In the upcoming Sunday Night Football, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is set to make a return to Ford Field, facing his former team, the Detroit Lions, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Stafford, who spent a whopping 12 years with the Detroit Lions, is no stranger to the pressure. Many fans hold him accountable for the team’s inability to secure a playoff victory in over a decade.
The turning point came on March 18, 2021, when Stafford was traded to the Rams in a significant deal involving Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick, and two first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. His move paid off, as he led the Rams to victory in Super Bowl LVI.
This Sunday marks Stafford’s first return to Ford Field, where he’ll be playing in front of a fanbase that harbors strong opinions about his past leadership with the Lions.
A prominent Lions’ fan group, known as “The Detroit Line,” took to Instagram to declare a “jersey ban” for Sunday’s game.
Their post pointed out a shift in perspective, stating, “We are calling for a Lions-Stafford jersey ban on Sunday. Detroit will not, and should not, be celebrating him this week. He is now our enemy (in a sporting sense). He asked to be traded. He didn’t believe in this franchise anymore and wanted the easy road with a ready-made winner.”
The fan group urged supporters not to wear Lions-Stafford jerseys to the game, threatening ridicule and confiscation if they did. They even suggested alternatives like duct tape and “WILLIAMS” in sharpie on the nameplate.
Matthew Stafford’s wife, Kelly, an active presence on Instagram, responded to the post with disappointment, saying:
“Well, this is sad because it’s the opposite of how we feel about this city, but Matthew has always been the bigger person and will continue to be that. Praying for an incredible game with zero injuries.”
Matthew Stafford was selected as the first overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Over the years, Stafford faced both successes and setbacks with the Lions. In the 2011 season, he led the team to the playoffs and received various accolades. However, the 2012 season saw the Lions struggling, finishing with a 4–12 record.
Stafford continued to be a key player for the Lions in subsequent seasons, achieving milestones and receiving individual awards. In 2021, he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, and in his debut season with the Rams, he played a crucial role in leading them to victory in Super Bowl LVI.
The 2022 season brought challenges for Stafford as he faced injuries, including a spinal cord contusion that ended his season prematurely. The Rams experienced a disappointing season, marked by the most losses in NFL history for a defending Super Bowl champion.
In the 2023 NFL regular season, Matthew Stafford ranked 11th in yards (3,965), tied-11th in touchdowns, and tied-104th in interceptions. His quarterback rating (QBR) stood at 63.7, securing the 6th position. Notably, Stafford exhibited remarkable ball security by not fumbling at all, a departure from his history of multiple fumbles in each of his first 14 seasons. In the final three weeks of the season, Stafford excelled with three or more touchdowns in each game, a 63.1% completion rate, and an outstanding 10-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. This strong finish culminated in a stellar passer rating of 111.
