Matthew Stafford Returns to Ford Field for Epic NFC Wild Card Game
The Rams vs Lions Preview Suggests There Will be Plenty of Points Scored
The Detroit Lions will host a home NFC Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.
The Lions clinched the NFC North for the first time ever and have finally turned around a program that had been in a playoff drought for a very long time. Detroit hasn’t won a playoff game in 32 seasons!
On the other hand, the Rams surprised many analysts and experts this year. Some suggested the Rams would tank this season and build a new squad in 2024. However, the Rams finished the NFL regular season with ten wins and earned a playoff spot behind another quality season from Matthew Stafford.
Stafford was a Detroit legend before he was traded to the Rams for Jared Goff. Stafford eventually won a Super Bowl with the Rams, proving that the Rams made the right decision. However, the trade for the Lions has paid its dividends, too.
Jared Goff is among the top ten quarterbacks in the NFL and has probably even outperformed Stafford during his time in Detroit.
Because the Lions have home-field advantage as a divisional winner, Detroit is a 3.5-point favorite at -102. Meanwhile, the total for this game is currently at 51.5.
The get-in price for this matchup at Ford Field is the highest in the NFL. Lions fans are excited for this game. Will the fans play a major part in this game to help the Lions escape the Rams and move on into the Divisional Round of the playoffs?
Take a look at the Rams vs Lions preview for this NFC Wild Card matchup on Sunday night.
Los Angeles Rams vs Detroit Lions
Day/Time:
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Stream: Watch Live Sports
Rams vs Lions Preview & Trends
The Los Angeles Rams went 10-7 in the regular season but finished 10-6-1 against the spread. The Rams also hit the Over in nine of 17 games and finished above .500 on the road with a 5-4 record.
The Rams closed out the season, winning five of their last six games against the spread. The Over also hit in all but one of their previous six games.
On the other hand, the Lions went 12-5 straight up and 12-5 against the spread. Detroit also hit the Over in 11 of 17 games and finished the regular season 6-2 at home.
The Lions have won against the spread in four straight games.
The last time the Rams and Lions played, the Rams earned a 28-19 win in 2021. The Lions were a 17-point underdog and still covered in that game.
Puka Nacua Broke NFL Rookie Records
Puka Nacua wasn’t drafted in the first round. He also wasn’t drafted in the second or third round. But he became one of the best wide receivers in the NFL this year.
In his rookie season, Nacua earned rookie records in receptions and yards in a season. He finished the regular season with 105 catches and 1,486 yards in 14 games while scoring six touchdowns.
Matthew Stafford has a history of developing wide receivers. He dominated just as well with Cooper Kupp when he first got into the league and had other receivers earlier in his career, like Calvin Johnson, who excelled with Stafford. Nacua is a terrific wide receiver, but he’s also lucky to have Stafford as his quarterback.
Sam LaPorta’s Injury Status
The Detroit Lions were 11-5 heading into Week 18 with the NFC North locked up. There was no reason for Detroit’s best players to take the field.
But Dan Campbell decided to give the Lions’ best players starts on Sunday, and it backfired.
Lions’ tight end Sam LaPorta, who has ten touchdowns on the season, hyperextended his knee and could miss out on Sunday’s game against the Rams. He’s currently listed as questionable, but even if he plays, it’s almost certain he won’t be 100%.
Campbell ultimately didn’t want his players to be rusty heading into the playoffs. Still, he paid the price with one of his best players not potentially available for the first round of the NFL Playoffs.
Jared Goff’s Revenge
When the Rams traded Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford, the Rams essentially acknowledged that they were a quarterback away from competing for a Super Bowl.
That probably didn’t sit well with Goff, knowing he had been part of the reason for the Rams’ success before he was traded.
Instead, he turned around Detroit’s franchise and now has the Lions in a better position than the Rams. Yes, Stafford won a Super Bowl with the Rams. So the Rams won that trade, at least as of now.
However, the Lions’ future is brighter with Goff now.
Detroit added over 27 points per game and added 258.88 yards in the air. Goff finished with 30 passing touchdowns and nearly 4,600 yards passing throughout the season. He was excellent and has one of the best targets in football in Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown added 199 receptions for 1,515 yards and ten touchdowns.
Behind Goff are two top-tier running backs, including David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery and Gibbs combined for nearly 2,000 yards rushing. Gibbs is also a terrific pass-catcher and can make plays in the passing game, too.
On the other hand, Stafford has the best rookie wide receiver on his side, along with Cooper Kupp, who is highly regarded as one of the best receivers in the game. Kyren Williams broke out at running back and helped the Rams start to play well once he returned from his injury.
Per our Rams vs Lions preview, this game should go back and forth at Ford Field between two quarterbacks who will each play with some emotion in Ford Field.
We can’t wait until Saturday comes around so we can check the NFL Wild Card scores. The NFL odds this week are tight in many games, and the NFL schedules in the playoffs are very appealing.
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