Lions to face Rams, Matt Stafford in NFC Wild Card round at Ford Field
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 31: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on prior to a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
FOX 2 (WJBK) - This Sunday, quarterback Matthew Stafford will be at Ford Field's first-ever Lions home playoff game - as the enemy.
The 2009 first overall pick who re-wrote the Lions record book and carried the franchise for a decade, returns to Ford Field for the playoffs on the opposing sideline.
The Lions (12-5) play the Rams (10-7) next weekend. The game will be the first playoff matchup ever between the two teams and Stafford's first playoff game at Ford Field – a place where he spent 11 years and holds many of the Lions passing records.
If the Lions are to beat Stafford at his old home, they may have to do it without Pro Bowl rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, who went down in the Lions final game, a win over the Minnesota Vikings.
The last time the two teams played was back in 2019, which the Rams won 28-19 en route to a Super Bowl championship in Stafford's first year in LA.
Stafford, the all-time Lions passing leader, has helped shepherd the Rams back to the postseason following last year's 5-12 disappointment. His health has been the biggest key - a season ago he played just nine games ending it on IR with a spinal cord contusion.
Now the Rams enter as one of the league's hottest teams, winners of four in a row, and 7-1 since Week 11. It's a far cry from where the Rams sat at 3-6 in Week 9.
But all eyes will be on the quarterback matchup - it was March 18, 2021, when the Lions traded Stafford to the Rams in a blockbuster package for Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick and two first-round picks in 2022 and 2023.
Goff was the Rams' first overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft and led the franchise to Super Bowl LIII, a loss to the Patriots.
This season, Goff is averaging 265 yards passing a game, while Stafford is at 264 yards.
Heading into the regular season finale, Stafford was completing 62 percent of his passes for 3,965 yards with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He'll prove to be a tough test for the Lions, which has struggled in pass defense – ranking 25th while allowing 240 yards a game.
Goff is at a 67 percent clip for 4,255 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions having played one additional game.
With the Vikings season finale remaining, Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the Lions receivers with 1,371 yards and nine touchdowns, while LaPorta also has nine scoring grabs and 860 yards.
The last matchup head-to-head Stafford won easily with 334 yards and three touchdowns, while Goff mustered 268 with one score and two picks - although the rosters were vastly different.
Although the Rams were on the championship trail, the rebuilding Lions went 3-13-1 and were establishing the foundation in Coach Dan Campbell's first season at the helm.
INGLEWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 24: Jared Goff #16 of the Lions during an NFL game between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams on October 24, 2021, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Icon Sportswire)
This season finds both franchises in different places with the Lions boasting a young, exciting roster while the Rams are back to relevance with a mix of young and old players.
Leading the Rams defense is one of the league's most feared defenders - Aaron Donald. With one game left, the future Hall of Famer has 53 tackles on the season, 16 for a loss, and eight sacks.
Defensive tackle Kobie Turner has a team-high nine sacks and linebacker Ernest Jones' 145 tackles leads the team. LA ranks among the top 12 against the run, giving up about 104 yards per game.
Establishing the run is the Lions' trump card. Heading into the Vikings season finale, Detroit ranked fourth in the league in rushing, averaging 140 yards per game.
Detroit's dynamic duo of Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs have powered the ground game, each with a shot at hitting the 1,000-yard mark with a game left.
Helping Stafford has been a pair of emerging stars - record-setting rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams.
Nacua has come out of nowhere to take the league by storm with more than 100 catches, 1,473 yards and five touchdowns. He holds the rookie record for the most all-time receiving yards, which he broke easily in week 18. The receiver has helped pick up the slack for standout Cooper Kupp (59-737-5 TDs) who has battled injury to play 12 games.
On the ground, Williams emerged as the Rams top back with 1,144 yards and seven touchdowns.
Luckily, the Lions rushing defense has been stout - ranking fifth against the run giving up just 88 yards per game.
With a game left, Pro Bowl defensive end Aidan Hutchinson leads the Lions with 9.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone led the Lions in tackles with 120 along with rookie LB Jack Campbell, who has 83 tackles with a game left.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 31: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams throws a pass during the second quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dustin Satlof