DETROIT – What if the Detroit Lions host their first playoff game at Ford Field this season, and it just happens to be against Matthew Stafford?
That would be awesome. And hilarious.
I know, it’s only Week 4, and a lot will change between now and the end of the regular season. But after the final game of the week wrapped up last night, you have to admit, it sure looks like Rams-Lions could be a possibility.
The Lions and Stafford have a complex relationship. He was the team’s No. 1 overall pick in 2009 and became the face of the franchise for 12 years. Stafford threw for 45,109 yards and 282 touchdowns in Detroit, but went 0-3 in playoff games.
Most of the fan base supported Stafford during his time here, but a vocal minority blamed him for the team’s constant failures. Such is the life of an NFL quarterback.
When Brad Holmes took over as general manager two years ago, one of his first moves was to trade Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick.
Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl the very next season, with a large portion of the Lions fan base rooting him on from afar.
But if he and the Rams come to town for a playoff game, Ford Field will not be very welcoming.
Why Lions-Rams feels possible
OK, let me break down why I think this matchup is possible.
First of all, it sure seems like the top two teams in the NFC are the same as last year: San Francisco and Philadelphia. For the sake of this article, let’s assume those are the top two seeds in the conference.
That means if the Lions win the NFC North Division -- that’s by no means a lock this early in the season, but they’re the clear favorite -- they would either get the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, depending on their record compared to the winner of the NFC South.
As the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, the Lions would host either the No. 6 seed or No. 5 seed in the first round. That could be any number of teams, including the Cowboys, Seahawks, Commanders, Saints, Packers, or Rams.
Personally, I think the Cowboys will be the top wildcard team, and therefore the No. 5 seed. As for No. 6, I think it’s currently a tossup between the Seahawks and Rams.
The Rams do have an advantage over the Seahawks, because they went into Seattle and won by 17 points in Week 1. If they can win the rematch at home and clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker, the probability of the Rams facing the Lions would definitely increase.
So far, Los Angeles has played one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. The Rams are the only team to beat Seattle, and they also played a one-score game against the undefeated 49ers.
Last year was a disaster for the Rams with Stafford injured, but the last time he was healthy, they literally won the Super Bowl. They’re going to get Cooper Kupp back at some point, too.
There aren’t many great teams in the NFC, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rams get a wildcard spot with nine or 10 wins. If that happens, and Stafford returns to Detroit, the stakes will be raised even higher.
