Matthew Stafford Appears Jealous of Jared Goff

Stafford unable to get win in second return trip to Ford Field.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9). / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

The second reunion between Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field had a similar tune to the first.

Stafford, who quarterbacked the Lions from 2009-20, returned to the stadium as a member of the visiting Los Angeles Rams for the 2024 season opener. He was once again met with a chorus of boos from Lions fans during pregame warmups upon taking the field.

Meanwhile, the quarterback he was traded for, Jared Goff, was received well with chants of his name and raucous cheers.

This was reminiscent of the meeting between these two teams, in the same venue, in January during the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. In that game, the Lions narrowly knocked off the Rams by a single point, 24-23.

On Sunday, to open the regular season, the Lions once again prevailed over their former quarterback with a 26-20 victory.

Asked if he was over the reception to his return, which included the "Jared Goff" chants and boos, the veteran passer nodded his head.

"I am, yeah," Stafford said.

Stafford doubled down when asked if Detroit seemed like just another place to play at this point in his career.

"Yep."

The Lions and Stafford have underwent different trajectories since they parted ways prior to the 2021 season. Stafford won the Super Bowl in his first season with his new team, while the Lions and Goff went 3-13-1.

However, Detroit has quickly reloaded into a team that is viewed as a Super Bowl contender under the leadership of Dan Campbell and Goff's resurgent play. On Sunday, the Lions sputtered for much of the second half but ultimately willed itself to a win after Goff led a late game-tying drive to send the game to overtime.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford speaks on the Ford Field atmosphere in his second return to Detroit and how he feels about the boos and Jared Goff chants. pic.twitter.com/bOoihRZ24W

— Kory E. Woods (@KoryEWoods) September 9, 2024

Stafford had a solid day Sunday, outplaying Goff from a statistical perspective. His connection with Cooper Kupp was on full display, as the duo connected 14 times for 110 yards and a score.

In total, the veteran passer threw for 317 yards, one touchdown and one interception. With an offensive line battered by injuries and top wideout Puka Nacua leaving the game with an injury, Stafford adjusted his plan and thrived in the quick game throughout Sunday's contest.

His interception came at an inopportune time, as it occurred in the end zone when Kerby Joseph snared a pass intended for Cooper Kupp.

However, that effort was not enough to escape the place he used to call home with a victory.

“Look, I thought (Rams coach) Sean (McVay) had a heck of a plan last year, and he had another one this week," Campbell said. "Now, we threw some wrinkles at him, I think we threw a couple of things at him that it was going to take him a minute to adjust to. And they did, but to that point, they adjusted quickly, and Stafford knew exactly what he needed to do. He knew where his outlets were, and yeah, he was going to get rid of that ball. They were going to go a little tempo on us, and some things, and try to apply a little pressure on us. But I thought he played outstanding, I really did man, and you know they were. They got banged up over there and they just kept coming.”

Stafford was complimentary of the crowd at Ford Field Sunday. The atmosphere in the building lived up to its billing as one of the best in the NFL, forcing multiple false starts and making it difficult for the visiting team.

"It was good. I thought it was a fun place to play," Stafford said. "Crowd was into it. Obviously a great football game, that helps, that helps the crowd get into it."