Matthew Stafford "definitely excited" about return to Detroit for playoff opener

Matthew Stafford has played a lot of games in Detroit, but none of them have been anything like the game he will be playing there next Sunday night.

Stafford was the Lions quarterback every other time he played at Ford Field, but he'll be leading the Rams into the playoff matchup with the NFC North champs. That's one big change and another is that it will be the first playoff game played in Detroit since 1993.

After the Rams set up that matchup by beating the 49ers behind backup quarterback Carson Wentz, Stafford said it was awesome for the team to be heading to the playoffs and that the scheduling is "fun for me on a personal level."

"I know it's going to be rocking there," Stafford said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. "Haven't had a playoff game there about 30 years or whatever it is. So it'll be a great atmosphere. It'll be a tough task for us, but definitely excited."

Stafford's return means there "will be a lot of stuff beforehand" and that will also be the case for Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who came to Detroit in the Stafford trade and has outperformed expectations as the Lions' starter. Weathering that and keeping focused on the game will be part of the task for both quarterbacks as they prepare for what should be a memorable night in the Motor City.