Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford returns to Ford Field for first time since being traded.
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00:00 Matthew Stafford makes his return to Ford Field on Sunday night for the wildcard round of the postseason, John.
00:06 I mean, you couldn't have written this any better. This juicy of a matchup to start off the postseason.
00:12 What do you make of Stafford coming back to the place where he played his first 12 seasons in the NFL?
00:18 Yeah, Vito. Nostalgia. There's going to be a lot of discussion regarding Stafford's tenure.
00:23 12 years with the organization.
00:25 Really, the start of the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell era really occurred when Matthew Stafford requested to trade.
00:31 He went in after 12 years in the organization, really having not much success in the postseason.
00:37 Really frustrated, not wanting to go through another rebuild.
00:41 So, Matthew Stafford, after deciding and really thinking about it, decided that he needed to take his talents elsewhere.
00:47 And he facilitated a trade to the Los Angeles Rams, which netted the Detroit Lions a couple of draft picks and Jared Goff.
00:54 So, you look at it, Vito. Many people have good memories of Stafford.
00:58 His late-game comebacks, the tough plays, his grittiness, the fact that he ingratiated himself well in the community.
01:06 But for those diehard fans, Vito, they're going to pay attention to the fact that he was part of a failed 12-year tenure.
01:12 Didn't win any postseason games. Didn't really advance the cause of the Lions organization.
01:17 Really wasted the talents of Calvin Johnson.
01:20 Nothing came of his tenure. Unfortunately, from where he started, he was drafted as the number one overall pick.
01:26 And when you're drafted that high, there are supreme expectations.
01:30 You, in essence, become the face of a franchise.
01:33 And look, I know it wasn't all Matthew Stafford's fault that the Lions didn't succeed, but he was part of the problem.
01:40 He, at times, would have that gunslinger mentality, would turn the football over at inopportune times.
01:46 And at times, you remember that season in which the Lions only needed one victory in their final three weeks.
01:52 And unfortunately, suffered a hand injury at the worst possible time.
01:56 So it just seemed like all the luck that the Lions would have needed with Stafford never occurred.
02:01 You saw Hail Marys in 2014. You saw a game against the Cowboys that ended in controversy.
02:09 So the memories with Stafford, while they were great in the regular season,
02:13 most fans of the Lions are ready for the next step, and that's for this organization to become a perennial and regular playoff winner.
02:21 And that just never happened with Matthew Stafford. So there's going to be some conflicted feelings.
02:25 Bottom line, Vito, I think the majority of fans are going to be cordial and respectful of Stafford.
02:30 But if he throws an interception or he does anything that's going to benefit the Lions, the Lions fans will cheer.
02:36 I don't think they're going to do a video package or anything to honor the man or anything.
02:40 But I do believe that there might be a smattering of boos, but by and large, I think the fan base will be respectful.
02:46 But this is a loyal fan base that will support Jared Goff and the Lions much more than they'll support Stafford.
02:53 They'll be number nine jerseys all over Ford Field, but they should be for Jamison Williams.
02:59 And John Plain and Simple, the Lions are Jared Goff's team now. Thanks for all the time.