The day has finally come, the Detroit Lions are going to HOST a playoff game in Ford Field. And as if Hollywood wrote the script, Matthew Stafford is coming in to spoil the party. You really can’t make this shit up. We finally win a division for the first time since 1993, we raise the banner we celebrate, we actually beat Minnesota one more time to make it a sweep, and after all of that pop and circumstance, who is waiting for us? The former leader of the pride himself, John Matthew Stafford. 

Now 3 years ago, when that trade went down, a lot of Lions fans, myself included were happy for Stafford. The man got his ass kicked here for 12 years and was ALWAYS blamed for this organization not moving forward. His Rams went to the playoffs and a lot of us still rooted hard for him to get that ring, and he did. I celebrated for sure, but there was an emptiness in that celebration. Of course I was happy for the man, but I couldn’t help but wonder, when will it be our time? When will the Detroit Lions get to run the biggest Sunday of the season and be declared champions for ALL of the world to see? As this season progressed I think I can speak for most of us when I felt like we were closer to that big game. And as time went on and the wins stacked up we find ourselves here, Sunday Night Football, on NBC, under the lights and that same guy we prayed and rooted for, is there on the other side of the field ready to pull the plug on this whole season and shut the lights off on Woodward Ave. But if there more to this story? If there another guy on our sideline waiting for his shot at some redemption?

The whole football world is talking about the former #9, and rightfully so, he was the one constant here for 12 years that kept this team relevant. But what about #16? At the end of the 2020 season, Rams head coach Sean McVay put his hands up almost as if to say “I cannot win with this guy”. Weeks later Jared Goff was sent off to a team in the middle of a rebuild to essentially buy time and play out whatever was left of his NFL career. But time went on, the organization stood by him, used the draft capital obtained from the blockbuster trade to acquire more talent, and fast forward to January 2024 we are talking about a legitimate top 10 QB in the league. Now the Rams did get their ring in that time and good for them. They had the stones to sell their soul’s to the devil and it paid out on the back end. They literally put their house on the line and won. Not many organizations would ever have done that. But let’s not act like there isn’t a chip here on Jared Goff’s shoulder. He was the kid at the park nobody wanted to play with. He was the guy an entire fan base pointed a finger at, and for a short time, they actually looked correct in doing so. Tonight, JG16 has an opportunity to turn that pistol back around and pull the trigger. He has the chance to not only re write his own story, but the story of one of the league’s biggest laughing stock since 1957. 

It’s quite literally win or go home. No reset button, no rematch the following night, just one opportunity for 60 mins to see who is worthy of playing in the divisional round. I believe we can win against anyone in a shootout, but personally I want to see this game won on the ground. Run the ball down their throat and keep Matthew Stafford cold on the other side of that field. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have the fire power behind this brick wall of a line to get the job done. Pound the rock, kill the clock and keep Jared Goff upright with a clean jersey. Let’s go win the first playoff game at Ford Field and give this fan base a night that NONE of us will ever forget.