It’s been more than seven decades since the Rams played the Detroit Lions in the only playoff matchup between the teams.
In 1952 a Rams team featuring stars such as Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Waterfield and Tom Fears lost 31-21 to a Lions team led by Bobby Layne and Doak Walker.
On Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit, the sixth-seeded Rams play the third-seeded Lions in an NFC wild-card game between teams with multiple connections. Some are obvious, others less so. Here is a look at five:
This is a rare case where a blockbuster deal worked out well for both teams.
In 2021 the Rams sent Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick to the Lions in exchange for Stafford.
The deal paid off instantly for the Rams: Stafford led them to a 12-5 record and then masterfully directed a playoff run that included victories over the Arizona Cardinals, the defending Super Bowl-champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers before the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.
This season Stafford has passed for 24 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. His play in the second half of the season fueled his run to a Pro Bowl selection.
