On a January night in 2021, Detroit Lions fans had to deal with the reality that their franchise quarterback and perhaps the team’s greatest quarterback since Bobby Layne was leaving.
In the days and months that followed, Lions fans had to be thinking the same thing at least one point between that moment and now…
“Watch Stafford take the Rams to a Super Bowl…”
And now, we’re just sixty minutes away from seeing just that after Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams stunned the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27 in Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon.
The social media reaction to Stafford reaching his first-ever conference title game was as entertaining as you’d imagine. Especially for Lions fans who have had to watch one of the favorite sons have success elsewhere.
Just when everybody thought Tom Brady had stole another playoff moment from a franchise, Matthew Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp to set up a game-winning FG to send the Rams to the NFC title game.
Matt Stafford read the tweets
— money magnet babe ✨ (@morbuxx) January 23, 2022
That was a great moment in Lions history too idc
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) January 23, 2022
Matthew Stafford led us to victory in the final drive with his 44-yard throw to MVP candidate Cooper Kupp and Pro Bowl kicker Matt Gay made the field goal!! I’m so excited the Rams won because I’ll be at SoFi next Sunday to watch the Rams beat the 49ers to go to the Super Bowl!😁
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 23, 2022
Now you expect me to believe that Matt Stafford is gonna lead them down the field for a GW FG? Aight man.
— Above Average Peso (@PBSImpulse9) January 23, 2022
That’s why Matt Stafford was brought to LA for that throw
— Marcus Spears (@mspears96) January 23, 2022
Who would have thought Tom Brady left Matthew Stafford too much time?
— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) January 23, 2022
Matthew Stafford, to me over the summer, when I asked what he wants out of the rest of his career:. “I just want to play in big games, you know? … I want to have opportunities to make big-time plays in the fourth quarter against really good teams, in big moments.”
— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) January 23, 2022
STAFFORD, GOFF, AND THE LIONS: What NFL playoffs revealed about Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff and Detroit Lions’ future
Atlanta Braves win the World Series
Georgia Bulldogs win the College Football Playoff
Matthew Stafford winning the Super Bowl???
It must be the Year of the Dawg
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) January 23, 2022
matthew stafford is MY goat
— physicstweets – Ja Morant Respector (@physicstweets1) January 23, 2022
Give Sean McVay credit. He’s come up with a helluva opening script to get Matthew Stafford going while also getting OBJ a handful of touches to get into the flow of the game. With Kupp and others also touching the rock, the @RamsNFL have been able to get off to a fast start
— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) January 23, 2022
Ok Lions, fans…this one may be tough to swallow.
Matthew Stafford is 22 minutes from having more playoff wins than the Detroit Lions in the Super Bowl era.
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) January 23, 2022
Contact Andrew Hammond at aahammond@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @ahammFreePress. Check out some of the tremendous offers from the Detroit Free Press and subscribe today!
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Lion Matthew Stafford leads Rams to title game over Brady, Bucs