Matthew Stafford’s Return to Detroit
In the last week of the regular season, the Los Angeles Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers to secure the seventh seed in the NFC. Along with their win, the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings to remain the third seed in the NFC. This set up the perfect matchup for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to return to Detroit, where he played for 12 seasons. Lions fans have waited for this moment, the chance to win a playoff game, and where better to do it than Ford Field.
Stafford’s time in Detroit was frustrating. Detroit had a great quarterback for years, but was always multiple pieces away from winning. Detroit traded away Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 offseason for quarterback Jared Goff, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2021 third-round pick. This trade was well deserved for Stafford, as he was aging quickly, and Detroit was wasting his time. As soon as Stafford moved from Detroit, the light at the end of the tunnel got very bright. Stafford won the Super Bowl in 2021 and has been a leader for the Rams since he was traded.
Photo Credit: Sky Sports
The Lions on the other hand have been building their team from the ground up for years, and it finally feels like their moves are paying off. After a shaky start to their 2022-2023 season, Detroit finished strong with a win at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers. Fans had high hopes for the Lions this season, and it has been exactly what they had hoped. With the Lion’s strong offensive line and running game, they won the NFC North and are tied for the best record in the NFC at 12-5.
All that being said, this season has been great for both the Lions and the Rams. Matthew Stafford has the chance to win his first playoff game at Ford Field, and the Lions have the chance to win their first playoff game since 1991. What better homecoming than the wild card game in Detroit? Stafford looks to take out Detroit in the first-round. Detroit is looking to win their first playoff game in decades to continue their strong season.
