Lions Approaching Playoff Game against Matthew Stafford
The Detroit Lions have the opportunity this season to accomplish several of their established goals.
With the magic number to win the NFC North down to one, Dan Campbell's squad will have an opportunity to host a home playoff game at Ford Field for the first time in the stadium's history.
Following a dominant performance against the Denver Broncos, in front of a nationally-televised audience, a certain level of confidence has been restored regarding the Lions actually winning a postseason game.
Nothing is stopping supporters and pundits from exploring potential scenarios for Detroit in the first round of the postseason.
Many have started to notice that there is a real scenario in which the Lions will host the Los Angeles Rams, which are led by former Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Rams are currently the No. 7 seed, while the Lions are the No. 3 seed.
The teams could face off if Detroit ends up the No. 2 seed and Los Angeles finishes in the seventh spot. The Rams could also finish in the sixth spot, while the Lions could close the regular season as the No. 3 seed.
Sports have a unique way of bringing things full circle.
A meeting against one of the franchise's most polarizing figures is starting to be debated.
Do fans want to face off against a player known for fourth-quarter comebacks?
For Jared Goff, an opportunity would present itself to prove his former head coach wrong. Sean McVay, remember, was the catalyst for many believing the 29-year-old was washed up.
Dan Campbell explained, after soundly defeating Denver, what led to his team playing so well on both sides of the football.
“I just feel like when we’re efficient on first and second down. Offensively and defensively, when we’re able to -- we’re getting those chunk runs. You’re getting five, six yards a pop early. Seven yards or eight, and our defense, we’re getting these, alright, now they’re in second-and-10, they’re in second-and-eight, you just kind of feel like alright, here we go," said Campbell. "This is the type of game that we need to play, we want to play, it feels good. Third downs are manageable here. The third downs are longer on defense, and it just, I think when it happens early and often, you get a really good feeling about it.”
The Rams were able to defeat the Commanders in Week 15, evening their record on the season to 7-7.
There are so many ties between the two organizations, as general manager Brad Holmes spent the majority of his career working his way up the Rams organizational ladder.
The Stafford deal netted Detroit the draft capital it needed to begin the process of adding talent to a franchise that was devoid of high-end players.
A meeting between the two has the potential to be a classic, as both feature defenses that are mid-tier.
Detroit is seeking its first playoff win since the 1991 season. Achieving it against a quarterback who was never able to lead the team to a playoff win could put the franchise on a new track -- one that involves Lombardi trophies.
