Matthew Stafford understands he’s ‘the bad guy coming to town,’ which will only help him

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Matthew Stafford isn’t delusional.

He knows that even after 12 years and countless passing heroics and his strong relationship and ties to Detroit, he’ll be wearing the black hat when he plays his first game at Ford Field since he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams three years ago.

“I understand what the people of Detroit what the city of Detroit meant to me in my time and my career, what they meant to my family,” the L.A. quarterback said Wednesday. “I hope they feel that back.

“But at the same time, I'm not a stranger to the situation and understanding that I'm the bad guy coming to town. I'm on the other team. And, you know, they won’t want success for me.”

Stafford held an 8-minute press conference Wednesday, when he was barraged with questions about his return to face the Detroit Lions in a high-stakes wild-card playoff game, the first Lions home postseason game in 30 years in what will undoubtedly be an explosive environment.

The word Stafford used often was “experience.” It’s clear he knows it will be unique environment, one he’s not quite sure what to make of, though he has pondered the scenario.

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“I’m not expecting anything to be honest with you,” he said. “I was asked this question a couple of times, you know, just by friends and family. And I think the biggest thing for me is just go experience whatever that experience is going to be.”

Stafford’s legacy is a complicated one with the Lions. For many years he was the only reason the Lions had any hope. But he wasn’t good enough to lift up the Lions on his own. The banners celebrating his three playoff appearances have been taken down and his No. 9 was given away last year to Jameson Williams. Perhaps a bit of a sartorial slap, but one that Stafford said he isn’t concerned with since he won’t be checking fans’ attire.

“I don't pay attention to any of that, to be honest with you,” he said. “I'm not looking into the stands. I’ll find family and give them a wave.

“But other than that, I imagine there's gonna be a lot of bodies in there. What they're wearing, I don't know. But I bet they'll be having fun.”

This is a topic that Stafford is well-versed in. He knows exactly how loud Ford Field and its faithful can get from having watch some of the decibel-breaking Ndamukong Suh-led defenses from 2011.

“You know, it'll be a tough place to play,” he said. “It'll be loud. It'll be really, you know, tough for us to communicate at all as an offense and we understand that.

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“But those are the kind of fun experiences you want as a player in the NFL, and I'm sure Sunday will be that way.”

The big question for Stafford is how he will handle all of the noise and attention he’s sure to get from all the mainstays around Ford Field, from security guards to ushers to support staff, let alone former teammates and team personnel.

Rams coach Sean McVay noted that when the Lions played the Rams at SoFi Stadium in 2021, Stafford was miked and replays showed the genuine and constant interactions he had throughout the game.

“And the love and appreciation that all the people from that organization have towards him and him towards them, that you just can't fake that interaction that occurs,” McVay said. “And he's as real as it gets, you know?

“And that's why whether it's teammates, coaches, people that have been around him. Everybody loves this guy because of the way he handles himself the competitor he is and I could go on and on.”

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But all those connections come with an emotional price. The ability to handle all that attention and emotion will be a toll Stafford can’t entirely anticipate.

“To be a human being I think it would be, you know, not being human being to not feel a lot of different emotions,” McVay said. “But he's put our team in a position to go play a meaningful game and he's got a lot of history there.”

Something that stuck with me after the Rams hosted the Lions two years ago was Stafford’s demeanor leading up to the game. He was a big more guarded than usual and admitted after the Rams won that he was glad the game and the experience was over.

Stafford wasn’t quite as guarded Wednesday as he was two year ago. But he still wasn’t quite his usual self, casual, confident and self-assured. I can’t blame him for being nervous after all those years and all those memories with all those fans who cheered him on.

“And it's a group of people that, from my experience, love the Lions, wanted what was best for them and now they're playing really good football,” he said. “They had opportunity to host a playoff game.

“I mean, they've earned that opportunity. It's gonna be a cool experience for those people and really everybody involved in the game.”

Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Matthew Stafford knows he's ‘bad guy' in Detroit Lions playoff game