Pride of Detroit
So we meet again, Matthew Stafford. The former Detroit Lions starting quarterback faces his former team for the fourth time in five years in Week 15. In the first matchup back in 2021, the Los Angeles Rams won 28-19, but since then, Stafford hasn’t defeated his former team. The Lions beat the Rams in the 2023 playoffs and in the 2024 season opener.
This season, the matchup has high stakes, as the Lions’ playoff chances are on the line, while the Rams fight to win their division. The Lions can still make the playoffs with a loss to the Rams, but a win would increase those chances. The Rams are playing some good football this season, and they appear to be a potential Super Bowl favorite.
Let’s take a deeper look at the Rams in my Week 15 scouting report.
Week 1: Defeated the Houston Texans 14-9
Week 2: Defeated the Tennessee Titans 33-19
Week 3: Lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 33-26
Week 4: Defeated the Indianapolis Colts 27-20
Week 5: Lost to the San Francisco 49ers 26-23 (OT)
Week 6: Defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-3
Week 7: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-7
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Defeated the New Orleans Saints 34-10
Week 10: Defeated the San Francisco 49ers 42-26
Week 11: Defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21-9
Week 12: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-7
Week 13: Lost to the Carolina Panthers 31-28
Week 14: Defeated the Arizona Cardinals 45-17
Stats:
Before the season began, Stafford was dealing with a back injury that left questions around the franchise. Would Stafford play in 2025? Could he possibly retire? Will this be his last season? We still don’t know the answer to the last question, but Stafford has made people forget all about the injury talk over the summer with how he and his team have played this year. Not only is he playing great, but you could also say he’s an MVP candidate.
Stafford is currently fourth in passing yards (3,354) and leads all quarterbacks by a wide margin with 35 touchdowns, with Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott tied for second at 26. Stafford has already brought a Super Bowl trophy to LA, and if he and his team can continue their play, he might help bring another one and call it a career.
What’s helped him be great are the starting wide receivers on the roster. Puka Nacua is still causing havoc for opposing defenses with the second-most receiving yards in the NFL (1,186), and he’s tied for the most catches (93). While Nacua is Stafford’s favorite target, his counterpart, Davante Adams, is finding the end zone, leading the...
