As gameday approaches at Ford Field, it is safe to say that the Detroit Lions are preparing for probably one of the most highly-anticipated games of the season: a rematch of the first round of the 2024 playoffs, the Los Angeles Rams versus the Detroit Lions. After the Lions achieved a slim 24-23 victory over the Rams, it is safe to say that Matthew Stafford, the former quarterback of the Detroit Lions, has a lot to prove. Here are three things we should keep in mind for this matchup.
2024 Detroit Lions Week 1: Win or Loss?
1. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald retired
The 13th overall pick out of Pittsburgh, Aaron Donald, proved to be one of the strongest players on the Rams and one of the greatest defensive tackles of all time. The talented tackle finished the 2023 NFL season with 53 total tackles, including 28 solo and 25 assisted tackles.
Following the 24-23 loss against the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, Donald announced the end of his lengthy NFL career, which lasted ten seasons and resulted in 111 sacks and 340 solo tackles. It is imperative to recognize that Donald’s retirement is nothing short of a devastating loss to the Rams’ defensive line.
To fill this hole, the Rams drafted defensive end Jared Verse out of Florida State with the 19th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. During his two seasons with the Seminoles, Verse completed 89 tackles, including 44 assisted and 45 solo tackles. Verse was deemed a “Year-One Starter” during the NFL Combine with a 6.73 Prospect Grade, an Athleticism score of 79, and a Production Score of 81.
Verse is a talented edge rusher, but one thing Donald has that Verse lacks is ten years of NFL experience. Verse may find difficulty when trying to cover left tackle Taylor Decker, Dan Skipper, and right tackle Penei Sewell. This is not to say that Verse will not find success in the NFL; he simply may lack the experience to adequately cover the highly ranked Detroit Lions offensive line with, at most, two NFL preseason games under his belt.
2. The Rams are facing one of the most talented offenses in the NFL
It is safe to say that the Detroit Lions hold some of the league’s best wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs. Tight end Sam LaPorta’s talent has been recognized by some of the greatest tight ends in NFL history: Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce. Kelce was asked who was the best attendee at the annual ‘Tight End University’. The camp consisted of players such as Evan Engram and Jake Ferguson, yet LaPorta seemed to catch Kelce’s eye by saying, “LaPorta had a …year last year”. Not only did the three-time Super Bowl-winning tight end have kind things to say, but four-time Super Bowl-winning tight end Rob Gronkowski also raved about the young tight end, calling him “the steal of the draft.” In LaPorta’s first season in the NFL, he broke five NFL records and eight franchise records. It is pretty clear that with LaPorta’s current trajectory, he will be one of the greatest tight ends in the league in a few short years.
In 2021, the Lions took a chance on the University of Southern California wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown with the 112th pick. St. Brown’s career started slow, only starting in nine games with six touchdowns and 912 yards receiving in 2021. His performance began to pick up in 2022 when he started in 16 games with six touchdowns and 1,161 yards receiving. During 2023, St. Brown became a star with ten touchdowns and 1,515 yards receiving. It is apparent to anyone who has watched the wide receiver play that he was the steal of the 2021 draft, and he continues to create issues for any defense he plays against.
With the loss of D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams soon after the end of the 2022-2023 season, the Lions needed to find replacements fast. In 2023, the Detroit Lions acquired the running back duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. The Detroit Lions selected Gibbs, a running back out of Alabama, with the 12th pick in the NFL Draft. The Lions acquired Montgomery after his rookie contract with the Chicago Bears expired. During Montgomery’s first season with the Lions, he finished with a career-high of 13 touchdowns, 1,015 yards rushing, and 117 yards receiving.
Like Montgomery, Gibbs had an incredible year during his first year with the Lions and in the NFL. He ended the season with 11 touchdowns, 945 yards rushing, and 316 yards receiving. No one anticipated the success this duo would have in Detroit. Montgomery had his breakout season during his fifth year in the NFL after averaging 7.5 touchdowns and 902.25 yards rushing during his career with the Chicago Bears. Many did not anticipate the sheer success that Gibbs would be able to achieve during the first year of his professional career, reaching a level of success that many great running backs, such as Walter Payton, were unable to see in their first season.
3. Two highly successful Quarterbacks are going head-to-head
There is no doubt that Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff have much to prove regarding this Week 1 matchup. Matthew Stafford is returning to his home state of 12 years before going on to win a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. Jared Goff arguably has more to prove as he is head-to-head with his ex-franchise, where he was believed to be the answer to winning a Super Bowl title. But four years and one Super Bowl loss later, Jared Goff was part of a trade that he wasn’t aware of until it was completed.
On March 18th, 2021, the young quarterback was sent to Detroit for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. This could be interpreted as Goff being “worthless” in this trade. Along with Jared Goff, the Detroit Lions were awarded a 2021 third-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick. All the Rams wanted in return was Stafford.
At first, it seemed as though only one side was benefiting from this trade: the LA Rams. During Stafford’s first season with the Rams, he brought the team to the Superbowl, narrowly securing a win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately for the Rams, they did not see that level of success the following year when they ended 5-12, third place in the NFC West. Many people attributed Ram’s poor season to Stafford only playing nine games due to a concussion midway through the season.
Unlike the Rams, the Lions saw a kind of success they had not seen for quite some time. Although the Lions ended with a 9-8 record, what was impressive was their growth throughout the season. There was a noticeable change after the Lions’ loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, with the Lions winning eight out of ten of the following games. Although the Lions did not go to the playoffs due to the Ram’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, it was apparent that the following season, the Lions would take the NFL by storm.
There was no question that Goff, the new quarterback of the Detroit Lions, was a large part of the team’s newfound success. Still, at the time, many people were shocked he could take on the challenge of rebranding the “poverty franchise,” especially after his less-than-impressive performance the year prior, which ended in a 3-13-1 record. During the 2022-2023 season, he finished with a 65.1% pass completion percentage and threw for 4,438 yards.
The following year, the two quarterbacks were head-to-head in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Goff led the Detroit Lions to a 12-5 season with 67.3% pass completion and threw for 4,575 yards. Stafford led the 10-7 Rams with 62.6% pass completion and threw for 3,965 yards.
A Super Bowl-winning team, just a few years prior, fell short against the Lions, losing 20-21. This narrow victory led the Lions deep into the playoff run, where they would beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but lose by only four points against the San Fransisco 49ers in the NFC Championship.
There is no easy way to determine how this game will end because, in actuality, it can go either way. Both teams have weaknesses and strengths and have gained and lost players that can lead to either a win or a loss in this Week 1 game.
Main Image: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
