Matthew Stafford called Ford Field home for 12 years and on Sunday night he returned, but this time as a visitor. On the other side of the field was Jared Goff, former Los Angeles Rams quarterback, now leading the Detroit Lions offense.
The wild-card matchup marked the first time in playoff history where both starting quarterbacks were facing their former team. Stafford and Goff were in the unique position of facing the QB they were traded for and were doing so on a big stage, naturally bringing up strong emotions and nostalgia.
Ultimately it was Goff who got revenge against his former team, defeating the Rams 24-23 in a hard fought playoff game.
"I kind of had to subdue a lot of emotions this week and was able to kind of enjoy that moment," Goff admitted afterward, via ESPN.
The Detroit crowd was experiencing their first home playoff game since 1993, and would go on to experience their first playoff win since 1991. The thousands of Lions fans could be heard chanting "Ja-red Goff! Ja-red Goff!" as the 29-year-old ran out of the tunnel.
Goff said he had never "experienced anything like that" when discussing the chants from the crowd, calling it the "the best home atmosphere that I've ever played in front of."
"I'm grateful for their support and today with the circumstances that were there, it meant a lot. It was special," Goff said.
Stafford explained what it was like to watch his successor in Detroit win a playoff game, something he never did.
"He's their quarterback. He's playing great. He led them to a win today. I'm happy for him," Stafford said. "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."
The Lions' all-time passing leader found Goff after the game and complimented his play.
Goff's offense, as well as the rest of the team, was certainly backing him after the win, as they chanted his name in the locker room. Multiple players commented after the game on what Goff's leadership and talent has done for the team, helping turn them around from the laughing stock of the league to winning a playoff game.
Head coach Dan Campbell, who is another major reason for the team's success, said Goff was "locked in all week."
"He's really been that way for six weeks now, where you really feel like, 'Whew, he's really honed in here,'" Campbell continued. "Just really proud of him and what he means to us and his play today. ... He's one of the reasons that we've won this division, and he's another reason why we just won our first playoff game here in 30 years, so what a stud."
Star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown wanted the Lions to win for the obvious reasons, but also so he could see Goff win against his former team.
"I'm happy for him. I know how much this game meant for him, but besides him, for the team, for the city. It was a big game, but I'm happy for him," St. Brown said.
Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker chimed in, saying he "just can't say enough good things" about his QB.
"He's a special player, and we wouldn't be where we're at without him," Decker said. "That being said, this game was about a lot more than that, to me, to the city, it was about us. Of course, Jared plays a big part in that. This is about Detroit, it's about us and what we've built here."
Goff finished with 277 yards, going 22-for-27 with one touchdown, earning the game ball from his head coach. Stafford had a solid game as well, going 25-of-36 with 367 yards and two touchdowns, but the Rams just couldn't do enough to get the win.
With the No. 2 seeded Dallas Cowboys losing, the No. 3 seeded Lions will have another home playoff game, against either the No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles or No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is the first time in team history they will have more than one home playoff game in a postseason.
