Getty Matthew Stafford warms up before the Sunday, October 17 game against the New York Giants.
The next time Matthew Stafford will attempt to throw touchdown passes with the Detroit Lions on the same football field, it’ll be as their opposing quarterback for the first time in his NFL career.
In a game with the revenge/reunion buildup, the Los Angeles Rams signal-caller Stafford will face his old team on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Meanwhile, former Rams QB Jared Goff has already announced he’ll have a “chip on the shoulder” while aiming to treat this game as any other contest.
Obviously, the buildup for Lions versus Rams is one with words like “emotional,” “retaliation,” or the two aforementioned “R” words. But if there’s anyone who thinks Stafford has revenge on his mind against his ex-NFL employer, he doesn’t. In fact, he told the L.A. media on Wednesday evening that he doesn’t read into the drama surrounding the forthcoming contest.
“I don’t spent too much time thinking about it or reading that narrative to be honest with you,” Stafford said, which can be heard near the 10 minute mark of the presser video below. “I’m just kind of locked in on what we’re doing here and trying to do everything I can to make sure we succeed here.”
Stafford Immediately Downplayed Reunion With Lions
Following his four-touchdown pass day at MetLife Stadium in the 38-11 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday, October 17, Stafford immediately viewed the Lions game in this light.
“Just like every other game, it’s an NFL opponent coming into our building,” he said after the game at East Rutherford, New Jersey. “Do I have a ton of history with them? Absolutely. And pregame, am I gonna be saying ‘hey’ to some old teammates and friends? The Ford family, hopefully, if they make the trip? Absolutely. I’ve got nothing but great relationships with people over there. Have a lot of respect for the organization, the team, the ownership. It’ll be just another football game once the ball is snapped, but I’ll definitely try to say hey to some people that I haven’t seen in a while.”
Three days after the road romp, Stafford still shares the same sentiments when thinking about the upcoming game.
“I just go about my week: I watch the tape, I come out here to practice and try to execute at a very high level and try to get as ready as I can mentally and physically for a game on Sunday,” Stafford said.
Stafford Has Had Interactions with Goff
The new Rams QB1 and the former Ram have intersected before, Stafford shared when asked if he knows Goff.
“A little bit,” Stafford said. “He and I work with the same guy in the offseason, so I bump into him time to time. Texted with him a little bit here and there, but we’re not close or anything.”
From a matchup standpoint, Goff is 1-0 versus a Stafford-led team: He guided the Rams to a 30-16 road win over a Lions team with Stafford on December 2, 2018. Goff and Stafford both threw one touchdown pass that afternoon.
This time, roles are reversed and the game has had plenty of buildup. But again, Stafford isn’t focusing on the game’s narrative.
“I’m concentrating on what’s going on in my world at the moment, which is trying to help this team win,” Stafford said. “This is a tough business, there’s no question about it. But I don’t spend as much time thinking about it all to be honest with you. I’m extremely happy to be here. Pinch myself in getting the opportunity to play for this team and these coaches.
“As far as comparing it to Detroit, I’m not going to do it. I just know that I’m having a blast playing a bunch of football with some great players and coaches. I loved my time in Detroit. I loved all the experiences I had. Some of them were tough. But they helped mold me into the player and person that I am today.”