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A familiar face is coming back to Motown. Matthew Stafford, the franchise’s all-time career passing leader, is standing between the Detroit Lions and the franchise’s first playoff win since 1991 when the Los Angeles Rams come to town on Sunday.
How significant is Stafford’s return? Imagine Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson or even Bobby Layne returning to Detroit to face the Lions in a playoff game. Rest assured, Stafford’s return will be a key ingredient in creating what will be a truly unique atmosphere at Ford Field.
Stafford, though, is just one player. His presence is significant, but football is a team game, after all. There are other reasons why the Rams will put an abrupt end to the Lions’ storybook season. Here are the others.
1. Red zone edge
Football is a game of matchups, and the Rams have an extremely favorable one when it comes to the red zone. The Rams’ offense finished the regular season with the NFL’s fourth-ranked red zone offense after having scored touchdowns on 63.6 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard-line.
Los Angeles coach Sean McVay surely knows that the Lions’ defense wasn’t very good in the red zone. Detroit was 29th in the NFL during the regular season in red zone efficiency as they allowed offenses to score touchdowns at a 66 percent clip inside the 20.
If the Rams win this game, rest assured that a big part of the reason why will be their ability to maximize their trips in the red zone.
2. A balanced attack
Los Angeles’ running game hasn’t been the same since Todd Gurley’s departure after the 2018 season. But the Rams have enjoyed a resurgence there this season with the emergence of Kyren Williams. Williams earned a Pro Bowl nod this season after rushing for over 1,100 yards, scoring 12 touchdowns and averaging 5 yards per carry.
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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-playoffs-three-reasons-why-rams-will-beat-lions-on-super-wild-card-weekend/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2024-01-13 12:01:50
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