Matthew Stafford, Jim Schwartz reunited on opposite sides as Rams face Browns

LOS ANGELES — Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz doesn't need to be introduced to the quarterback his defense will be tasked with slowing down on Sunday. That is because Schwartz is intimately familiar with what he can do.

After all, the first head coach Matthew Stafford had in the NFL was Schwartz with the Detroit Lions. And Schwartz's first quarterback as an NFL head coach was Stafford, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

So when the Browns (7-4) play at the Los Angeles Rams (5-6) on Sunday, the former coach and quarterback will be reunited with clearly different goals in mind this time around.

“Yeah, that was early on in my career," Stafford told Los Angeles area reporters Wednesday. "Those were my first, I think, five years, it was, in Detroit. Obviously enjoyed playing for him. Was grateful for the opportunity. Obviously, he believed in me enough to draft me and bring me in there, had some great times. Obviously, made the playoffs for the first time in a long time in Detroit when we were there and did some good stuff.

"A lot of respect for him as a coach and a person. Always a tough battle going up against him and his defenses."

Stafford's first two seasons under Schwartz were rocky due to injuries to the former University of Georgia quarterback. He played a combined 13 games over those first two seasons, with a knee injury and a shoulder surgery the culprits.

Stafford stayed healthy for the final three years they were together in Detroit. The Lions, though, only made the playoffs once — in 2011 — before Schwartz was fired after the 2013 season.

Both coach and quarterback have, obviously, left Detroit since then. Not only that, but both have since won Super Bowls: Schwartz as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2017 season, and Stafford with the Rams in his first season in Los Angeles in 2021.

"Well, he's one of the best throwers of the football, No. 1, in the league right now" Schwartz said Thursday. "But in his era, just an arm that can make all the throws, an arm that can drop different arm angles, has tremendous accuracy, has great command of the offense, really good at threatening the whole field. … Matthew's been doing that for a long time, you know. I'm proud of where he's going. He's developed not just as a player but as a leader. And we're going to play our very best on Sunday to come out with a win."

Stafford is 17th in the league in passing yards (2.489), 23rd in completions (208) and is tied for 13th in passing first downs (121) and 16th in passing touchdowns (13). He missed a early November game against the Green Bay Packers with a thumb injury sustained the previous week at Dallas.

The Rams are the league's 14th-ranked passing offense at 226.6 yards per game with Stafford at the controls. On the flip side is the Browns defense, schemed up by Schwartz, which is first in the league in total yards and passing yards allowed.

“Yeah, he’s definitely a really smart guy," Stafford said of Schwartz. "He thinks about it, like you said, from an analytical standpoint but also feels the game as well. As a coordinator, I think he does a nice job of just kind of seeing what's going on out there and then calling it from his gut.

"So, like I said, presents a big challenge for us both personnel- and scheme-wise. A lot of respect for their team and how they go about it.”

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Matthew Stafford, Jim Schwartz reunite as Rams face off against Browns