There was perhaps no Wild Card game with more off-the-field storylines this weekend than the meeting between the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions. Of course the Lions and Rams exchanged quarterbacks back in 2021 with Jared Goff going to Detroit and Matthew Stafford coming to L.A. and immediately making the franchise and head coach Sean McVay look good by leading the team to a Super Bowl.
The two teams met on Sunday and though Stafford had the better stats, it was Goff and the Lions who came out on top with a 24-23 victory. The Lions quarterback was solid, completing 22-of-27 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown and most importantly, no turnovers.
After the contest, McVay praised Goff, calling his performance efficient and insisting he is happy for the former Rams signal caller.
“Jared was really efficient. You can see the command he has,” McVay said. “I think there’s a lot made of it, but I’m really happy for him. Obviously we wanted to come away with the win, but he’s done a great job. I think the grit, the resilience, and the way he’s done his thing here over the last three years, I’m happy for Jared, and I certainly am appreciative of the four years we had together.”
For his part, McVay has always said nothing but positive things about Goff. But when a team trades away a former No. 1 pick, nothing really needs to be said. McVay obviously felt that Goff wasn’t the right guy to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl, but the quarterback has done extremely well for himself with Dan Campbell and the Lions.
It is one of those trades that seems to have been beneficial for both sides. The Rams got the guy they needed in Stafford to go on and win a Super Bowl while Goff has found new life with the Lions and has led them to their first playoff victory in more than 30 years.
Hopefully now that this game is over and done with, McVay and Goff will no longer have to answer these questions and put all of this completely behind them.
Sean McVay: Rams team helped me ‘find my way again’
Despite the loss, however, McVay was extremely proud of the season the Rams had. Many felt they would be one of the worst teams in the NFL before the season, but they wound up with a playoff berth and something to build on moving forward. And McVay would go further, saying this team helped remind him why he loves coaching the game of football.
“Thought we had our chances, but I’m so proud of this football team,” McVay said after teh loss. “You know the finality of it is still…it doesn’t totally resonate, but man did I learn a lot, and really appreciate this group. You know, they…they helped me find my way again, and how much I love this.”
