Just a few weeks ago, the idea of Matthew Stafford being back in the playoff hunt felt like a long shot. Now, the Los Angeles Rams are 6-6 and squarely back in the fray after teetering at 3-6. However, one aspect of the team’s revival flying under the radar is that as the playoffs become more likely, so too does a Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford showdown at Ford Field.
The Detroit Lions are rolling along in the third seed at 9-3. At this point, barring an epic collapse, they’ll be in the postseason as a division winner. Meaning, they will be guaranteed a home playoff game. At this point, the Rams’ only hope of a playoff berth is via the Wild Card. At the time of writing, the team is in the eighth seed, tied with the Packers at 6-6.
Los Angeles Rams Win Streak Raises Chances Of A Jared Goff – Matthew Stafford Showdown
Should the Rams find a way to continue winning, they’ll likely lock up a playoff spot in the sixth or seventh seeds with the Vikings starting to spiral as Joshua Dobbs‘ magic appears to be running out. Considering that the first round of the playoffs features Wild Card entries against division winners, there would be a one-in-three chance that the Rams face the Lions in the first round.
However, with the Cowboys at 9-3 in the fifth seed, the sixth and seventh seeds would lower that chance to 50 percent as long as the Lions don’t nab the second overall seed. In the playoffs, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed. As long as the Rams don’t get the fifth seed and the Lions don’t get the second seed, a revenge game for the ages could only be essentially a coin flip away.
Of course, with both teams being in the NFC, one would need to defeat the other to get to the Super Bowl if both teams continue to win. In other words, even if they don’t get matched up in the first round, they could be matched up in the divisional round.
That said, in order for this to happen, the Rams need to continue to roll, holding off the 6-6 Seahawks and a miraculous surge from the 5-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 5-7 New Orleans Saints. The first step in doing so would be by beating the Baltimore Ravens, who sit at 9-3 in the second seed.
If such a playoff game were to take place between Stafford and Goff, it would serve as an additional chapter to a few storylines. The game would take place in Detroit, serving as Stafford’s first game at Ford Field since the trade. It would also be a massive part of the narrative as to which team won the trade.
With a win, the Rams could say they took the Lions’ quarterback and beat them with him in addition to winning a Super Bowl, adding insult to injury. If the Lions were to win, some would argue that the Lions’ fanbase has a real case to make. With a win, the Lions could say that the Rams won the trade early, but considering the quality of the two team’s regular seasons in addition to knocking the Rams out of the playoffs, the Lions have a brighter future because of the trade.
There are five weeks until Wild Card Weekend and a few things would need to fall correctly to talk any deeper about the potential for Matthew Stafford’s homecoming, but the chances are as great as they have ever been. Will Rams fans get a playoff game against Jared Goff?