As Matthew Stafford prepares to face the Lions Sunday, an old debate is being rehashed in Detroit: who failed who? Did Stafford fail the Lions in his 12 seasons without a playoff win? Or did the Lions fail Stafford?
"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 told reporters Wednesday in Los Angeles. "I'm in a new place now. I'm here in L.A., lucky to be surrounded by the people I'm surrounded by, 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."
But Stafford has felt the support from his former home. A large segment of Lions fans is still cheering for No. 9, still rooting for him to find the success that eluded him in Detroit. And that resonates with the 33-year-old, who knows his old fanbase could feel differently after he asked for a trade last offseason.
"Yeah, I appreciate that very much," he said. "I could see how it would be very easy for people to feel the other way. For people to take some happiness in any kind of success that any former player is having away from their building is really just a testament to them. That's the kind of people they are in Detroit. Great people, both in the organization and in the city itself. I really did enjoy my time. I had great relationships built, and maybe that has something to do with it. But I think it's more of a testament, not to me, but to the people of Detroit that they can cheer an ex-player as much as they have for me."
They'll be rooting for Jared Goff and the Lions on Sunday. The two QB's swapped teams in the offseason, and in the process swapped fates. Stafford had the second most losses in the NFL over his 12 years with the Lions; he's 5-1 with the Rams. Goff had the second most wins in the NFL over his final four years with the Rams; he's 0-6 with the Lions. Stafford said he's thrilled to end up where he did -- but his destination wasn't preordained.
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"Everybody wants to say I circled the Rams. I asked for a trade not knowing anywhere I was going to be," he said. "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."
And no, Stafford isn't interested in "comparing it to Detroit."
"I'm not going to do it," he said. "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."