The Lions won only five games last season with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. The Rams have won five in six games with Stafford as their quarterback this season.
Only four times in 12 seasons in Detroit did Stafford experience a winning season as the starting quarterback and only three resulted in a postseason berth.
But during his Wednesday news conference, Stafford, as expected, said he was grateful for his time in Detroit.
“I asked for a trade not knowing anywhere I was going to be,” Stafford said, via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. “There were a bunch of different spots where I thought I could go. I ended up here. I’m extremely happy to be here. I pinch myself getting the opportunity to play for this team with these players and these coaches.
“As far as comparing it to Detroit, I’m not going to do it. I just know that I’m having a blast playing a bunch of football with some great players and great coaches. I loved my time in Detroit. I loved all the experiences that I had. Some of them were tough, but they helped mold me into the player and the person I am today. I spent some really meaningful time in my life, both on and off the field, in Detroit, and I really enjoyed all of it. I’m having fun what I’m doing right now. I had a great experience for 12 years in Detroit. That’s kind of how I want to leave it.”
In Los Angeles, Stafford appears to be answering the question about whether he or the players around him was the problem with the Lions. Detroit went 74-90-1 in the regular season with Stafford at quarterback. It was 0-3 in the postseason.
Stafford was asked if the Lions did enough to give him a chance to win.
“I know when I was in Detroit, everybody was doing everything we could to make the team as good as we could, myself included,” Stafford said. “I’m in a new place now. I’m here in L.A., lucky to be surrounded by the people I’m surrounded with, no doubt. I’m just trying to make the most of my opportunities and win as many games as I possibly can. Appreciate my time in Detroit. Appreciate all the players I played with, all the coaches that coached me and everybody else on our team, but I don’t spend too much time thinking about it or reading that narrative, to be honest with you.”