Potential NFC Wild Card matchup would be absolutely bonkers
Wouldn't this be insane?
After Thursday Night Football between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams, one of the current NFC Wild Card games would see Matthew Stafford play against his former team. Can you imagine? Just a handful of weeks ago, the Los Angeles Rams were 3-6 and were on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture.
Well, all of a sudden, this team is now 8-7 and are one of the hottest teams in the league. Matthew Stafford has played out of his mind over the last month. In fact, over the last five games, he's thrown 14 touchdowns against just one interception. The offense has gotten better lately and the young defense is doing just enough to get wins. Record aside, the Rams feel like one of the three best teams in the NFC, and they could ride this hot streak into the postseason.
As it stands now, the Rams are the sixth seed in the NFC, which means they'd travel to play the third seed in the NFC. And who exactly is occupying that seed? Yep, it's the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford's former team. Stafford began his career with the Lions and had a very good career with them. Unfortunately, Stafford's career in Detroit isn't that notable, as the dysfunction of the team haunted them for years, and they only had a handful of playoff appearances during Stafford's tenure. Stafford was the only player keeping that franchise watchable for years.
Before the 2021 season began, Matthew Stafford was traded from the Lions to the Rams. And part of this trade included a QB swap. Jared Goff went from LA to Detroit and has carved out a nice career for them thus far. Right now, the Rams have definitely won that trade, as they won a Super Bowl in 2021 with Stafford, but Goff has played well for them and seems to be a viable long-term solution.
I spoke to Jared Goff after he was traded to the Lions. He told me, "I'm just excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me." Column coming later today, and we'll have more on @nflnetwork at 6 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Pacific @AroundTheNFL
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 31, 2021
There was also this tidbit from Goff after the trade. He seems to have shaded his former team, saying that he was glad to be on a team that "appreciates me." So the divorce from the Rams didn't seem to sit well with Goff initially. Well, as of now, there is a strong possibility that the Rams and Lions meet in the playoffs, and they would play in Ford Field, where Stafford created his NFL legacy.
This would be a story-book matchup in the NFC Wild Card round, and I don't think the Lions would necessarily have an easy win here. If you asked me now how this hypothetical matchup would go, I think a 31-28 game with a ton of points and yards would be likely. Could we really see Matthew Stafford play against his former teams in the NFL playoffs?