Matthew Stafford’s return to Detroit couldn’t have come at a bigger time.
Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams will travel to Ford Field next weekend for their first round playoff matchup against the Lions — which will mark the first home playoff game in Detroit since 1994 and the first ever at Ford Field. Stafford was first drafted by the Lions in 2009 and spent 12 seasons there before he was traded to the Rams.
“Exciting for this team just to get to where we are right now, to be honest with you,” Stafford said Sunday after the Rams’ win over the San Francisco 49ers, via ESPN. “So many people out there didn’t think we’d get to this point, and the ability to get to this point is a true testament to everybody in this locker room — coaches, everybody. It’s awesome.
“The opportunity happens to be in Detroit, which is fun for me on a personal level. … I know it’s going to be rocking there. Haven’t had a playoff game there about 30 years or whatever it is. So it’ll be a great atmosphere. It’ll be a tough task for us, but definitely excited.”
Stafford was traded to the Rams after the 2020 campaign in exchange for Jared Goff, who has led the Lions to their first divisional title in three decades this season. Stafford reached the playoffs three different times with the Lions, but lost all three times on the road. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams in his first season.
Goff is in the same boat. After the Rams selected him at No. 1 overall in 2016 and his run to the Super Bowl with the Rams, he’ll now get to host his former team.
The Lions will host Matthew Stafford and the Rams in their first round playoff matchup on Sunday night, marking the first playoff game in Detroit in three decades. (Mike Lawrence/Getty Images) (Mike Lawrence via Getty Images)
“It will be fun to see some of the people that I haven’t seen in a while, that I know are still around the building,” Stafford said. “And obviously it’ll be a different scenario and won’t be wearing their colors. But…
Source link : https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/matthew-stafford-ready-to-lead-rams-in-playoff-return-to-detroit-its-going-to-be-rocking-054120763.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-01-08 05:41:20
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