On Sunday, the Detroit Lions pulled off a historic feat, winning their first playoff game in 32 years. While the night ended in high spirits for those wearing the Honolulu blue uniform, the same could not be said for the Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford in particular, faced a lot of adversity throughout the outing.
Aside from the hard hits, Stafford had to endure a whirlwind of boos from all around Ford Field — the stadium he once called home for 12 years.
Asked after the game how it felt to be jeered by the crowd that once cheered his name, Stafford said he wasn't surprised, considering it was the playoffs.
“It's a playoff game,” Stafford said, per NFL on CBS. “I'm not surprised that they were excited about cheering for their team and I'm not too worried about anybody's personal feelings toward me that was sitting in the stands.”
Stafford's tenure with the Lions prior to Rams trade
In Stafford's 12 years as quarterback for the Lions, the team made the postseason thrice. However, he was never able to break the playoff win dry spell. Regardless, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback still made a Pro Bowl appearance with the team in 2014. Additionally, with Detroit, he won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2011.
In 165 total games for the Lions, Stafford had a passer rating of 89.9, generating a total of 282 touchdowns and 45,109 passing yards. All in all, he averaged 273.4 passing yards per game.
Following his final year with the team, Stafford was shipped to the Rams in 2021, where he eventually won a Super Bowl in 2022.
Safe to say, Matthew Stafford's homecoming in Detroit was a cold one. While some might have expected a warm welcome for him entering Sunday's game, unfortunately, the opposite happened.
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