The Detroit Lions defeated the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday to secure their first playoff win in 32 years, and Matthew Stafford was happy for his former team — sort of.
Stafford, who spent the first 12 years of his career with the Lions, played well in the Rams’ 24-23 loss. He finished 25/36 for 367 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. The toughness that fans in Detroit always admired from Stafford was also on full display throughout the game.
In his postgame press conference, Stafford was asked how he feels about the city of Detroit. He specifically said he is “happy for the players,” and that was it.
Rams HC Sean McVay said he was happy for his ex-QB Jared Goff. I asked Matthew Stafford if he's happy for the city of Detroit, seeing as how he played his first 12 seasons here: "I'm happy for the players." pic.twitter.com/K738IcmkyD
— Kory Woods (@KoryEWoods) January 15, 2024
“I’m happy for the players,” Stafford said. “I’m happy for those guys.”
The reporter who asked the question was obviously giving Stafford an opportunity to say he was happy for fans in Detroit, as the 35-year-old understands the plight of the Lions fan better than most. Stafford only mentioned the players, however, which seemed intentional.
Perhaps Stafford did not appreciate the reception he got from fans at Ford Field prior to kickoff.
