Could Matthew Stafford, Rams Play Lions in Postseason?
Nearly three years after the Los Angeles Rams acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions in a megadeal that ultimately helped coach Sean McVay and company to win a Super Bowl, could the two teams play each other in the postseason?
Such a scenario -- which would see Stafford and the Rams head to Ford Field to face the Lions -- seems increasingly possible.
While the 7-7 Rams are hardly certain to play in the postseason, Stafford and company are currently in possession of the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC. Meanwhile, the 10-4 Lions haven't yet clinched their division, but are on track to win the NFC North -- a division that was created in 2002 -- for the first time ever. The Lions last won a division title in 1993, when they were playing in the now-defunct NFC Central. If the postseason began today, the Lions would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC.
Obviously, there will have to be some slight change in the current postseason standings for there to be a Stafford vs. Jared Goff quarterback matchup on Wild Card Weekend. If the Rams leapfrog the Minnesota Vikings and end up as the sixth seed, they would travel to Detroit in the opening round of the playoffs, should the Lions remain the third seed. After losses by both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles this past week, the Lions are very much in play for the No. 2 seed in the NFC, which would come with a Wild Card matchup with the Rams, if they stay in the seventh seed.
Stafford, of course, was the No. 1 overall pick by the Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft, joining a team that went 0-16 the year prior to his arrival. Stafford threw 282 touchdowns and racked up over 45,000 passing yards in 12 seasons with the Lions, but that didn't translate to consistent team success. Detroit went 74-90-1 in 165 regular season games Stafford started. The Lions made playoff appearances in 2011, 2014 and 2016, but were defeated in all three of Stafford's postseason starts with the franchise.
Feeling things had run their course with Goff -- himself also a former No. 1 selection -- the Rams sent their quarterback, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and two third-round picks to Detroit in exchange for Stafford in March of 2021. General manager Les Snead and the aforementioned McVay were immediately rewarded, as Stafford helped the Rams to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, his first season away from Detroit.
The trade, though, has played out well for the Lions to this point. Questions remain about what the ceiling of a Goff-led team can be, but he's revived his career under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, with 55 touchdown passes to show since the start of the 2022 season. General manager Brad Holmes -- himself a former member of the Rams organization -- has turned some of the pick capital acquired in the Stafford deal into safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, receiver Jameson Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta.
Stafford and the Rams did defeat the Lions 28-19 at SoFi Stadium in October of 2021, but that was before coach Dan Campbell's culture had really taken hold in Detroit. Stafford also has yet to return to Ford Field as a visitor for the first time. Perhaps he'll do so in a win-or-go-home game in January.
