The Detroit Lions are hosting the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild card round on Sunday night. Despite the common links between the two franchises, they are relative strangers. Both teams have changed considerably since the last meeting in L.A. back in the 2021 season.
To get more info on what the 2023 playoff edition of the Rams looks like, I turned to my Rams Wire colleague, Cam DaSilva. I had questions, DaSilva had answers.
What is the general sentiment about Jared Goff with the Lions? Do Rams fans even care?
I think they appreciate what he did for the team during his time in L.A. but Matthew Stafford made them quickly forget about the tough times by leading the Rams to a championship in his first season. Many fans still root for Goff from afar and are happy to see him doing well in Detroit, but there’s no question Stafford has been an upgrade in multiple ways. Had Stafford flopped in L.A., fans might’ve missed Goff more than they do.
The Rams were 3-6 at their bye week. What changed to make them win seven of their last eight games?
They were banged up in the beginning of the season and faced some really good teams. They blew leads to the 49ers, Bengals, Eagles and Steelers, so they very easily could’ve started 6-3 instead of 3-6. After the bye in Week 10, Stafford’s thumb got much healthier and Kyren Williams returned from IR in Week 12, which really provided a spark on offense. Williams has been a huge part of the second-half success and Sean McVay’s willingness to lean on the run big reason they turned things around.
What do you see is the Rams biggest advantage in the game?
Their receiving corps against Detroit’s corners. Cooper Kupp has a tough matchup in the slot against Brian Branch, but I expect Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson to feast on the outside. And McVay is smart enough to move Kupp around and give him some favorable matchups against the Lions’ boundary corners, too. Stafford should have a great game if he has time in the pocket.
What do you think is the Lions biggest advantage in the game?
It’s gotta be in the trenches. The Lions run the ball really well behind that offensive line, and the Rams are only average against the run. They don’t have much size up front, which allows bigger O-line’s to bully them at times. Defensively, the Lions are great against the run, which could cause McVay to abandon Williams too quickly if he isn’t having success on the ground. It’s not a huge advantage either way, but the Lions might be able to control the line of scrimmage on Sunday night.
Give me one overlooked key player or matchup to the game
I’ll go with Quentin Lake against Amon-Ra St. Brown in the slot. Lake is a second-year safety who’s taken over as the Rams’ primary slot defender and he’s done a really good job. He hasn’t faced a receiver as quick and shifty as St. Brown, though. That could be a matchup the Lions take advantage of and capitalize on because the Rams don’t have a better option in the slot if Lake struggles.
Who wins and why?
I honestly like the Rams in this one. I think they have the better passing game, especially with Sam LaPorta banged up. They have an edge at wide receiver and even as good as Detroit’s run defense is, Williams should still have success on the ground. It’ll be a close, back-and-forth game, but one the Rams win late with a vintage Stafford drive to break the hearts of Lions fans. Rams 30, Lions 27.