Matthew Stafford faced a tough reception during his last visit to Ford Field when the Los Angeles Rams played against the Detroit Lions in a wild-card game last January. The scene is unlikely to change when Stafford returns to Detroit this Sunday night.
Taylor Decker, Stafford’s former blindside protector, anticipates a similarly hostile environment. “Given our fans, I’m expecting it to be intense,” Decker said on Monday. “Stafford will handle it as a competitor, and I don’t think it will faze him. That’s just how it goes; fans support their team.”
The Lions are hosting the Rams in the season opener for both teams, marking a playoff rematch of a close game the Lions won 24-23. During that game, Lions fans vocally booed Stafford, the franchise’s all-time leading passer, who had requested a trade after the 2020 season. He was replaced by Jared Goff, and the trade has proven beneficial for both teams: Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl in his first season with them, while the Lions used the draft picks from the trade to build a strong roster.
Despite the jeers, Stafford, who threw for 45,109 yards in his 12 years with Detroit, described last year’s Ford Field atmosphere as one of the most memorable he has experienced. The crowd set a stadium noise record with a decibel reading of 134.3 during a divisional playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Decker expects the fans to be loud and enthusiastic once again. “I’m sure our fans will aim to break that noise record again,” he said. “They’ve been supporting us for decades and deserve to enjoy it. A home-field advantage like this is invaluable.”
Decker added that part of that advantage involves booing the opposing quarterback, regardless of their past with the team. “Anyone coming in is seen as the enemy,” he noted. “So, it’s likely to be a hostile environment.”
