The Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford found themselves on a collision course with the Detroit Lions and the Wild Card Round of the NFC playoffs. Stafford, a Detroit icon for over a decade, would face off with Lions quarterback Jared Goff, the quarterback that preceded him in Los Angeles.
The Rams lost 24-23, ending their season and sending an organization Stafford didn’t win a playoff game with to the next round. After the game, Stafford said he was happy for the Lions players who ended the team’s 32-year playoff win drought, but omitted the fans – something some of the Detroit faithful took offense to.
It’s possible that his comments (or lack thereof) were connected to his wife, Kelly Stafford, feeling mistreated by Lions fans during the game. Whatever the reason, it didn’t stop Detroit radio hosts from blasting Stafford after a recent interview on his wife’s podcast, “The Morning After.”
On that podcast, which took time to talk about the state of the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell, Stafford reiterated how impressed he was. He compared Campbell to Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and spoke about how well the team, Goff, and the rookie class all performed.
However, he didn’t amend his postgame comments – nor was he asked to – and, apparently, that hit a nerve with the “Ermani and Edwards” crew.
“You just watched somebody do something that you could never do your entire career, which is win a playoff game here in Detroit. He wanted that game bad and he was bitter,” Anson Wells said. “I’m gonna tell you this, all the people in Detroit that were wearing ‘Detroit Rams’ shirts when he made his run, that were supporting him without question. I’m sorry, you had your opportunity, and I don’t care how butthurt you were over the loss, you squandered it.
“You lost me as a fan forever, flat out.”
Stafford spent the first 12 years of his career in Detroit, throwing for over 45,000 yards but ultimately failing to win much, especially in the playoffs. He went 0-3 in the postseason with the Lions. However, aside from all-time great receiver Calvin Johnson, Detroit never surrounded their franchise quarterback with the talent necessary to win.
Goff, meanwhile, is operating a wonderfully designed offense complete with stars at receiver, tight end, and running back and perhaps the league’s best offensive line. To his credit, he’s played very well, coming within a few plays of a Super Bowl appearance.
“For it to go – I mean he still got his ring – but for it to go the way that he always wanted it to go, but for somebody else, that’s a tough pill to swallow,” Wells continued. “He’s certainly not looking to swallow it any time soon.”
The hosts would continue diving into Stafford’s psyche, ultimately coming to the conclusion that his comments are grounds for negating 12 years of admirable play and off-the-field support that the passer provided. Few held the “face of the franchise” moniker better than Stafford did, putting his legacy and body on the line in a futile attempt to win.
“He clearly never understood the Detroit fanbase, period,” Wells said.
Stafford has never been shy about his love for Detroit, but if Los Angeles is going to be the only fanbase that accepts him, so be it. Maybe if Goff wins a Super Bowl they’ll take on a more forgiving tone.
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