THERE WERE EIGHT seconds left in the game on Nov. 22, 2009, when Detroit Lions rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford took a vicious sack from Cleveland Browns linebacker C.J. Mosley.
Stafford laid on the field in pain before making his way to the sideline, where he was checked by the Lions’ medical staff. As the group discussed the quarterback’s injury, he heard the Browns call a timeout. The stoppage allowed Stafford to return for the final play, an untimed down after a penalty in the end zone. Stafford found receiver Brandon Pettigrew for his fifth touchdown — and the winner — to become the first rookie to throw five in a game since 1937.
With Stafford wearing a mic, NFL films immortalized the play, and it’s one that current Los Angeles Rams teammate Cooper Kupp harkens back to.
“It’s the embodiment of saying, ‘Hey, shoot, there’s a timeout. I have a chance to get back in the game,” Kupp said. “‘Coach, if you need me, I can throw. I’m here if you need me.’ And being able to come in and do what he did. That’s what I think of. And he’s embodied that from being a spry little rookie to what he is now.”
The Lions later found out Stafford separated his shoulder on the play. He played two more games that season before aggravating the injury. Because he wouldn’t be cleared for the season finale and needed minor knee surgery during the offseason, Stafford ended the year on injured reserve.
That toughness Kupp witnessed from afar, he’s now seen time and time again up close since Stafford came to Rams in a trade in 2021. It was molded for 12 seasons with Detroit and has continued in Los Angeles, where he led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory two seasons ago. On Sunday night (8 p.m. ET, NBC), Stafford will be back at Ford Field for the first time, looking to end his former team’s Super Bowl hopes.
The wild-card matchup with the Rams (10-7) will be the first playoff game the Lions (12-5) have hosted since the 1993 season. During Stafford’s time in Detroit, the Lions played in three road playoff games, all losses. Stafford has a career average of 277.7 pass yards per game at Ford Field, the fourth-highest by any quarterback at a single stadium in NFL history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
