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As fate would have it, Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams will face his former team, the Detroit Lions, in the Wild Card Round. It's not just Stafford's former team because the Lions traded him to the Rams for their current starting quarterback, Jared Goff.
The subplots make it an exciting and potentially hotly-contested matchup between two of the National Football Conference's top quarterbacks. However, the showdown might be for nothing if Stafford won't play.
Matthew Stafford is good to go for Wild Card Weekend
The former Georgia standout did not play in the Rams' season-finale against the San Francisco 49ers. However, he did not suit up because he was injured. Instead, Rams head coach Sean McVay gave him additional rest because it's a no-bearing game.
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Matthew Stafford and the Rams have locked in the sixth spot for the NFC playoffs and couldn't improve their standing because the fifth-seed Philadelphia Eagles have a better record. Likewise, the seventh-seed Green Bay Packers couldn't catch them up because 9-8 is the best record they could have.
A veteran quarterback like Stafford could benefit from additional rest days, especially for optimal playoff performance. Without any significant injuries, Lions fans can expect their team to compete against their former signal-caller.
Is Matthew Stafford injured?
The Rams listed Stafford's Week 18 absence as "Non-Injury Related – Other." While he has no major injuries, the team still had to declare his status. Aside from letting him miss their Thursday and Friday practices that week, staying on the sidelines for their season finale recharges him for the Wild Card Round.
Matthew Stafford's health this season has vastly improved compared to last year. He suited up for only nine games the season after they won Super Bowl LVI due to a season-ending spinal cord contusion.
He missed only two games this season, including his Week 18 rest. The other game he sat out was in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers due to a thumb injury.
Therefore, Stafford is healthy as he leads the Rams offense in the playoffs. That's a scary thought for the Lions and every other team they will face if they pass the Wild Card stage.
Matthew Stafford is on a hot streak
The Rams winning six of their last seven games is a direct effect of Matthew Stafford's impressive performances. If not for their overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens, they could have won seven straight matches, making them the hottest (and probably scariest) team to face in the playoffs.
Stafford had four games during that stretch with at least a 70.6 completion percentage. He had five games with multiple touchdown passes, including three against Baltimore. Conversely, he had 16 touchdown passes and only four interceptions after their regular season bye.
Stafford's sensational run and Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams' emergence make the Rams a formidable adversary for the Lions.
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