December 23, 2024

Rams’ Matthew Stafford to Lions fans: Who cares what you think?

Rams #Rams

You really can’t blame Detroit Lions fans: Once the most picked-on kid in the schoolyard, they’ve taken boxing lessons, guzzled protein shakes and now are the lords of recess.

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So, they’re going to be more than a little obnoxious as they enjoy their new status.

On Sunday night, they booed their former hero, quarterback Matthew Stafford, who three years ago switched uniforms with Jared Goff in sports’ biggest swap since Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich.

Sunday’s wild card game — won by the Lions, 24-23 — was Stafford’s first game in Detroit since the 2021 trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Goff and a handful of draft picks.

It was no surprise that Stafford — who won a Super Bowl with the Rams — was pelted with thunderous boos, which were followed by “Jared Goff” chants.

Didn’t hurt my feelings, said Stafford, who threw for 367 yards and two touchdowns, but failed to get the Rams into the end zone on three red-zone trips.

After the game, the forever-linked quarterbacks hugged on the field. After Stafford delivered a private message, Goff broke the embrace and mouthed, “Thank you.”

“He’s their quarterback,” Stafford said. “He’s playing great. He led them to a win. I’m happy for him. I thought he played excellent today. He’s leading an offense that’s playing at a really good clip right now, and they should be proud of him. They should be cheering for him.”

“It was a playoff game. I’m not surprised that they were excited about cheering for their team, and I’m not too worried about anybody’s personal feelings toward me that were sitting in the stands.”

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