NFL WILD CARD GAME 5: LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS

BY ADAM GREENE

Here it is, the matchup we all demanded the second the Los Angeles Rams began their push to the postseason. Matthew Stafford brings his Super Bowl winning club to Detroit, the city where he spent years trying to win a championship, to face off against the Detroit Lions. A team quarterbacked by Jared Goff, the guy the Rams fired to bring in Stafford. It’s Stafford vs the Lions. It’s Goff vs the Rams/Sean McVay. It’s the best game of the week and it’s in the featured Sunday Night football slot. Cris Collinsworth had his ass oiled up for the slide in on this one a week ago.

This is the 88^th meeting between the two franchises with the Rams holding 45-41-1 advantage in the series. They last squared up on Oct. 24, 2021, the very year of the aforementioned Stafford for Goff and Picks trade happened. Los Angeles won it 28-19 in SoFi on their way to an eventual Super Bowl Championship. Stafford was 28 of 41 for 334 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the win. Darrell Henderson (no longer with the team) rushed 15 times for 45 yards. Cooper Kupp had 10 catches for 156 yards and two scores. Van Jefferson (now with the Chicago Bears) hauled in four passes for 43 yards and a score.

In the loss, Jared Goff was 22 of 36 passing for 268 yards, one touchdown and two picks. Jamaal Williams (now with the New Orleans Saints) rushed 12 times for 57 yards. D’Andre Swift (now with the Philadelphia Eagles) rushed 13 times for 48 yards and caught eight passes for 96 yards and a TD. Kalif Raymond had six receptions for 115 yards.

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS (-3, O/U: 51.5)

Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.

Broadcast: NBC

Kickoff: Jan. 14, 4:30 p.m.

LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-7)

The Rams secured the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs, their 10^th win of the season and ended a nine-game regular season losing streak to the San Francisco 49ers with a 21-10 victory last Sunday. Carson Wentz was 17 of 24 passing for 163 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the win. He led the team in rushing with 17 carries for 56 yards and a score and was sacked twice. Brycen Hopkins caught two passes for 47 yards. Puka Nacua, in a little over a half of work, caught four passes for 41 yards and a touchdown to set the all-time rookie receptions and yardage record. The defense held the 49ers to a total of 125 yards on the ground and sacked Sam Darnold three times.

DETROIT LIONS (12-5)

Detroit, playing for a potential two seed, put it to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18, winning 30-20. Jared Goff was 23 of 32 passing for 320 yards and two touchdowns. David Montgomery rushed 10 times for 40 yards and a score. Jahmyr Gibbs had 13 rushes for 30 yards and a TD. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught seven passes for 144 yards and a score. Sam LaPorta had five receptions for 29 yards and a TD before leaving the game with an injury. The defense held Minnesota to 89 yards on the ground, picked off Nick Mullens twice and sacked him four times.

THE PICK

I think we all know how this one could most likely end. No one knows Jared Goff’s strengths and weaknesses better than Sean McVay. It’s why he traded him away along with a solid group of picks for Matthew Stafford and immediately won a Super Bowl. If Goff can pull this off, it should exorcize every single demon he has left. I don’t see it happening. Rams 27, Lions 20

Last week

Straight up: 9-7

Against the spread: 11-5

Season

Straight up: 188-84

Against the spread: 173-99

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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