Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on return to Detroit: I’m a bad guy coming to town.

Matthew Stafford is ready to wear the black hat.Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, spent 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams, but he’s not expecting a warm reception Sunday when his current team faces his former one team in the NFC. Wild Card game.andquot;I don’t expect anything, to be honest with you,andquot; Stafford told reporters Wednesday. andquot;I’ve been asked a few times by friends and family, and I think the biggest thing for me is just to go and experience what the experience is like. I understand what the people of Detroit and the city of Detroit have meant to me throughout my time and career, what they have meant to my family. I hope they resent that, but at the same time I’m no stranger to the situation and the notion that there’s a bad guy coming to town.andquot;Stafford comes to town as an opponent for the first time.He led the Rams to a regular season win over the Lions in October of the 2021 season. He threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns while in Los Angeles #039; Super Bowl season. It was in LA though.Sunday offers a new story and action.Stafford will play in his fifth postseason game with the Rams – he played in just three of 10 during his year in Detroit, both losses.He never hit a playoff home run. Itand#039;s the Lionsand#039; Hosting a postseason game for the first time in 30 years. And Stafford, who has been trying to lead the Lions for so long, will try to prevent Detroit from celebrating its first playoff victory since 1991, the longest active drought in the NFL.His performance and scoring are tied with his counterpart Jared Goff. Team game or not, the Goff-versus-Stafford story is a common one, as Stafford was sent to Los Angeles for Goff, two first-round picks and a third-rounder in the 2021 offseason. According to NFL Research, Stafford and Goff will be the centerpieces of the first playoff game in NFL history to feature a starting quarterback who previously played for the opposing team.History and histrionics are compelling, but Stafford has just as much chance of being appreciated by a home crowd that will no doubt rise in the long-awaited post-season, but will see a familiar face on top of the club and in the record books. .andquot;I think the big thing is all the great things he did for that city, for that organization, andquot; Rams head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday. andquot;I think it’s a great compliment on both sides. I know he feels that way, I know that’s what they think of him, and it’s a pretty unique opportunity to go back there and play them in the playoffs, but I can imagine how much respect this city has for football and for football. the person he is, is and is where they say and#039;Hey, we appreciate everything and#039; and then we and#039;Weand#039;hunt the lions to try to beat the rams.and#039;andquot;Stafford’s 45,109 passing yards, 282 passing yards and 74 QB all topped the Lions’ scoring charts.However, he was unable to lead them to playoff success. He requested a trade and found Super Bowl glory in his first season with the Rams. Now we’re preventing the Lions from making the postseason after more than a decade of doing the opposite.It and#039;not any other game, even if it wants to be treated as such.andquot;I’m excited to play anybody right now, anywhere in the playoffs,andquot; Stafford said. andquot;We were a team where at the beginning of the season no one gave us a chance to be in the position we are in. I’m proud of the work that the players, the coaches, everyone and#039; 039;s working to solve this problem, proud of the work done on it. And#039;s us there, we have to keep working to try to improve and we have an opportunity to go play a game dimanche.andquot;However, even Stafford can’t completely underestimate how much of a night Sunday will be for Detroit. And his participation makes it even greater.andquot;Yeah, it’s an amazing city, it’s an amazing fan base, you know the organization does a great job and I know they’re excited,andquot; he said. andquot;I mean, it’s going to be a great atmosphere, probably one of the best concerts I’ve played at in a long time, and it’s a group of people that I’ve enjoyed throughout my experience. The Lions wanted the best for them and now they are playing very good football, they had a chance to make the playoffs and they earned that chance.andquot;Itand#039;s a tough place to play, it’s tough, it’s very tough to communicate offensively and we understand that, but as an NFL player, those are the fun experiences you want. I’m sure Sunday will be like that.andquot;Staffordand#039; preparing to be the bad guy in Detroit, even if it’s a complicated concept..