One of the biggest moves in the NFL during the offseason happened pretty quickly when the Los Angeles Rams acquired Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. The former No. 1 overall pick out of Georgia had given everything to the Lions franchise but needed a new start.
Speaking with Seth Wickersham of ESPN, Stafford revealed what the ultimate goal is now that he’s with the Rams:
“I just want to play in big games, you know? … I want to have opportunities to make big-time plays in the fourth quarter against really good teams, in big moments, rather than a one o’clock game on a Sunday somewhere.”
In his 12 seasons with the Lions,
Stafford never won a playoff game. He joins an LA team that is loaded with talent and that many would argue was simply a quarterback away. They now have that quarterback in Stafford.
Despite not having postseason success with the Lions, the problems with Detroit weren’t with Stafford. Constant coach shuffling, a front office that never had solutions and a lack of legitimate talent outside of Hall of Fame inductee Calvin Johnson were the core issues that have lived with the Lions far before Stafford ever arrived. Now, he will get a fresh start with the Rams.
LA made the postseason a year ago but came up short in Green Bay against the Packers in the Divisional Round. Jared Goff dealt with injuries, but even when healthy, he took a big step back from the play he had shown a couple of years ago.