Still, the City of Angels caught a break. After another stop, the Rams finally answered. A Puka Nacua deep score came back on a flag. So instead, they walked it down. Nacua finished it and tied the game.

However, the Falcons had one last push. The Rams slipped into field goal range and took a three-point lead with under 30 seconds left. That is when everything fell apart. Stafford missed a wide-open Xavier Smith downfield. An easy flip. Points at worst. A win at best.

Then, panic set in. Stafford ripped one to Tutu Atwell with no call on clear contact. Next, Nacua made a wild grab but lost it a second later. Finally, Stafford threw another one. It fell incomplete. The Rams’ offense melted, and the Falcons walked away with the win.

However, apart from the loss, the game will sting Stafford more, as he is in the history sheet, but for the wrong reasons.

In Week 17, Matthew Stafford tied Brett Favre’s unfortunate record

Then came the moment that tied history. Unfortunately, not the good kind. Stafford threw a pick-six, matching Brett Favre for the most ever.

“Matthew Stafford has thrown the 32nd Pick-6 of his career, tying Brett Favre for the most all-time. The 14-point deficit is tied for the largest faced by the Rams this season,” ESPN reported.

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Later, another nearly followed. Falcons safety Xavier Watts stepped out of bounds. Officials confirmed it after review.

When asked about what comes next, Stafford admitted his mind was stuck on “letting those guys down.” That feeling lingered longer than the stat line.

Finally, Stafford simplified what was missing.

“It boils down to execution every week, right?” Stafford asked rhetorically. “Either you do execute and make the throws, or you don’t. And I didn’t do that tonight. So, hurt us, and we weren’t able to overcome it.”

For the Rams Nation, the message was clear. Accountability came first. Now the response has to follow.